Can you soak at Serpentine Hot Springs?

Records place Serpentine Hot Springs on public land. That is not a guarantee of current access: closures, fire restrictions and road conditions change, so check with the land manager before you go.

How hot is Serpentine Hot Springs?

The hottest recorded reading at the source is 171°F (77°C). That is the outlet temperature, not a pool temperature; water cools as it flows away from the source. Water this hot can cause serious burns, so test any pool by hand first.

Is Serpentine Hot Springs free?

Yes. Entry is recorded as free (no permit required). Fees change, so confirm before you go.

Where is Serpentine Hot Springs?

Serpentine Hot Springs is near Nome in Alaska, at coordinates 65.8580, -164.7100.

Serpentine Hot Springs, AK: 171°F

Serpentine Hot Springs

Serpentine Hot Springs is a hot spring with developed pools near Nome in Alaska. Water at the source is recorded at 171°F (77°C), hot enough to scald. Records place it on public land. Entry is recorded as free (no permit required).

171°F77°C recorded at the source

Scalding at the source. Do not enter without a cooled, mixed pool.

Serpentine Hot Springs is the most visited site in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve on the Seward Peninsula, with hot spring water piped into an enclosed bathhouse, a year-round bunkhouse and a gravel airstrip amid granite tors. There are no roads; visitors arrive by air taxi, small plane, or snowmobile on staked winter trails from Nome and Shishmaref, and no backcountry permit is required.

Facts

Coordinates: 65.8580, -164.7100 (Google Maps, OSM)
Source temperature: 171°F (77°C)
Access: Public land
Type: Developed pools
Fee: Free; no permit required
Clothing optional: Not recorded
Nearest town: Nome
State: Alaska
Website: www.nps.gov
Data sources: NOAA NCEI, Official sources (linked below). See sources

Map

Larger marker is Serpentine Hot Springs; smaller markers are other springs within 50 miles.

Quick answers

Can you soak at Serpentine Hot Springs?: Records place Serpentine Hot Springs on public land. That is not a guarantee of current access: closures, fire restrictions and road conditions change, so check with the land manager before you go.
How hot is Serpentine Hot Springs?: The hottest recorded reading at the source is 171°F (77°C). That is the outlet temperature, not a pool temperature; water cools as it flows away from the source. Water this hot can cause serious burns, so test any pool by hand first.
Is Serpentine Hot Springs free?: Yes. Entry is recorded as free (no permit required). Fees change, so confirm before you go.
Where is Serpentine Hot Springs?: Serpentine Hot Springs is near Nome in Alaska, at coordinates 65.8580, -164.7100.

Before you go

Temperatures are measured at the source and can be far hotter than any soaking pool. Test with a hand before stepping in.
Access, fees, and road conditions change. Verify with the land manager or owner; "public" here reflects survey records, not a current right of entry.
Water in natural springs is untreated. Keep your head above water and avoid soaking with open wounds. Some springs carry Naegleria fowleri risk.
Pack out everything, including soap residue. Many springs have been closed because of trash and overcrowding.

Sources

Dataset last rebuilt October 11, 2026. Not yet checked on site by a person. Access, fee, clothing and closure details appear only when a source below states them. How this data is built.

Checked against

National Park Servicenps.gov/places/serpentine-hot-springs-an-overview.htm
National Park Servicenps.gov/bela/planyourvisit/shs_travel.htm

Merged from

NOAA NCEI Thermal Springs List (archived 2025): survey location and source temperature, public domain