WARM SPRINGS, Ore. — Kah-Nee-Ta is planning to reopen on the Warm Springs Reservation in 2023. The resort also plans to expand its hot spring swimming pools and lodging areas, which include rentable teepees.
The Confederated Tribes of The Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon Tribal Council approved $4.58 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to bring back the popular resort and fund the expansion.
The resort has partnered with Mt. Hood Ski Bowl to develop a reopening plan. Ski Bowl is working with the Warm Springs Economic Development Corporation to come up with a multiphase plan for the Kah-Nee-Ta property.
Jim Souers, chief executive officer of the Warm Springs Economic Development Corporation, said the first phase of the plan is to "open and breathe new life into the Kah-Nee-Ta Village."
"This phase brings the family-style Village back to life while returning it to what it has always been, a place that contributes to the wellness of those who experience its natural mineral hot spring water," he said.
More than 140 employees were laid off when Kah-Nee-Ta closed in September 2018.
Once reopened, the new Kah-Nee-Ta Village is expected to have more than 50 full-time and more than 80 part-time employees during the six-month busy season.
"We are excited to be part of the relaunch of the Kah-Nee-Ta Village to promote the cultural heritage and bring visitors back to experience the natural healing powers of the Hot Springs, which dates back 10,000 years ago," said Kirk Hanna, owner and president of Mt. Hood Ski Bowl. "In addition, the Village will provide employment opportunities to the community, contributing to the Warm Springs economy."
Kah-Nee-Ta first opened in the 1960s and featured an Olympic-size hot spring swimming pool along the Warm Springs River. It has since added more pools featuring waterslides, along with other recreational activities.
“In the early 1960s our visionary Tribal leaders saw the opportunity to develop a unique tourist attraction in the Kah-Nee-Ta Village and put the Warm Springs Reservation on the map as a major destination," said Charles Jackson, a Tribal elder and former Kah-Nee-Ta employee. "My first real wage-earning jobs as a youth were maintenance kid and lifeguard at Kah-Nee-Ta."
He credited the Tribal Council and other members of the community for the decision to "restore this Oregon landmark, create local jobs for our Tribal youth and begin to rebuild the Reservation’s economy devastated by the COVID pandemic.”