Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse
By the HotSpringsFind editorial team · How we compile records · Reviewed September 2026
Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse is a developed hot spring listed near Tenakee Springs, Alaska. Reported soak temperature: 106°F. See the visit fact sheet.
Current status
Historic free community bathhouse in roadless Tenakee Springs on Chichagof Island — a ~105F sulfur spring feeding an indoor 6x9 ft tub under strictly observed gender-separated hours (women 9a-2p & 6-10p, men 2-6p & 10p-9a), nude bathing mandatory, donation-supported, reachable only by Alaska Marine Highway ferry or floatplane from Juneau.
Checked September 2026 · verified against an official source · 7 sources ↓
Before you go
- Status: Open — last verified below — confirm via City of Tenakee Springs — official site, Bathhouse Hours listing (Men 2-6pm/10pm-9am; Women 9am-2pm/6-10pm).
- 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: 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 — open to all visitors during appropriate gendered hours.
- Best time to go: Your gender's morning/first hour slots are quietest; avoid ferry-arrival afternoons when visiting boats disgorge riders.
- Clothing reality: Nude bathing REQUIRED — official policy AND enforced community norm: no clothing in the tub, no exceptions; separate gendered hours provide the privacy framework.
- Cell service: spotty — download maps and tell someone your plan.
- Accessibility: Boardwalk approach is flat but unpaved; the bathhouse has steps into the tub — partial accessibility at best.
- GENDERED HOURS, strictly observed: Women 9am-2pm and 6-10pm; Men 2-6pm and 10pm-9am — plan your ferry/arrival around them
- Soap-shower BEFORE entering the tub is mandatory etiquette; the 105F sulfur water flows untreated straight through the tub
- Donation-based — contribute to the bathhouse fund (box on site); maintained by a volunteer committee
- No road access: Alaska Marine Highway ferry (infrequent — check schedule) or floatplane from Juneau (~45 mi); town itself is a single unpaved boardwalk trail, no cars
- Bathhouse is across from the Tenakee Springs Market on the main trail; tub fits only ~4-6 people
- Bring a towel; limited lodging in town — book ahead in summer
- Hazard: Untreated natural spring water — standard immunocompromised/open-wound caution
- Hazard: Ferry schedule dependence — missed sailing means days in town
- Hazard: Southeast Alaska weather; brown bears common on Chichagof Island
About this spring
Historic community bathhouse (1939) in the village of Tenakee Springs on Chichagof Island — a concrete-and-stone tub fed by ~106°F mineral water, with strict gender-segregated hours (men 2-6pm & 10pm-9am; women 9am-2pm & 6-10pm). No clothing in the tub; soap-wash required. Fee: Free community bathhouse; donations encouraged. Rules strictly enforced: no clothes in tub, wash first, respect segregated hours.
The Tenakee Springs bathhouse stands in the middle of the tiny Chichagof Island community that grew up around it — the spring was originally an open pool draining into tideland, enlarged around 1900 when a log cabin was built over it and a cement apron poured. A separate changing room followed about 1920, and the present tub room — poured-concrete walls, flat roof, and skylight cupola — was built in 1939 by a Civilian Conservation Corps crew. Mineral water at about 106-107°F flows a constant seven gallons per minute through a cement-and-stone tub roughly six by nine feet and five feet deep, flushing continuously through a corner drain.
A volunteer Bathhouse Committee formed in the 1930s still governs the facility, funded entirely by donations; bathing is free under posted rules including gender-segregated hours and a mandatory soap wash, with no clothing in the tub. In 2012 the community raised about $47,000 — including a Rasmuson Foundation grant — to restore the building and replace the changing room's oil furnace with in-floor radiant heat supplied by the spring itself. Many residents lack showers and rely on the bathhouse entirely.
Directions & trailhead access
Town of Tenakee Springs, across from the market — Alaska Marine Highway ferry or floatplane from Juneau.
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 | Unknown — verify locally |
| Pet policy | Reported no pets |
| Geothermal data reference | NOAA Thermal Springs List (1980 archive) |
| Check land status | City of Tenakee Springs — official site, Bathhouse Hours listing (Men 2-6pm/10pm-9am; Women 9am-2pm/6-10pm) |
Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse FAQ
Is Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse open right now?
Historic free community bathhouse in roadless Tenakee Springs on Chichagof Island — a ~105F sulfur spring feeding an indoor 6x9 ft tub under strictly observed gender-separated hours (women 9a-2p & 6-10p, men 2-6p & 10p-9a), nude bathing mandatory, donation-supported, reachable only by Alaska Marine Highway ferry or floatplane from Juneau. (Status verified against an official source, last checked September 2026.)
Is Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse free?
Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse is listed as free to access in Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska. Fees and rules change — verify current status with the land manager before visiting.
What temperature is Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse?
Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse 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 Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse clothing optional?
Directory records do not confirm the clothing policy at Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse — verify current rules before visiting.
How do you access Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse?
Tenakee Hot Springs Bathhouse is on public land — verify current road access, fees and rules with the land manager before visiting.
Sources & references
- City of Tenakee Springs — official site, Bathhouse Hours listing (Men 2-6pm/10pm-9am; Women 9am-2pm/6-10pm) — official · 2026-09
- JEDC/SREC — Bath House provider listing (confirms gendered hours) — official · 2025
- Plungeworthy — Tenakee Hot Springs (donation funding, strict tradition, 105F sulfur) — community · 2024
- Hot Springs Guides — Tenakee Hot Springs (tub dimensions, nude policy, untempered flow) — community · 2025
Additional references for this record; a source link does not guarantee current conditions.
- www.tenakeespringsak.com/hot-springs-bath-house
- www.tenakeehistoricalcollection.org/bathhouse
- www.tenakeehistoricalcollection.org/bathhistory
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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