One of the first commercial buildings in the world to use geothermal energy as its main heat source.
It is considered one of the most sought-after properties for paranormal enthusiasts.
Full of history
![Gate 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs02.jpg)
Access to the Hot Lakes Hotel is not difficult.
On I-84, a four-hour drive from Portland, Oregon, and two and a half hours from Boise, Idaho.
![Gate 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs01.jpg)
The hotel was located in a rural area 8.5 miles southwest of downtown La Grande.
![Panoramic View 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs21.jpg)
The surface of Hot Lake was quiet and the atmosphere was extraordinary.
![Ruins 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs33.jpg)
This building collapsed as if time and space had been distorted.
![Ruins 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs20.jpg)
The main brick building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, was dilapidated but showed signs of restoration.
![Building 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs11.jpg)
The history of the hot springs is very old, documented by the Astor Expedition that cut the Oregon Trail in 1812.
![Building 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs19.jpg)
At that time, boiling water was already spewing itself into the lake at the foot of the hill, which the Native Americans considered sacred.
![Building 03](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs31.jpg)
In 1864, a shopping mall, as we know it today, was built, consisting of a post office, blacksmith shop, dance hall, and bathhouse.
![Dining Room 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs07.jpg)
The wooden buildings from the time of its founding was demolished in 1903, and the current main building was completed in 1908.
![Hall 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs08.jpg)
Billed as the world's first commercial facility with a geothermal heating system, the hotel had 105 guest rooms and a 60-bed surgical waRoad
![Alpaca](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/alpaca150.png)
![Capybara](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/capybara150.png)
![Dining Room 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs10.jpg)
In 1917, the hotel was taken over by Dr. Phy, a follower of Jung and Freud, and more experimental and occult medical practices began to take place.
A fire in 1934 destroyed most of the buildings.
![Signboard 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs09.jpg)
During World War II, it began to be used as a flight school and nurse's training center in 1939.
In 1951, it was converted to a nursing home and then to a mental hospital.
![Hall 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs34.jpg)
It seems like an exemplary history of haunted places.
While abandoned in 1991 and destroyed until 2002, various paranormal phenomena were reported.
![Bedroom 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs03.jpg)
Steady restoration began in 2003, and today you can book accommodations through Airbnb.
As for me, I succeeded in spending a lonely night with the help of alcohol.
Violent sulfur smell from time to time
![Soaking Area 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs12.jpg)
The soaking area was outdoors, jutting out into the Hot Lake.
![Soaking Area 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs13.jpg)
The atmosphere was open and stylish.
![Lakeside 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs14.jpg)
There was one pool adjacent to the lake as soon as you entered.
![Lakeside 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs22.jpg)
Three circular pools in the center.
![Tubs 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs25.jpg)
Inside was a wooden bench in the shape of a regular heptagon.
![Relaxing 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs29.jpg)
Romantic location with a direct view of the sunset in the evening.
![Sunset 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs23.jpg)
At the far end was a covered pool, enclosed by a brick wall.
![Tubs 03](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs17.jpg)
All of the water was adjusted to 106 degrees F and did not have much character.
![Roofed 03](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs15.jpg)
The water temp at the source is 199 degrees F, so it was inferred that it was considerably watered.
![Roofed 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs18.jpg)
I noticed a wild sulfur smell wafting through the air on the occasional breeze.
It appeared to be from an off-limits area further back than the covered pool.
![Roofed 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs26.jpg)
A stream that felt the heat was pouring into the lake and I could imagine that the sources existed upstream of it.
Across the stream, a mysteriously shaped building that looked like a former bathhouse remained.
![Hot Lake 02](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs28.jpg)
Hopefully, I would have enjoyed the water in its original state, but that may be too much to hope for.
![Hot Lake 01](https://hotspringers.net/ja/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/10/the-lodge-at-hot-lake-springs16.jpg)
I was already full of that history alone.
Summary
The Lodge at Hot Lake Springs, La Grande, Oregon, U.S.
My rating
Type: Lodging, Walk-in
Rule: Clothing required
Chemical use: Not detected
Water temp: Up to 199 degrees F