This abandoned homestead near Nome is a true ghost town in northwestern Alaska. Pilgrim Hot Springs lies on the Seward Peninsula. The hot springs have attracted several different eras of inhabitants over the years but currently, the handful of remaining structures are sinking into the swampy ground. This dilapidated homestead is falling apart and surrounded by steam from the hot springs water. The echoes of the past are alive and well at Pilgrim Hot Springs, a creepy spot to visit.
In the early 20th century, Nome, the largest town in the region, became a Gold Rush era boom town. The thermal hot springs at Pilgrim made homesteading possible and provided a great escape for the gold miners of Nome.
Pilgrim Hot Springs, also known as Kruzgamepa, is located on the southeast bank of the Kruzgamepa River, about 8 miles (13 km) south of milepost 65 of the Kougarok Road.
Father Bellarmine Lafortune, a Catholic priest in Nome took the area over as a mission and they constructed this large church in 1918 along with an orphanage, dormitories for students, greenhouses, and staff housing.
The site was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1977. The buildings then were in deteriorated condition. Visitors are requested to obtain a no-fee recreational use permit in Nome before visiting.