Bagby Hot Springs bathhouse set for demolition

SALEM, Ore. (AP) – U.S. Forest Service officials say an iconic bathhouse in the Mount Hood National Forest has been closed and will be demolished this summer due to extensive rotting.

The Statesman Journal reports the Bathhouse 2 at Bagby Hot Springs was made famous because visitors could soak in cedar logs in five private rooms, and has long been a centerpiece of the hot springs south of Estacada.

Originally built in 1985, the building often billowed with steam as 136-degree water rolled down a handcrafted chute and into rooms with an open view of old-growth forest.

Clackamas River District Ranger Jackie Groce says the plan is to come up with a more sustainable long-term design for the entire site.

In the meantime, Bathhouse 1 and 3 remain open with public soaking and no private rooms.

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Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com