One of the easiest ways to slip into a state of pure relaxation is by lounging in a sweltering sauna, allowing your stress — and aches — to melt away as warm steam envelops your body and gently tickles your nostrils. Often paired with cold plunges in what’s known as contrast therapy, saunas are celebrated in many parts of the world for their therapeutic benefits. But you don’t have to jet off to Finland for an authentic sauna experience — all sorts of incredible saunas await you right here in Oregon. Here are some places to start.
Outdoor Sauna Experiences
For a sauna experience that blends Latvian tradition with the scenic beauty of Central Oregon, visit Gather Sauna House’s two locations in Bend. Adventurous nature lovers shouldn’t miss a seasonal (October–May) experience in Riverbend Park, where visitors alternate between warming up in a traditional wood-fired sauna and cold-plunging in the clear, chilly Deschutes River. For a peaceful experience year-round, indulge in botanical rituals at Gather’s second location in the Sauna Garden, housed on the campus of the Hanai Foundation on Bend’s Eastside. One of Portland’s newest saunas, Guss Mobile Sauna, takes a similar approach to Gather, offering visitors the chance to heat up before cooling down in the Willamette River. This 12-person sauna is usually set up at Sellwood Riverfront Park in Southeast Portland, just across the river in Willamette Park, making it easy to alternate between wood-fired heat and the typically nippy river waters. Guss donates 5% of all revenue to the Human Access Project, which works to make the river safer and more accessible to the community.
While Ashland’s Chozu Bath & Tea Gardens isn’t on a river, it is a great option if you want to pair the therapeutic heat of a sauna with the invigoration of an outdoor cold plunge — or a warming soak in a shared or private hot pool. This intimate spa is inspired by the bathhouses of Japan, pairing stone fountain features with verdant foliage in its all-season bath gardens. There’s even a tea and sake lounge, where you can unwind with a comforting post-sauna beverage or snack.
For maximum sauna bliss, check out Portland’s first winter sauna village, called Willamette Sauna Festivaali, a 3-day event at a riverfront park in Milwaukie, just southeast of downtown Portland. The event includes unlimited sauna access during your time slot, plus aromatic infusions, Viking showers, cold plunges and a ton of community spirit with likeminded sauna lovers.
Urban Sauna Adventures
Some of Portland’s best skyline views are from the soaking pools at Knot Springs, a wellness center in the heart of the city’s Central Eastside neighborhood. The spa’s 10-step circuit features a mix of bubbling baths and cold plunges interspersed with a sauna and a steam room infused with essential oils.
For a sauna experience inspired by Russian and Eastern European traditions, stop by Bear Banya in Southeast Portland. Warm up in a traditional parilka — which uses high heat and steam to relax muscles — or upgrade to add a traditional treatment such as a Venik ritual, during which a therapist sweeps your skin gently with bundles of oak, birch or eucalyptus branches to help stimulate circulation. Other features include a Turkish-style steam room, a wood-burning hot tub and a cold plunge.
With two Portland locations, Löyly offers a comforting but straightforward sauna experience with the option to add on plenty of extras. Sign up for a simple sauna session, or upgrade to add on a face mask, an aromatherapy foot soak, or a therapeutic whisking session using oak and birch branches.
Portland’s not the only city offering urban sauna and sauna-adjacent experiences. Since 2024 ChillWell in Bend has been offering sauna-plus-cold-plunge packages along with float therapy in individualized, state-of-the-art soaking pods. Launched in 2025, Hood River’s Salt Cave offers 45-minute halotherapy sessions designed to alleviate everything from skin ailments to aches and pains. Sessions take place in a salt chamber kept at temperatures of around 68 to 74 degrees.
Overnight Sauna Stays
You’ll find great options for soothing sauna getaways across the state. One of Oregon’s newest wellness getaways, Hood River’s Lightwell Hotel & Spa, features a subterranean spa complete with a 10-person sauna and a soaking pool big enough for 20 guests. Access is free for overnight guests and available for a fee to the public.
For a coastal sauna retreat, head straight to the spa at Salishan Coastal Lodge in Gleneden Beach near Lincoln City. Unwind in a steam room or dry sauna, or take in Siletz Bay views from an outdoor infinity hot tub. The property’s prime location across from the beach and its tree-flanked network of nature trails add extra appeal.
In Portland’s Alberta Arts District, luxe CASCADA Thermal Springs & Spa offers a large atrium pool and a dimly lit underground soaking circuit with multiple pools and a sauna that’s open to both overnight guests and day visitors. Follow up your circuit with an upscale meal that blends culinary traditions from Japan and Portugal at the hotel’s Terra Mae restaurant.
In Joseph, The Jennings Hotel invites guests to relax in its cozy sauna, perfect for warming up after a day of outdoor adventures in the nearby Wallowa Mountains.
