Baranof Warm Springs

We love Baranof Warm Springs! It is the most relaxing and beautiful location. There is a state dock that is always busy. A boat leaves and another one comes. Some boats are pleasure boats like us, many are chartered yachts and some are fishing vessels. Everyone at the dock is very friendly. Across from the dock is a beautiful raging waterfall and there are hundreds of pink salmon in the pool at the base of the falls jumping constantly. At the top of the ramp there is a board walk that takes residents to their houses and also takes visitors to the top of the hill where the beautiful Baranof Lake is. In addition to the lake, there are springs of hot water that feed three bathing pools alongside the stream that feeds the waterfall. The residents of Baranof Warm Springs, most of them are summer residents only, have built a bath house that sits just above the docks. Water from the springs is piped into the bath house where one can soak in the hot water overlooking the falls.

This has been the most relaxing stop we have made. We hiked to the lake, soaked in the tubs, explored the salt lagoon across the bay in our dinghy, picked salmon berries and fished at the base of the waterfall. Don caught a pink salmon, which he cooked for dinner. We visited with other boaters and Don had the opportunity to talk with the captain and tour a fishing vessel, the F/V Middleton, which is a boat that Don had photographed during our trip in 2007. It was one of our favorite pictures from that trip, so we were excited to see it pull up to the dock. Much as we would like to stay one more day, we will be shoving off for Sitka in the morning.