Hot Spring On Attu Island
This remote Aleutian hot spring sits at the westernmost point of Alaska and the United States, on an island that saw brutal fighting during World War II. Water designated simply as warm in historical records, it sits at 908 feet elevation in a protected wildlife refuge with restricted public access.
The spring emerges in a harsh subalpine landscape where volcanic terrain dominates. At 908 feet elevation, approximately 1.8 miles from Lake Elwood Road, the spring sits in open exposed country shaped by decades of military occupation and abandonment. Modern visitors encounter remnants of wartime infrastructure scattered across the island.
The hot spring formed through volcanic geothermal activity on this remote Aleutian island, which was the site of the Aleutian Islands Campaign in May 1943. Japanese forces occupied the island briefly; American and Japanese forces clashed in one of World War II's most brutal Pacific island battles, leaving the landscape scarred with military history and artifacts.
Access is restricted; visitors need permits from US Fish and Wildlife Service. The spring lies under permanent protection with some use allowed. Annual precipitation reaches 58.5 inches with 147 inches of snow. Extreme cold with average annual air temperature of 37.5°F makes visits extremely challenging outside brief summer windows.