Goddard Hot Springs
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Goddard Hot Springs is a developed hot spring listed near Sitka, Alaska. Reported soak temperature: 106°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Free, City-of-Sitka-owned and maintained soaking site on Hot Springs Bay, outer Baranof Island ~16 mi south of Sitka: two cedar bathhouses with stainless steel tubs (hot ~147-153F source water piped in with a separate cold line so you mix your own temp) plus a muddy-bottomed natural pool, reachable ONLY by boat (~45 min from Sitka Harbor), floatplane, or multi-day paddle — no road.
Checked April 2025 · verified against an official source · 7 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Open — last verified below — confirm via City and Borough of Sitka — Parks & Recreation (maintains Goddard bathhouses; administers commercial land-use plan).
- Cost: Reported free access — fees and permits can change, confirm before visiting.
- Getting there: No verified hike distance on record — confirm the route and road conditions.
- Water: Reported soak temperature 106°F — always test the water before entering.
- Rules: Reported clothing-optional; 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: None — free public use of the bathhouses. Commercial tours are city-permitted; independent visitors just need transport (charter/water taxi/floatplane booked in advance from Sitka).
- Best time to go: Reachable year-round; summer (Jun-Aug) has the most charter/tour options and calmest crossings. Winter soaks happen but transport is weather-dependent — build flexibility into Sitka charters. Quiet midweek; tour boats can bring a crowd in summer.
- Clothing reality: No official posted policy. Swimwear customary in the shared bathhouses; the site is a municipal public facility. The two enclosed bathhouses give privacy.
- Kids: Allowed.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Boardwalks from the dock to the bathhouses give stable, level footing — unusually good for a remote spring; the boat/floatplane transfer is the real barrier.
- NO ROAD ACCESS — motor vessel ~45 min from Sitka Harbor in calm conditions (charter boats/water taxis/guided tours out of Sitka), floatplane landing on Hot Springs Bay, or ~3-day coastal paddle; weather windows rule the trip
- FREE and first-come first-served — no admission charge, no reservation system; bathhouses maintained by the City and Borough of Sitka
- Source water measured ~147-153F at the intake — tubs have separate hot and cold pipes; MIX and test before entering, and be considerate: if you arrive while others soak, don't drain their cold-water balance (an April 2025 visitor turned the cold input off to heat the tub back up — leave it usable for the next party)
- Two cedar bathhouses downhill from the source plus a more natural warm pool with a thick mud bottom (some find the muck unappealing)
- Boardwalks connect the dock to the bathhouses; historic resort buildings on the site burned down long ago — remnant chimneys remain
- Cold-water supply was rebuilt by the Sitka Conservation Society crews (CARES-funded project, new wooden dam tripled the storage pond capacity) — cold mixing water can still run low in the impoundment per an April 2025 visit
- Dec 2024: Sitka's commercial land-use plan proposes raising tour-operator client fees to $10/person for Goddard Hot Springs and Baranof Warm Springs (vs $5 elsewhere) — independent access remains free
- Nearby Tom Young Memorial Cabin (city-owned, ~$60/night) is rentable by Sitka residents only — not a visitor lodging option; private property with a house sits north of the springs — stay on the public site
- No cell service at the site (VHF marine radio is the reliable comms); nearest services/hospital in Sitka
- Hazard: 147-153F scalding source water — mix with the cold line and test before entering
- Hazard: Marine/floatplane access only — weather delays routine; no emergency services on site
- Hazard: Brown bears on Baranof Island
- Hazard: Muddy/slippery natural pool bottom
- Hazard: Remote — no cell service; VHF radio recommended
About this spring
Two modern cedar bathhouses with stainless-steel tubs on Hot Springs Bay, outer coast of Baranof Island ~16 mi south of Sitka — hot and cold pipes let you tune the temperature. Site of an 1800s-1940s hotel/hospital; possibly the first Alaska mineral springs known to Europeans. City-maintained, free, first-come. Raw source water scalding — adjust cold flow first; biting flies heavy in summer.
Goddard Hot Springs is a free, City-of-Sitka-owned soaking site on Hot Springs Bay on Baranof Island's outer coast, about sixteen miles south of Sitka — two modern cedar bathhouses with stainless-steel tubs where hot source water (~147–153°F) pipes in beside a separate cold line, so you mix your own temperature. A hotel and hospital operated here from the 1800s into the 1940s; it is possibly the first Alaska mineral spring known to Europeans.
There is no road — access is by boat (about 45 minutes from Sitka Harbor in calm conditions via charter, water taxi, or guided tour), floatplane landing on the bay, or a multi-day coastal paddle. First-come, first-served. Two real cautions: the raw source water is scalding — always open the cold line first — and biting flies are heavy in summer. Weather windows rule the whole trip.
Directions & trailhead access
Boat or floatplane ~16 mi south of Sitka; anchor in Hot Springs Bay and skiff ashore, or book a Sitka water taxi.
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 developed site means here
A developed site sits between primitive and resort: improved soaking infrastructure — built tubs, decks, stairs, sometimes changing rooms or vault toilets — often run by a land trust, nonprofit, or small operator. Expect modest fees or donation requests, posted etiquette rules, and more predictable conditions than a wild pool.
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 | 106°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 106°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported free — verify locally |
| Clothing policy | Reported clothing-optional |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | City and Borough of Sitka — Parks & Recreation (maintains Goddard bathhouses; administers commercial land-use plan) |
Goddard Hot Springs FAQ
Is Goddard Hot Springs open right now?
Free, City-of-Sitka-owned and maintained soaking site on Hot Springs Bay, outer Baranof Island ~16 mi south of Sitka: two cedar bathhouses with stainless steel tubs (hot ~147-153F source water piped in with a separate cold line so you mix your own temp) plus a muddy-bottomed natural pool, reachable ONLY by boat (~45 min from Sitka Harbor), floatplane, or multi-day paddle — no road. (Status verified against an official source, last checked April 2025.)
Is Goddard Hot Springs free?
Goddard Hot Springs is listed as free to access in Sitka Borough, Alaska. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Goddard Hot Springs?
Goddard Hot Springs has a reported soak temperature of 106°F and a historical source temperature of 106°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Goddard Hot Springs clothing optional?
Goddard Hot Springs is listed as traditionally clothing-optional in directory records. Confirm current rules before visiting, as policies change.
How do you access Goddard Hot Springs?
Goddard Hot Springs is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Sources & references
- City and Borough of Sitka — Parks & Recreation (maintains Goddard bathhouses; administers commercial land-use plan) — official · 2026-09
- Sitka Nature photojournal — 'South to Goddard' April 2025 site visit (tubs working, source 147F, tub inlet 135F, low cold-water impoundment, mud-bottom pool) — community · 2025-04
- KCAW — 'Assembly postpones vote on plan for commercial use of city lands' (Goddard tour client fee to rise to $10) — news · 2024-12
- Sitka Conservation Society — Goddard Hot Springs cold-water storage expansion (new dam, CARES-funded) — news · 2021
- Daily Sitka Sentinel — 'Team Repairs Goddard Water Supply' — news · 2021
- Sitka Water Taxi — Goddard Hot Springs service page (boat access, city-maintained bathhouses, source to ~153F) — operator · 2026-09
- Hot Springs Guides — Goddard Hot Springs (free, city-owned, boardwalk access) — community · 2026-09
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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