Vancouver, WA

It’s the warmest swimming pool I’ve ever experienced, that’s for certain. In fact, when I first stepped in, I wondered if it was too warm for that very hot summer day that we were visiting. But after just a minute or two, I had no complaints, but rather loved it. It’s the only time I can remember not getting cold even after spending a long time in the water.

Yes, it sounds like a long way to go just for a swim, driving all the way to the Warm Springs reservation in Oregon and Kah-nee-ta resort. But if you really plan to spend a full day there, the just-over two-hour drive is not bad at all for a day of sun and a break from our cloud-laden skies. Sure, you could stay in town and swim indoors. But to me that just doesn’t compare to swimming in an outdoor pool, especially a guaranteed warm one.

Please forgive the stock pictures. Knowing we’d be spending hours in the pool, I just wasn’t comfortable bringing my camera in with me and leaving it on a lounge chair. As it turned out, it probably would have been fine, as there were so many families present. But I chose not to take my chances. So on to the fun… Known as the Village Pool, it’s open year-round, with a two-week annual closure for painting (so call ahead to make sure it’s not closed when you are planning to travel there). Fed by natural mineral hot springs, the pool actually has to be cooled off in the summer. Beginning in the fall, they warm it to keep it a consistent 92 degrees. We were told that the influx of fresh water means they don’t have to overload it with as many chemicals as your standard pool. Translation: Our eyes weren’t burning and our kids weren’t complaining.

The pool is also huge: a double-Olympic size that is cordoned off into three sections. The first is quite shallow, perhaps no more than two or three feet deep. Spouting bear statues and a low wall separate this section from the next, which gradually deeps from probably about four feet to deeper than I could touch. The third section is the deepest and is the only area where toys and floats are not permitted. That’s another point: some local pools restrict float use. At Kah-nee-ta, my daughter could sit in a little inflatable hippo to her heart’s content. There is also a wading pool for the little ones.

The big draw for my boys was the waterslides. The tamer of the two winds down 140 feet. The second and newest slide is a 184-foot tube that twists and turns its way down to the water. Be warned: After just a few feet down it gets pitch black and can be a little scary. Not scary enough to deter my boys or dozens of others from doing it again and again! You must be 48” tall to use the slides and $4 will buy you a bracelet that allows unlimited use of either one.

The pool itself costs $10 for those 11 and older, $6 for kids 3-10 and seniors 55 and up. Two and under is free. The pool is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lockers and showers are available. Float toys and other items are available to purchase as well, but it’s cheaper if you buy them at home. Our hippo float was $5. And we forgot to pack any swim diapers (which are required), so we bought a couple for $2.50 a piece.

There is no food or drinks allowed in the pool area, except for water bottles, but a snack bar just outside and around the corner offers options such as burgers, hot dogs (we indulged in tasty, but filling chili dogs), sodas and much more. The only problem we had were a few too many flies. We retreated to our travel trailer, which was parked in an overflow lot after a one night stay in their RV park. I suppose I would look for an area not far but not directly at the snack area, in hopes of fewer flies.

If you’re done with swimming but have a little more time, there is also a playground and miniature golf course to entertain you.

If you’d prefer to spend a night there, you can several options. You could reserve a spot for a trailer or RV. We did this and found the grassy sites small but nice and clean. There are no fire pits, but standing grills are allowed and a few permanent ones are scattered throughout the park for your use. There are also teepees available for rent. These are similar to yurts, in which you bring your own gear and sleeping bags, and are located in a grassy area just outside the pool. There are also Village suites, a small section of the hotel, within walking distance of the pool. The Kah-nee-ta lodge and casino are a half-mile drive up the hill but offer balcony rooms and a smaller outdoor pool.

To check out their website, go to www.kahneeta.com. To get there, take I-205 south to NE Airport Way. Turn left onto Airport Way. This turns into NE 181st Avenue. Turn left onto E. Burnside and take it until it becomes Hwy. 26 East. Enjoy the scenery of Mt. Hood and how it changes as you travel east of the mountain into the high desert. Then simply follow the signs to Kah-nee-ta.