Serpentine bunkhouse and bathhouse/NPS, Savannah Glasscock

Odds are pretty good that most of us won't set foot in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve in western Alaska, but the following informational alert from the park nevertheless raises an eyebrow.

Cold water brought in via a pipe helps reduce the temperature of the water in the tub. With the reduced flow, temperatures in the tub are dangerously hot.

After all, not many National Park System units offer hot tubs, let alone hot-spring-fed tubs where the water temperature is controlled by cold water flowing through a pipe from a nearby river.

The Serpentine Bathhouse and Bunkhouse in the preserve are reached by bush plane. As the park explains on its website:

The bunkhouse, outhouse, and bathhouse are located just a short walk from the gravel airstrip and present just one of the many ways visitors can interact with the landscape.

No reservations are needed to use the facilities. Keep in mind that it is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Bunkhouse

The bunkhouse is a barrack-like structure divided into three rooms that sleep about 12 people. The middle room is used to store gear, tools, cleaning supplies, water filters and miscellaneous items.

The two outer rooms contain:

Six bunks with thin mattresses. Bring your own sleeping bag.

A large kitchen table with benches.

A 2-burner Coleman stove. There are two types of Coleman Stoves available for use: Dual-Fuel Coleman or propane. The Dual-fuel stove can use either white gas or unleaded gasoline. The propane gas stove uses the small portable propane canisters. Bring your own fuel and matches · A heat drip stove. The heat drip stoves operate on heating oil. Bring your own heat oil and matches.
Bear safe storage locker. Please store all food in the storage locker. Pack out open food packages.

The bunkhouse is outfitted with basic cooking ware, cutlery, serving utensils, large and small bowls, cups, mugs, and cleaning supplies (such as a mop, broom, dishpan, and biodegradable cleaning spray).

Trash cans are available but please make sure to pack out ALL trash and recycling you accumulate during your stay. One or two heavy duty garbage bags are helpful for packing out trash.

Please store fuel in the Fuel Storage Locker located on the backside of the bunkhouse. Place fuel in the locker (doors are unlocked). Do not place fuel on top of the locker. The enclosure of the storage locker is made of wood, and therefore, not fireproof.

Outhouse

An outhouse is located approximately 100 feet west of the bunkhouse near the airstrip. Bring your own toilet paper. During the winter, be prepared to dig out the outhouse. Honey buckets are not allowed for health and safety reasons.

Bathhouse

Across from the bunkhouse is a small structure enclosing a soaking tub made from redwood and two changing rooms. The water is fed directly through pipes from the hot spring and the river into the tub.

The cold-water pipe may freeze during the winter or the river may be too shallow during the summer to allow flow into the cold-water pipe. Be prepared to use the supplied five-gallon buckets to carry water from the river to the tub to cool the water in the tub.

Leave spigots running inside the bathhouse at all times, as turning them off would cause the tub to dry up and shrink, resulting in structural damage.