Baranof Warm Springs
Ten geothermal springs come up next to the small settlement of Baranof Warm Springs, on the eastern side of Baranof Island and about twenty miles from Sitka. The water arrives too hot for a straight soak, and it is strongly alkaline. Tongass National Forest wraps the community. Nothing says who holds the ground beneath the springs, and public access has not been recorded either.
There is no road to Baranof Island and no air service. You get there by boat. Something called Old Mine Road is the nearest road the record can find, twelve miles distant, which tells you how far this is from anywhere drivable. The settlement sits almost at sea level on a wet coast where winter snow stacks up deep and rain falls most of the year. Baranof Lake cabin is two and a half miles away.
January through March rate highest for a visit. The water was sampled once, in 1972, and came out hot enough to need care, so test it before committing. Sort out a boat before anything else. No fee is noted, and the cabin at Baranof Lake is the nearest place to stay that the record knows about.
Wikipedia describes the site as a series of ten geothermal mineral springs inside a small seasonal community that shares their name, with Tongass National Forest on every side and no way in except by water. The USGS sampled the water in March 1972.
USGS hasn't flown a detailed laser scan here yet, so this view comes from aerial photos and older elevation data.
The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
- Setting
- Valley floor
- Gentle slopes rise on both sides.
- Highest ground nearby
- 152 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the southwest
A slice through the ground from west to east, about 0.6 miles end to end.
Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.
The water at Baranof Warm Springs is alkaline (pH 9.4) with 268 mg/L total dissolved solids.
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Overview Baranof Lake Cabin sits on the shores of greenish-blue Baranof Lake on the southwestern edge of Baranof Lake, 20 air miles east of of Sitka, Alaska. The cabin is generally available June through October, and makes an excellent base for experiencing this corner of Alaska. This is a remote site. The cabin can be accessed by a 25-minute floatplane trip, weather permitting. In poor weather and low clouds, flying time can double, as flights must go the northern route around Baranof Islan...
Baranof Warm Springs requires a hike to reach, so pack light but prepared. The water runs hot, so extra hydration is key. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
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