Serpentine Hot Springs Soakable

Serpentine Hot Springs reads 171°F at the source (NCEI, historical reading); the pools people soak in usually run cooler than the source. Managed by Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (checked 2026-08-19).

Cool Warm Hot Boiling-class 171°F

171°F / 77°C

Boiling-class range at the source — scalds in seconds

Reading from the NCEI Thermal Springs List (historical reading, 1981 compilation). Source temperature — lower pools usually run cooler.

Water temperatures change with flow and season — test before entering, and never submerge your head in warm natural water. CDC guidance on Naegleria fowleri.

Access

Visitors usually reach Serpentine Hot Springs by air taxi or small private plane; small aircraft land on an unmaintained gravel airstrip a short walk from the bunkhouse, outhouse and hot springs bathhouse. Once there is adequate snow cover the Preserve says access can be made via snowmobile, and two staked winter trails start in Nome and Shishmaref — the Preserve cautions that stakes should not be the sole means of navigation and that GPS is highly recommended. Backcountry permits are not issued; people are able to visit on their own accord.

Trailhead: Serpentine Hot Springs gravel airstrip; staked winter trails from Nome and Shishmaref

Winter: Snowmobile access once there is adequate snow cover; the Preserve tells winter travellers to be prepared for camping outside in extreme weather.

Access notes read from the manager's own page, checked 2026-08-19.

Check current conditions with Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

Nearby springs

Identity, coordinates, and temperature quoted from the NCEI Thermal Springs List (historical reading, 1981 compilation).