Goddard Hot Springs
153°F
Source water (NOAA)
Boat access
Moderate access
Free
No fee reported
Goddard Hot Springs is a city-owned site on the outer coast of Baranof Island, about 16 miles south of Sitka. Two cedar bathhouses hold stainless steel tubs fed with hot spring water and cold water, reached along a boardwalk from the dock. There is no road, so visitors arrive by boat, floatplane or kayak, and use is free.
01 · Before you go
Plan your visit
What to expect on the ground: rules, facilities and when to go.
- Swimsuits required
- Camping nearbyInformal camping is reported on the grassy meadow and higher ground near the bathhouses. The Forest Service Tom Young Memorial Cabin is across the bay and is booked through the Forest Service reservation system.
- Toilets & changing rooms
- Pools2 cedar bathhouses, each with an adjustable stainless steel tub
- QuietSummer for the most settled weather and easiest crossing.
- Wheelchair accessible
- SeasonOpen year-round per one guide, but the crossing depends on weather and reliable conditions are mainly in summer.
- Free to soakNo admission fee. Boat or floatplane costs are separate.
Best time to go. Summer for the most settled weather and easiest crossing. Expect black flies in summer.
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 City and Borough of Sitka.
Checked 22 Oct · updated daily
Checked Oct 2026: searches for 2025-2026 closures, fire or access restrictions turned up none. City of Sitka lists 2026 commercial permit applications from operators serving the site, and the city still describes the two cedar bathhouses as maintained. Contact Sitka Parks and Recreation before a trip, as conditions are not published online.
Hot Springs Bay has rocks and shoals, so use a chart. Source water is very hot: test before entering and mix with cold water. Remote outer-coast site reachable only by boat or floatplane, so weather and sea state can strand visitors (the fire department has assisted stranded visitors in the past). Biting black flies in summer. Brown bears live on Baranof Island. Heavy rain can trigger landslides in the Sitka area. Pack out trash.
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03 · Route
Getting there
Nearest town: Sitka.
- 1
About 16 miles south of Sitka on the outer coast of Baranof Island, at Hot Springs Bay off Sitka Sound.
- 2
Reached by private boat (roughly 45 minutes from Sitka harbor), a chartered water taxi or floatplane, or by kayak over a few days.
- 3
A boardwalk runs from the dock to the bathhouses.
56.8360, −135.3740 · nearest town Sitka, AK
04 · Where to stay
Stay nearby
Start early and stay close. Places to stay near Sitka, 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
- hotspringsguides.com (access, fee, facilities, camping, hazards)
- alaska.org (owner, bathhouses, temperature, black flies, directions)
- cityofsitka.com (status, 2026 operator permits)
- kcaw.org (stranded visitors)
