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Hi I'm Kathi and I'm an interpretive ranger for the National Park Service here at
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve in Northwest Alaska
Today we are at Serpentine Hot Springs. One of the preserve's most visited locations.
I'm standing among the granite tors that this area is known for.
65 million years or more of soil erosion has exposed these once underground granite rock
forms you can see behind me. While many visitors come to enjoy the view
of the tors, it is likely the greatest attraction here is the water of the hot springs.
The soothing nature of this hot spring offers a relief from the harsh arctic winter and
has attracted people for nearly 12,000 years. Recent archaelogical discoveries have contributed
greatly to the understanding of when and where humans first arrived to the
continent and what type of lives they were living.
The hot springs rich history is apparent in traditional medicine and spiritual healing
by the shamans. During the turn of the century when Northwest
Alaska saw an abrupt increase in population, disease came with it.
Places like Serpentine Hot Springs were used to treat a wide variety of ailments.
Even as western medicine became more available, the hot springs remained as a traditional
healing and gathering place for the native culture.
The hot springs are open for visitation all year round. There is a bunkhouse as well as
a bathhouse maintained by the National Park Service.
There are no roads to the hot springs, but there is a runway open to both private and
commercial aircraft, typically departing from Nome or Kotzebue Alaska.
To get more information about the preserve,
you may visit the preserve's website or visit the National Park Service visitor center in
downtown Nome.