Hidden In Oregon's High Desert Is A Little City With Hot Springs, Ancient Caves, And Unmatched Beauty

Imagine a vacation that will help you live a more balanced lifestyle (at least for the days that you're there) through a combination of thrilling outdoor activities and peaceful and relaxing scenery. With both ancient caves waiting to be explored and natural hot springs to help you decompress, hidden away in Oregon's high desert is the tiny city of Paisley, where you'll find all of that and more.

With a population of less than 300 people, Paisley is located an hour north of the California border, a little under two hours north of the unique tripoint where the borders of Oregon, California, and Nevada meet. To get to the tiny city, fly into Oregon's Redmond Municipal Airport and head a couple of hours south. Drive through the naturally breathtaking beauty of Bend, and you'll hit Paisley shortly after you pass Summer Lake. If an excursion to Oregon's largest city, Portland, is also on your to-do list during your trip, you'll want to ensure you have a few extra days available, as Paisley is about a five-hour drive from there.

If stopping in multiple cities isn't part of your itinerary, Paisley has more than enough to keep your schedule packed. Hike and birdwatch your way through forests and wildlife preserves, feel the healing powers of the hot springs, grab a drink at one of the oldest bars in the state, and much more.

Once you're in Paisley, the first thing you'll want to do is simply look around and take it all in — the wide open space, the mountains, the trees. It's both peaceful enough to sit there and nature-watch for a while and inviting enough that you can't help but want to go on out and explore. It's probably best to start with the exploration, as there's so much to see, and then relax and spend some time in the idyllic settings you'll discover.

Paisley is home to the Paisley Caves, a series of ancient caverns where multiple important archeological finds have been uncovered. Here, archaeologists have found evidence of human life going back more than 14,000 years, the oldest such discovered remains in the Western Hemisphere. You can venture through the rocky, rough terrain and take a peek at the caves yourself to see the famed site during your visit.

You'll see a whole other kind of landscape when you head to one of the area's nature preserves, like the Fremont-Winema National Forest or the Lake Abert & Abert Rim Watchable Wildlife Area. Check out the latter to find one of the United States' highest fault scarps as well as prime birdwatching locations. As for the forest, while you won't be able to traverse anywhere close to its entirety due to it comprising a whopping 2.3 million acres, there are plenty of hiking and biking trails, so you can take in as much of the region's unmatched beauty as you can get through. There are also locations for hunting and fishing throughout the forest. While you're there (and in Paisley, in general), make sure to not only look around you but also up, as this area is part of the world's largest Dark Sky Sanctuary, offering unrivaled starry night skies.

There are two main lodging options to choose from in Paisley, depending on what you're looking for. Summer Lake Hot Springs is a rustic resort set on 145 acres of land off the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway. It features areas for RVs and tents, so make sure to come prepared with the necessary items for an easy camping retreat. There are also 12 lodges for rent — two houses and 10 cabins with geothermally heated floors.

Escape to Summer Lake Hot Springs to disconnect from the digital world; there's only cell service and no Wi-Fi or TVs, so you'll be able to reconnect to the natural world via the property's stunning mountain and desert views. As the name suggests, you'll find mineral hot springs for your use and pleasure. There are multiple outdoor rock pools and an indoor pool, and you can continue exploring the property to find nature trails and a nearby bird sanctuary.

Another option is the Sage Rooms, a motel by the Chewaucan River. This property is also located off the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway, and though it's less secluded and expansive than Summer Lake Hot Springs, it's closer to a historic saloon and general store that should both be on your list to check out. The property features four American West-style rooms — three have two queen beds, and one has a king bed. Just a block away, you can grab a beer and a burger from the Pioneer Saloon and Restaurant. Established back in 1883, the saloon is the oldest in the state and was the focus of an episode of the PBS series "Us As We Are." Right next door is the Paisley Mercantile, a historic general store that can provide you with any basics you might need during your trip.