The Bering Land Bridge National Park and Preserve is home to some absolutely spectacular scenery. The area is primarily tundra, and in the stunning valley exists a beautiful hot spring that was used as a Native Alaskan healing spring to the local Alaskan Natives for thousands of years. Here’s more on planning your trip to the breathtaking Serpentine Hot Springs in Alaska.

Located on the Seward Peninsula, the Bering Land Bridge National Park and Preserve, one of 17 national parks in Alaska and 16 wildlife refuges, is a stunning, windswept tundra in the western part of Alaska.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve / Flickr The Hot Springs Valley is surrounded by granite tors, which are large rock outcroppings formed from magma. They show themselves as the earth around them wears away from glaciers, wind, and rain. The Serpentine Hot Springs rest in the valley below these magnificent rocks.

The hot springs in Alaska contribute to the varied vegetation you will find in the area.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve / Flickr You will even occasionally see the gorgeous musk oxen, who also seem to enjoy the hot springs. Even though the tundra can sometimes seem barren, it is teeming with Alaskan wildlife.

The heated pools of Serpentine Hot Springs were created when spring water seeped up between hot rocks.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve / Flickr One of the most beautiful places in Alaska, the waters of Serpentine Hot Springs sit at a toasty 140 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit! Because the waters are so warm year round, the areas immediately surrounding the hot springs remain bare.

The use of dry heat and steam baths among Native Alaskans and Canadian Indigenous peoples throughout the arctic and sub-arctic are well documented.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve / Flickr In fact, the Tlingit Native Alaskans frequently used hot springs in southeastern Alaska for bathing. “Sweat Bathing” in Alaska has traditionally been used for the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, relief from colds and stress, and a general enhancement of well being.

Reports and studies have shown that patients who have used the Serpentine Hot Springs have shown medical improvement!

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve / Flickr The treatment setting for the study was composed of Iñupiat tribal doctors and patients, using traditional treatment methods including the use of the bathhouse. They also ate traditional food, and the positive results are used to promote those seeking to use alternative methods to treat Native American groups.

While the Native Alaskans used the hot springs as a healing place, as well as ceremonial cleansing, and as a social institution, the first white people didn’t come across the springs until 1900.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve / Flickr By the year 1901, there was a small settlement named Arctic Hot Springs, and it included buildings and gardens. A cabin and bathhouse were added by 1915.

By 1915, miners and surrounding locals frequently came to the hot springs for healing purposes, and would frequently stay for weeks at a time, or until they ran out of food.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve / Flickr Local people believe that the springs are stronger in minerals and healing attributes in the winter. They believe the spring runoff dilutes the waters and healing properties.

Nowadays, there are many ways to visit the Serpentine Hot Springs. You can fly in from Nome or Kotzebue using small aircraft, as there is a primitive airstrip.

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve / Flickr During the summer, you can hike or bicycle in from Nome. In the winter, people frequently take snow machines out to the bunkhouse, and some even ski! The hot springs and bathhouse are open to visitors year round. Perhaps there’s no better (and healing) way to enjoy Alaska outdoors!

Have you ever visited the Serpentine Hot Springs in Alaska? What did you think, and what season did you see it in? Let us know in the comments below!

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve / Flickr

The Hot Springs Valley is surrounded by granite tors, which are large rock outcroppings formed from magma. They show themselves as the earth around them wears away from glaciers, wind, and rain. The Serpentine Hot Springs rest in the valley below these magnificent rocks.

You will even occasionally see the gorgeous musk oxen, who also seem to enjoy the hot springs. Even though the tundra can sometimes seem barren, it is teeming with Alaskan wildlife.

One of the most beautiful places in Alaska, the waters of Serpentine Hot Springs sit at a toasty 140 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit! Because the waters are so warm year round, the areas immediately surrounding the hot springs remain bare.

In fact, the Tlingit Native Alaskans frequently used hot springs in southeastern Alaska for bathing. “Sweat Bathing” in Alaska has traditionally been used for the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, relief from colds and stress, and a general enhancement of well being.

The treatment setting for the study was composed of Iñupiat tribal doctors and patients, using traditional treatment methods including the use of the bathhouse. They also ate traditional food, and the positive results are used to promote those seeking to use alternative methods to treat Native American groups.

By the year 1901, there was a small settlement named Arctic Hot Springs, and it included buildings and gardens. A cabin and bathhouse were added by 1915.

Local people believe that the springs are stronger in minerals and healing attributes in the winter. They believe the spring runoff dilutes the waters and healing properties.

During the summer, you can hike or bicycle in from Nome. In the winter, people frequently take snow machines out to the bunkhouse, and some even ski! The hot springs and bathhouse are open to visitors year round. Perhaps there’s no better (and healing) way to enjoy Alaska outdoors!

If not yet, but you’re interested in learning more about this Native Alaskan healing spring, check out the National Park Service’s webpage on Serpentine Hot Springs. You can also learn more about the Bering Land Bridge National Park and Preserve and see more gorgeous photos on the Park’s Facebook page.

Nome, Alaska is an excellent jumping-off point to see this natural hot spring. Make sure to check out This Remote Road In Alaska Will Take You Into The Unspoiled Wild while you’re in Nome!

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

Address: Serpentine Hot Springs, AK 99772, USA

The OIYS Visitor Center

hot springs in Alaska December 13, 2021 Beth C. What are the best hot springs resorts in Alaska? There’s something positively mesmerizing about hot springs. These natural pools of water are chock-full of healing properties, as you’ve learned in the article above. However, these sites are also almost always located in the most breathtaking settings. There are few things more rewarding than soaking in a natural hot springs pool after a long day of adventure. And while it’s always fun to hike to hot springs, there are places throughout Alaska where the springs are relatively easy to get to. One such destination is Chena Hot Springs. Described as the most accessible hot springs resort in Alaska’s interior, this property features countless ways to engage in Alaska’s frozen landscape: hot springs pools, an ice museum, northern lights viewing, and geothermal-powered facilities. Learn more about booking your stay at Chena Hot Springs Resort, one of the best hot springs resorts in Alaska. Where can I go to see the northern lights in Alaska? Seeing the northern lights is on many a traveler’s bucket list, and for good reason. This magical display of celestial beauty is hard to describe and impossible to forget. There are a few places throughout the U.S. where you can spot the lights, but Alaska is by far one of the best. Indeed, many visitors head to Alaska with the single goal of spotting the aurora borealis! If you’re looking to experience this breathtaking phenomenon, we have a few suggestions of where to go in Alaska to see the northern lights. Some of these places include Hope on the Kenai Peninsula, Tok in Eastern Alaska along the Alaska Canadian Highway, Borealis Basecamp in Fairbanks, Earthsong Lodge in Denali National Park and Preserve, A Taste Of Alaska Lodge in Fairbanks, Just Short Of Magic Yurt Bed & Breakfast in Fairbanks, White Mountains National Recreation Area, Anvil Mountain in Nome, Kotzebue in Northwestern Alaska, and Knob Lakes in Anchorage. Learn more about where to go in Alaska to see the northern lights.

The OIYS Visitor Center

hot springs in Alaska

December 13, 2021

Beth C.

What are the best hot springs resorts in Alaska? There’s something positively mesmerizing about hot springs. These natural pools of water are chock-full of healing properties, as you’ve learned in the article above. However, these sites are also almost always located in the most breathtaking settings. There are few things more rewarding than soaking in a natural hot springs pool after a long day of adventure. And while it’s always fun to hike to hot springs, there are places throughout Alaska where the springs are relatively easy to get to. One such destination is Chena Hot Springs. Described as the most accessible hot springs resort in Alaska’s interior, this property features countless ways to engage in Alaska’s frozen landscape: hot springs pools, an ice museum, northern lights viewing, and geothermal-powered facilities. Learn more about booking your stay at Chena Hot Springs Resort, one of the best hot springs resorts in Alaska. Where can I go to see the northern lights in Alaska? Seeing the northern lights is on many a traveler’s bucket list, and for good reason. This magical display of celestial beauty is hard to describe and impossible to forget. There are a few places throughout the U.S. where you can spot the lights, but Alaska is by far one of the best. Indeed, many visitors head to Alaska with the single goal of spotting the aurora borealis! If you’re looking to experience this breathtaking phenomenon, we have a few suggestions of where to go in Alaska to see the northern lights. Some of these places include Hope on the Kenai Peninsula, Tok in Eastern Alaska along the Alaska Canadian Highway, Borealis Basecamp in Fairbanks, Earthsong Lodge in Denali National Park and Preserve, A Taste Of Alaska Lodge in Fairbanks, Just Short Of Magic Yurt Bed & Breakfast in Fairbanks, White Mountains National Recreation Area, Anvil Mountain in Nome, Kotzebue in Northwestern Alaska, and Knob Lakes in Anchorage. Learn more about where to go in Alaska to see the northern lights.

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

There’s something positively mesmerizing about hot springs. These natural pools of water are chock-full of healing properties, as you’ve learned in the article above. However, these sites are also almost always located in the most breathtaking settings. There are few things more rewarding than soaking in a natural hot springs pool after a long day of adventure. And while it’s always fun to hike to hot springs, there are places throughout Alaska where the springs are relatively easy to get to. One such destination is Chena Hot Springs. Described as the most accessible hot springs resort in Alaska’s interior, this property features countless ways to engage in Alaska’s frozen landscape: hot springs pools, an ice museum, northern lights viewing, and geothermal-powered facilities. Learn more about booking your stay at Chena Hot Springs Resort, one of the best hot springs resorts in Alaska.

Where can I go to see the northern lights in Alaska?

Seeing the northern lights is on many a traveler’s bucket list, and for good reason. This magical display of celestial beauty is hard to describe and impossible to forget. There are a few places throughout the U.S. where you can spot the lights, but Alaska is by far one of the best. Indeed, many visitors head to Alaska with the single goal of spotting the aurora borealis! If you’re looking to experience this breathtaking phenomenon, we have a few suggestions of where to go in Alaska to see the northern lights. Some of these places include Hope on the Kenai Peninsula, Tok in Eastern Alaska along the Alaska Canadian Highway, Borealis Basecamp in Fairbanks, Earthsong Lodge in Denali National Park and Preserve, A Taste Of Alaska Lodge in Fairbanks, Just Short Of Magic Yurt Bed & Breakfast in Fairbanks, White Mountains National Recreation Area, Anvil Mountain in Nome, Kotzebue in Northwestern Alaska, and Knob Lakes in Anchorage. Learn more about where to go in Alaska to see the northern lights.