W Ukinek Spring
The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.
W Ukinek Spring is a thermal point inside the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge, in the Dillingham Census Area, with Dillingham itself well over a hundred miles away. The Fish and Wildlife Service holds the land and access is marked restricted. There is no temperature on file. A water sample from 1977 gives a mildly acidic pH and a chemistry that includes sodium and chloride, which is about all anyone has written down.
Getting there is a backcountry problem. The nearest thing to a road is a jeep trail, and it stops fourteen miles short. The spring sits a few hundred feet above sea level on refuge ground. The climate is cold, with a yearly average well under forty degrees and a fair amount of rain. Snow piles up to around six and a half feet over a winter. No campground appears anywhere in the record.
Restricted access is the first thing to sort out, since the refuge controls who goes in. No season is suggested on file. The chemistry dates to a single August survey in 1977 and nothing newer has been logged, so the water may have changed or the source may be hard to find. Carry your own shelter. There is no camp and no fee information, and the temperature was never measured.
USGS hasn't flown a detailed laser scan here yet, so this view comes from aerial photos and older elevation data.
- Setting
- Gentle slope
- The ground tilts gently up to the west.
- Highest ground nearby
- 25 ft above the spring
- Within a quarter mile, to the west
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 W Ukinek Spring is slightly acidic (pH 6.3). It is notably rich in calcium (may support bone density and joint health), sodium (supports circulation and skin hydration), and chloride (natural antiseptic with skin health benefits).
Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
W Ukinek Spring requires a hike to reach, so pack light but prepared. Cold air temperatures make a changing robe or warm layers essential.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.