Horner Hot Springs
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Horner Hot Springs is a primitive hot spring listed near Ruby, Alaska. Reported soak temperature: 117°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Historic Yukon River hot spring ~23-25 mi upriver from Ruby on Hot Springs Slough (~1 mi north of the river): source water ~117.5F (1915 USGS) feeds a small tarp-lined soak pool used by winter travelers; no road access — reach by boat in summer or ski/snowmachine/dogsled up the frozen Yukon in winter.
Checked February 2024 · based on recent visitor reports · 5 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Road access restricted — confirm via USGS/GNIS via MyTopo — Horner Hot Springs (historical), right bank of Hot Springs Slough, 23 mi NE of Ruby; Waring 1917 history.
- 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 117°F — 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: None documented — but land tenure is unresolved; ask in Ruby before setting out.
- Best time to go: Deep winter for the ski/snowmachine soak experience (Dec-Feb, brutal cold) or summer by boat. Essentially zero visitation either way.
- Clothing reality: No policy — extremely remote; clothing-optional in practice.
- Cell service: none — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Not accessible — wilderness river travel only, then a short walk up the slough bank.
- NO ROAD ACCESS — ~25 river miles upriver (northeast) of Ruby, AK; travel by boat in open-water season or ski/snowmachine/dogsled on the frozen Yukon in winter; Ruby itself is reachable only by air or river
- Source water ~117F — the soakable pool is a small tarp-lined impoundment; test before entering
- Land ownership and permission status are NOT confirmed — springs may sit on private/Native corporation lands (Doyon region); locals in Ruby are the best source of current access norms
- Historic site — shown to F.G. Horner ~1913, a popular miners/trappers stop in the gold-rush era; 1971 survey found relic pipes/cans/utensils; leave artifacts in place
- Winter solstice trip reports exist (Dec 2008) — 3h45m of daylight, extreme cold; this is expert-level winter travel
- No cell service; self-rescue only
- Hazard: Extreme remoteness — 25 mi of Yukon River travel from the nearest village (Ruby)
- Hazard: Winter river travel hazards: overflow, thin ice, extreme cold
- Hazard: 117F source water — burns; test pool
- Hazard: Possible private/Native land — unconfirmed access rights
- Hazard: No cell service or rescue
About this spring
GNIS-listed historic hot spring on Hot Springs Slough ~23 mi northeast of Ruby on the Yukon River — a popular stop for miners and travelers in the river era (~117°F reported; a tarp-lined pool has been maintained informally). Extremely remote — bush plane or river travel only. Extremely remote; bears; river/ice travel hazards; source may be scalding.
Horner Hot Springs sits on the right bank of Hot Springs Slough in the Kokrines-Hodzana Highlands, roughly three-quarters of a mile north of the Yukon River and about 23 miles northeast of the village of Ruby. According to USGS geologist Gerald Waring's 1917 survey of Alaska's mineral springs, the springs were unknown to whites until about 1913, when a local Alaska Native man showed them to F. G. Horner, who built a cabin and planted a small garden beside them. In the early 1900s — when the Yukon served as interior Alaska's main travel artery — the springs were a popular stop for miners, trappers, and Native travelers.
Hot water seeps from a hillside above the slough; a small collection pond dug into the embankment feeds a pipe down to the springs, where visitors have informally maintained a tarp-lined soaking pool. A winter-solstice ski trip in 2008 measured the pool at a comfortable 103°F — notably cooler than the ~117°F often quoted for the source. The Horner-era log cabin has since rotted back into the boreal forest. Access is by plane or boat to Ruby, then about 25 miles upriver by boat, snowmachine, or ski.
Directions & trailhead access
Fly or boat to Ruby on the Yukon River, then ~25 mi upriver; spring on the right bank of Hot Springs Slough ~0.75 mi north of the river.
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 | 117°F |
|---|---|
| Source temp (historical) | 117°F |
| Trail access | Recorded coordinates — access unverified |
| Access fee | Reported free — verify locally |
| Clothing policy | Unknown — verify locally |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | USGS/GNIS via MyTopo — Horner Hot Springs (historical), right bank of Hot Springs Slough, 23 mi NE of Ruby; Waring 1917 history |
Horner Hot Springs FAQ
Is Horner Hot Springs open right now?
Historic Yukon River hot spring ~23-25 mi upriver from Ruby on Hot Springs Slough (~1 mi north of the river): source water ~117.5F (1915 USGS) feeds a small tarp-lined soak pool used by winter travelers; no road access — reach by boat in summer or ski/snowmachine/dogsled up the frozen Yukon in winter. (Status based on recent visitor reports, last checked February 2024.)
Is Horner Hot Springs free?
Horner Hot Springs is listed as free to access in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Horner Hot Springs?
Horner Hot Springs has a reported soak temperature of 117°F and a historical source temperature of 117°F in survey records. Historical data may not reflect current conditions — always test water before entering.
Is Horner Hot Springs clothing optional?
Directory records do not confirm the clothing policy at Horner Hot Springs — verify current rules before visiting.
How do you access Horner Hot Springs?
Horner Hot Springs is a recorded location in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area. Verify current access, parking and land status with the site manager before visiting.
Sources & references
- USGS/GNIS via MyTopo — Horner Hot Springs (historical), right bank of Hot Springs Slough, 23 mi NE of Ruby; Waring 1917 history — official · 2025
- Arctic journal — 'A Note on Hot Springs in the Interior of Alaska' (1971 visit: seeps along 1/4 mi of stream, relics, ~1 mi north of Yukon 5 mi below Kokrines) — official · 1971
- Geophysical Institute / Ned Rozell — Alaska hot springs far and wide (Horner located off Yukon between Ruby and Tanana; photo) — news · 2024-02
- The Edventures / Ed Plumb — Winter Solstice at Horner Hot Springs (tarp-lined pool, 25 mi ski upriver from Ruby) — community · 2008-12
- SoakingSprings — Horner Hot Springs (117.5F USGS 1915 sample, ownership open question) — community · 2026-08
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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