Pilgrim Springs
If you're passing
Is it plungeworthy?
A natural thermal spring.
The details
- Soak
- Temperature unrecorded
- Area
- Bendeleben
- Coordinates
- 65.093, -164.922
About Pilgrim Springs
Pilgrim Springs is a natural hot spring in Alaska.
At that temperature it's temperature unrecorded — check current conditions and always test the water before getting in.
Plungeworthy rates Pilgrim Springs 5.4/10 — if you're passing. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.
What you'll find
Hot pools among the ruins of a Catholic mission orphanage on the Seward Peninsula tundra — cottonwoods, old chapels, and 178°F source water an hour's gravel from Nome. Owned by a consortium of Bering Strait Native organizations and open summers with a free day permit.
Getting there
- Parking
- By the gate past the shipping containers — don't block it
- Road
- Nome–Kougarok Road to mile 53.7, then seven rough, flood-prone spur miles; road unmaintained October–May
- Hike
- 0 mi round trip (moderate)
- Heads up
- Helicopter charter from Nome exists ($650/person) for the committed.
When to go
The 2026 season runs June 19 – September 26, day use 10am–10pm, closed Tuesdays. Off-season visits are gate-locked and at-your-own-risk by the operator's own words.
Rules & fees
- Fee / pass
- Free day permit via pilgrimhotsprings.com; cabins and tent camping bookable
- Dogs
- Leashed, tie-outs provided; not in the pools
- Hours
- 10am–10pm in season
- Camping
- Three cabins + tent sites on site
- Warnings
- The mission ruins are a historic and archaeological site — explore with respect; check the spur road after rain.
Researched from Pilgrim Hot Springs — official. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Pilgrim Springs recently? Post a conditions report below.
Where it is
Planning a visit? We want your photo.
Pilgrim Springs doesn't have a photo yet. If you make the trip, send one to hello@plungeworthy.com and we'll publish it here with credit to you.
Before you go
The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.
Common questions
Where is Pilgrim Springs?
Pilgrim Springs is a hot spring in Alaska, at 65.093, -164.922.
Is Pilgrim Springs worth visiting?
If you're passing — Plungeworthy rates it 5.4/10.
Gear for the trip
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