Baranof Island Alaska
4
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Frequently Asked Questions
At Warm Springs Bay, small ships anchor in the bay and land passengers by inflatable at the hamlet's floating dock. No road reaches here: you arrive by boat or by floatplane.
The waterfall. You hear it before you see it: a cascade tumbling down the mountain in the middle of a wooden hamlet clinging to the shore on Baranof Island's east coast.
The hot springs running beneath the mountain, which make this bay one of the most prized stops in southeast Alaska. The combination of waterfall, rainforest and hot pools exists nowhere else on the coast.
A handful of cabins, a floating dock and a boardwalk that serves as the main street. The community numbers only a few seasonal residents, mostly fishermen.
Neither. No store, no signal: the place sets its own rhythm from the first minute, the rhythm of tides and weather. Bring everything from the ship.
Walk the boardwalk to the foot of the falls, climb the trail toward the lake above, and soak in the hot springs. The Tongass rainforest climbs to the snowline above the hamlet.
It climbs sharply through rainforest, on wooden walkways that are often slippery. Shoes with real grip are recommended; this is not a waterfront stroll.
US dollars and English, the island being part of Alaska. Since there is nothing to buy ashore, the question rarely comes up.
For children comfortable in an inflatable and on a wet hike, yes. There is no service, no facility and no fallback if it rains: this is an expedition call.
June through September, the expedition window in southeast Alaska. Even then it rains often: the Tongass is a rainforest and waterproofs are not optional.
