New bridge restores access to Terwilliger Hot Springs from Highway 126

Drivers on Forest Service Road 19 can once again reach Terwilliger Hot Springs from the Highway 126 side, with two-way traffic restored between Rainbow and Westfir and only minimal delays expected. For Lane County residents planning a day soak, a bike ride or a weekend trip into the McKenzie River corridor, the reopening removes a detour that had slowed access to one of the area’s best-known recreation sites.

The U.S. Forest Service finished a 61-foot concrete bridge near milepost 55.5, about 2.5 miles south of Highway 126 near Rainbow, Oregon. The project also included asphalt paving and new guardrail work. Forest Service Road 19, also called Aufderheide Drive, had been fully closed from April 1 through April 30 for the construction, which replaced a failing section of road.

The reopening came ahead of the agency’s earlier expectation that the corridor would come back first as a single-lane route in May. Instead, the road opened to two-way traffic sooner than planned, restoring a more direct connection between the McKenzie River communities and the Oakridge-Westfir side of the forest. The road also serves Cougar Reservoir and several other recreation sites, making the improvement important well beyond hot springs visitors.

Terwilliger Hot Springs, also known as Cougar Hot Springs, sits off Rider Creek Trail #3319 and requires a quarter-mile hike to reach the pools. The Forest Service says the site has four soaking pools in a ravine, with temperatures ranging from about 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the lower pool to 112 degrees in the upper pool. The springs are clothing-optional, and parking is limited. The agency also prohibits parking with any part of a vehicle on the paved surface of Forest Road 19.

The bridge project was designed to improve safety and resilience along a stretch of forest road that has faced multiple large landslides and weather-related damage. That matters in a corridor where bridges, steep slopes and river-canyon roads can be vulnerable to storms and construction disruptions. For visitors, the payoff is immediate: easier access to a destination many Lane County residents use for quick escapes, and a clearer route to Cougar Crossing Day Use Area, Cougar Crossing Campground and the rest of the recreation corridor along the road.