Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay)
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay) is a primitive hot spring listed near Adak, Alaska. No soak temperature is on record. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
A remote thermal area near Andrew Bay/Mount Adagdak at the north end of Adak Island: the vent runs ~154F (scalding), only marginal lukewarm shoreline pools are reported, and reaching the island requires an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage plus an Aleut Corporation land-use permit ($20/day or $40/week) for the corporate land outside town.
Checked September 2026 · based on recent visitor reports · 13 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Reservation or permission required — confirm via The Aleut Corporation — Adak lands page (Land Use Permit required for recreational access; trespass warning; island history).
- Cost: Fees reported — confirm current rates before visiting.
- Getting there: No verified hike distance on record — confirm the route and road conditions.
- Water: No soak temperature on record — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Clothing policy unknown — verify locally; pets reported not allowed — confirm current rules.
- Conditions: check weather, fire closures, and land-manager alerts the week you go — mountain access changes seasonally.
- Reservations/permits: Aleut Corp online Land Use Permit for Adak (recreational: $20/day, $40/week) via aleutcorp.com/lands/land-use-permit-form; shareholder permits free.
- Best time to go: Summer (Jun-Aug) for the calmest seas and longest daylight; time the approach for low tide.
- Clothing reality: No policy — remote, essentially never crowded; weather (not modesty) is the constraint.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Not accessible — requires air travel, a vehicle on island gravel roads (Pollitt Road), then a rough shoreline scramble with rope-assisted descent.
- Island access is the real barrier: Alaska Airlines flies Anchorage-Adak only ~2x/week (~$609+ one-way); weather delays are common
- Aleut Corporation Land Use Permit required for all recreational access to Aleut-owned lands outside the City of Adak ($20/day, $40/week); trespass without a permit is enforced under Alaska law
- Source measured ~154F (68C) — dangerously hot; a 2024 visitor report found only a 'modest basin of lukewarm water' after a tide-timed shoreline scramble with a fixed-rope descent
- Fragile pools are reshaped seasonally by storms/erosion; route may be cut by tide
- Unexploded ordnance and derelict military structures remain on the island — stay on known routes, never enter buildings/bunkers (prohibited under the land-use permit)
- No services at the site; town of Adak (lodging, fuel) is miles away
- Hazard: Extreme remoteness — ~1,200 mi from Anchorage; medical evacuation by air only
- Hazard: Scalding source water (154F) mixed among cool seeps — test before entering
- Hazard: Tide-dependent route, fixed-rope descent, storm-exposed coastline
- Hazard: Severe Aleutian weather: winds 30-40 mph common, storms >100 mph
- Hazard: Legacy military hazards: UXO and contaminated/derelict structures
About this spring
Thermal spring group on northern Adak Island near Andrew Bay on the flanks of the Mount Adagdak volcanic complex — sea-level springs discharge at 140-158°F, studied extensively by USGS for geothermal potential. Reachable only by infrequent flight or boat to Adak, then the remnant Navy road network. Scalding water — do not enter vents. UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE is a known hazard on former Navy lands — stay on cleared areas. A companion mapped feature, Adagdax Hot Springs (named for Cape Adagdak/Mount Adagdak), lies ~300 m north within the same Andrew Bay geothermal field.
Adak Hot Springs discharge near sea level along Andrew Bay on northern Adak Island, within a small (~40 cubic km) volcanic center built by three volcanoes: Andrew Bay (the oldest, now only erosional remnants beneath the bay and lagoon), Mount Moffett, and Mount Adagdak. Reported vent temperatures of 140-158°F make the vents viewing-only hazards rather than soaking pools. Because Adak hosted a large U.S. Navy station, this became one of the most intensively studied geothermal systems in the Aleutians: a joint USGS-Navy investigation (Miller et al., 1978) used K-Ar dating to bracket Mount Adagdak's activity at roughly 140,000-342,000 years ago and hot-spring geochemistry to estimate a subsurface reservoir near 180°C. Geophysical surveys mapped a shallow, low-density conductive body beneath Adagdak, and two shallow Navy drill holes reportedly bottomed near 66°C at 550 m.
Andrew Bay takes its name from 'Zaliv Andreyana,' published by Captain Tebenkov in 1852. Reached only by infrequent flight or boat to Adak and then remnant Navy roads, the area carries a documented unexploded-ordnance hazard on former military lands.
Directions & trailhead access
Fly to Adak (infrequent Alaska Airlines service) or charter boat; north on remnant Navy roads toward Andrew Bay; short walk off-road.
Alaska geothermal context
Alaska's geothermal sites sit along the volcanically active Aleutian arc and scattered Interior fault zones. Most are reachable only by floatplane, boat, or long backcountry routes, and the realistic soaking season is short — roughly June through September. Treat every remote spring as a wilderness trip, not a roadside stop.
What a primitive site means here
Primitive springs have no facilities: no changing rooms, no trash service, often no maintained road to the pool. Expect natural rock or gravel bottoms, water temperature that varies by spot and season, and other visitors who may treat the site informally. Pack out everything you bring, test the water before entering, and leave the pool cleaner than you found it.
Best time to visit
June – September (Short Summer Access Window)Remote Alaskan geothermal sites have a brief accessible season — snow, ice, and limited road access close most areas outside summer. Midnight-sun June through early September offers the only realistic visiting window for most locations.
Fact sheet
| Reported soak temp | Not reported |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 150°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Fees reported |
| Clothing policy | Unknown — verify locally |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | The Aleut Corporation — Adak lands page (Land Use Permit required for recreational access; trespass warning; island history) |
Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay) FAQ
Is Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay) open right now?
A remote thermal area near Andrew Bay/Mount Adagdak at the north end of Adak Island: the vent runs ~154F (scalding), only marginal lukewarm shoreline pools are reported, and reaching the island requires an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage plus an Aleut Corporation land-use permit ($20/day or $40/week) for the corporate land outside town. (Status based on recent visitor reports, last checked September 2026.)
Is Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay) free?
Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay) is listed with reported fees near Adak. Fees are reported; confirm admission, parking and permit costs with the site manager.
What temperature is Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay)?
No soak temperature is on record for Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay); the geothermal source is reported around 150°F. Always test water temperature before entering.
Is Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay) clothing optional?
Directory records do not confirm the clothing policy at Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay) — verify current rules before visiting.
How do you access Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay)?
Adak Hot Springs (Andrew Bay) requires permission, a permit or advance booking — confirm the terms with the site manager before visiting.
Sources & references
- The Aleut Corporation — Adak lands page (Land Use Permit required for recreational access; trespass warning; island history) — official · 2026-09
- The Aleut Corporation — Land Use Permit form (recreational $20/day, $40/week pricing) — official · 2026-09
- Alaska Airlines — flights to Adak (ADK) schedule/fare info — operator · 2026-09
- Alina Goncharova — 'Squishy Moss and Wildflowers in the Birthplace of the Winds' Adak trip journal (tide-timed route, rope descent, lukewarm pools) — community · 2024
- USGS/DGGS — Geothermal exploration on Adak Island, Alaska: a case history (Miller et al. 1978; hot springs indicate ~180C reservoir) — official · 1978
- SoakingSprings — 'Hot Springs On Adak Island' entry (154F, ~435 ft from Pollitt Road) — community · 2026-03
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — ATVs on Adak Island (refuge access rules) — official · 2025
- Aleut Ventures — Adak Tour Map / Adak Island Inn (land status, permits) — operator · 2025-05
- Alaska Explored — A Week in America's Most Remote Town (flights, UXO, permits) — news · 2024
- Navy BRAC PMO — Former Naval Air Facility Adak munitions/UXO program — official · 2025
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
- avo.alaska.edu/volcano/andrew-bay-volcano
- mapcarta.com/N13108180394
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Adagdak
Details above were verified against the named sources on their listed dates — conditions change, so recheck before traveling. · How we verify our data · Report a correction
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