Stolbovskie Thermal Springs

The Stolbovskie thermal springs lie on the western coast of Kunashir Island, in the Yuzhno-Kurilsky municipal district of Sakhalin Oblast, about two kilometers south of Cape Stolbchaty. They are one of the island's thermal outlets, part of a geothermal system linked to the nearby Mendeleev and Tyatya volcanoes, which have hot springs of their own.

Springs and mud bath

The water is sodium-chloride in composition, close to seawater because of the nearby coast. Temperatures vary across the site: some pools are comfortable for bathing, while others reach up to 80°C, so it is worth checking the water carefully before stepping into an unfamiliar pool. Next to the mineral springs there is a separate bath filled with hot therapeutic mud that visitors can also soak in.

Ecological trail

An "Ecological" trail about 1.5-3 km long leads to the springs, starting from the road at the island's 15th kilometer. The trail runs through the forest and brings visitors straight to the mineral-water and mud baths. Over time, visitors have set up simple facilities at the site: a table, stump seats, ropes for drying clothes after bathing and a fire pit for camping overnight.

A few hundred meters further, the trail reaches the coast — a large clearing sheltered from the wind by dunes and a hill. A stream of fresh drinking water flows here as well, making the clearing a convenient camping spot before or after visiting the baths.

Getting there

Kunashir Island can be reached by plane from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk or by ferry from the town of Korsakov. On the island itself, a dirt road runs along the coast, with a branch onto the ecological trail starting at the 15th kilometer; from there visitors walk through the forest to the baths. The nearby Cape Stolbchaty, with its basalt cliffs, makes this stretch of coast convenient for a day trip covering several natural sites at once.

Good to know

It is worth checking the water temperature of a specific pool before bathing, since some outlets are heated almost to boiling. There is no dedicated infrastructure at the springs, so it makes sense to bring water, food and insect repellent: the site is far from the island's towns and facilities.

Legends

According to visitors' accounts, the body still feels the warmth long after bathing in the Stolbovskie springs, and that heat only cools in the cold foam of the sea tide.