Baranof Warm Springs

What to expect

Baranof Warm Springs is a handful of cabins and a boardwalk at the head of Warm Springs Bay, on the east side of Baranof Island. It is part of the City and Borough of Sitka, but Sitka is on the other side of the island. Only about 15 seasonal homes stand here, along with the Baranof Wilderness Lodge, and caretakers keep watch through the winter. The rapids and falls of the Baranof River, which drains Baranof Lake into the bay, are loud enough to hear from most of the boardwalk.

You get two kinds of soak.

The bathhouse. The community built a public bathhouse on the waterfront with three separate tub rooms under a roof, each supplied with hot spring water. Rooms are private, so this is the easy, dry choice on a wet day. The Baranof Property Owners Association pays to maintain it.

The river pools. About nine springs rise along roughly half a mile of the Baranof River between Baranof Lake and the bay, ranging from tepid to about 120°F49°C. The one people come for is a natural, rock-lined pool on a short trail upriver, set right against the whitewater. The water leaves the ground at about 124°F51°C and settles to around 108-110°F42-43°C in the pools. Sitting in hot water a few feet from a roaring rapid in rainforest is the reason to make the trip.

The water is a sodium carbonate type with a lot of silica and a sulphur smell. There are no services to speak of. Bring food, water and dry layers.

Getting there

There is no road to Baranof Island’s east side.

• Floatplane: The usual way from Sitka. Air charters fly across the island to Warm Springs Bay; the Forest Service lists about 25 minutes to nearby Baranof Lake in clear weather. In low cloud, pilots have to take the long northern route around the island, which can double the flying time.
• Boat: Warm Springs Bay opens off Chatham Strait, so it is a popular stop for small cruise ships, yachts and boaters heading through Southeast Alaska. From Sitka by water it is a long trip around the island. Several Sitka operators hold city permits to bring visitors here.

The community has a state dock and a seaplane float, rebuilt by the Alaska Department of Transportation around 2016. Transient boats tie up along the city-maintained boardwalk. ATVs are not allowed on it.

From the dock, follow the boardwalk to the bathhouse, then continue on the trail toward the river for the natural pools. The Forest Service trail carries on about half a mile to the shore of Baranof Lake and is also the start of the Baranof Cross-Island Trail.

When to go

June to August brings the longest days and the most reliable flying weather, and it is when most seasonal residents are around. It is also when small cruise ships and yachts stop in, so the bathhouse can be busy for an hour or two at a time.

Rain is normal in every month. When the river is high after heavy rain, the pools right beside the rapids can be harder and riskier to use. Winter visits are rare: few people are here, flights depend on short weather windows, and you should be ready to wait out a storm.

Rules and etiquette

This is a small private community with shared public facilities, not a park. Behave like a guest.

• Stay on the boardwalk and marked paths. Homes line the boardwalk, and the ground around the springs is fragile.
• No soap, shampoo or bath products in the tubs or the river pools.
• Keep soaks short when people are waiting. There are only three tub rooms, and a boatload of visitors can arrive at once.
• Clothing: The bathhouse rooms are private, so what you wear inside is up to you. At the river pools, which are in view of the trail, wear a swimsuit.
• Leave it clean. Residents pay for the bathhouse upkeep. Pack out all trash.
• Commercial groups need a City of Sitka commercial recreational land use permit; Sitka General Code Chapter 14.10 names Baranof Warm Springs among the city sites it covers.

Where to stay nearby

• Baranof Lake Cabin (Tongass National Forest): A six-person Pan Abode cabin with a wood stove, outhouse and a skiff, on the southwest shore of Baranof Lake. It costs $45 a night on Recreation.gov and is generally available June through October. It is floatplane-only. You cannot walk to it from the springs, because dense shoreline brush blocks the way.
• Baranof Wilderness Lodge: The one commercial business in the community.
• Your own boat: Many visitors stay aboard at the dock.
• Sitka: Full services, about 20 air miles west.

Safety notes

• The river is the real danger. The rapids and falls between Baranof Lake and the bay have proven deadly. Never swim or wade into the current from the pools, and keep a close eye on anyone who has been drinking.
• Scalding spots: Some vents run near 120°F49°C. Test water with your hand before getting in, and do not put your head under.
• Footing: Rocks by the river and wet boardwalks are slick. Wear proper shoes on the trail.
• Bears: Brown bears use the Baranof Lake area. Make noise on the trail and do not leave food out.
• Weather and transport: Floatplanes do not fly in fog or high wind. Pack extra food and a dry change of clothes in case your pickup is delayed.
• Communication: Assume no phone service. Carry a VHF radio or satellite messenger.

Nearby stops worth adding

Across the island and about 16 miles south of Sitka, Goddard Hot Springs has two city-run cedar bathhouses on the outer coast. It is a separate trip, usually by water taxi from Sitka.