Chief Shakes Hot Springs
122°F
Source water (NOAA)
Boat access
Moderate access
Free
No fee reported
Chief Shakes Hot Springs is a Forest Service day-use site on the Stikine River flats with one screened tub and one open-air tub. Visitors go by boat from Wrangell and walk a short trail from the slough landing. It is free, popular with locals and can be busy on weekends.
01 · Before you go
Plan your visit
What to expect on the ground: rules, facilities and when to go.
- Swimsuits required
- Camping nearbyTent camping is permitted within 100 feet of the trails around the springs. Two Forest Service cabins (Shakes Slough 1 and 2) can be reserved upriver.
- Toilets & changing roomsAlso picnic area
- 2 pools
- ModerateWeekdays, to avoid crowds on weekends and holidays.
- SeasonReached by boat up the Stikine River; river conditions and weather affect trips.
- Free to soakNo fee for day use of the tubs.
Best time to go. Weekdays, to avoid crowds on weekends and holidays.
02 · Live
Conditions
Access status, weather and hazards. Closure feeds are checked automatically every morning.
Access
No closures reported
No closure, fire or weather warning found in Forest Service, wildfire (NIFC) or National Weather Service feeds. That isn't confirmation it's open, so check with Tongass National Forest.
Checked 22 Oct · updated daily
Checked Oct 2026: Forest Service and local news searches found no closure, fire or road restriction for the tubs. Last notable work was the tub and deck repair project of 2022-2023 (Wrangell Sentinel). A Tongass alert for Roosevelt Harbor on Zarembo Island is unrelated.
Glacial Stikine River with fast currents and shifting channels. Source water is very hot, so test the tub before entering. Bear habitat: store food securely. Trail is muddy. Tides and river conditions affect the boat trip. Pack out all waste.
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03 · Route
Getting there
Nearest town: Wrangell.
- 1
About 28 miles north-west of Wrangell.
- 2
Take a motorized boat, water taxi or guided jet boat up the Stikine River (one to two hours) to Hot Springs Slough, then walk the 0.3 mile maintained trail to the tubs.
56.7170, −132.0050 · nearest town Wrangell, AK
04 · Where to stay
Stay nearby
Start early and stay close. Places to stay near Wrangell, from campgrounds to cabins.
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Checked against 4 sources, with closures, wildfires and weather warnings re-checked daily.Show sourcesShare your photosSuggest an update
- alaska.org (location, facilities, crowds)
- hotspringsguides.com (access, trail, rules, camping, hazards, fee)
- wrangellsentinel.com (status, maintenance history)
- fs.usda.gov (official_url)
