A historic, now largely abandoned hot-springs resort tucked into a small cove on the north shore of Behm Canal, about 40 miles north-northeast of Ketchikan, where naturally heated mineral water still flows beside a decaying boardwalk and dock.
Bell Island Hot Springs occupies a small cove at the southwestern tip of Bell Island, on the north side of Behm Canal in the Alexander Archipelago. Geothermal water emerging from a granite fissure at high temperatures once fed an 80-foot mineral swimming pool, a bathhouse, and a string of cabins linked by a boardwalk running to a landing opposite the boat anchorage. George Roe homesteaded the site in 1902 and developed it as a health resort.
The resort was private and members-only by the mid-1970s, changed hands repeatedly, and has been effectively abandoned for years; cruisers visiting since at least 2008 have reported a deserted lodge, a half-collapsed boardwalk, sunken and crushed boats around the boathouse, and a deteriorating dock. A Ketchikan family purchased the property in 2015 and reportedly closed it around 2023.
The springs themselves remain, and the warm pool has historically drawn passing boats, but the property is privately owned and the structures are derelict and potentially hazardous. Treat any shore visit as trespass-sensitive and the buildings as unsafe.
Approach notes, hazards to watch for, and what's available once you're tied up.
The approach is from Behm Canal to the cove at the southwestern tip of Bell Island. Behm Canal is a deep, open waterway, so the principal concern is the small, partly encumbered cove itself rather than the passage in. Cruisers report a sunken vessel near the head of the old dock (visible at low water) and collapsed boathouse debris along the shore, both of which are obstructions to avoid when maneuvering or anchoring close in.
The usable anchoring pocket is small and the foreshore drops off, so anchoring room is limited; many visitors have instead lain alongside the now-deteriorating deepwater dock, which should not be relied upon given its condition. Verify depths and any rocks against the latest NOAA chart and sound carefully on approach, as conditions in the cove change as the structures continue to collapse.
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Source: OpenWeather One Call API + WorldTides.
A curated photo + map walkthrough showing approach, mooring options, and points of interest.
A guided walkthrough of Bell Island Hot Springs with approach photos, depth notes, and points of interest — written by members who have been here recently.
Real first-hand reports and questions answered by members who have actually been here.
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