Ghost Towns in Alaska
8 documented ghost towns
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History
Alaska's ghost towns emerged from gold rushes and copper mining. Harsh winters and depleted resources left many communities abandoned in the wilderness.
Regions: Interior • Southeast • Southcentral
All Ghost Towns
Dyea
Dyea was the starting point for the Chilkoot Trail to the Klondike. At its peak, 8,000 people lived here awaiting their chance at gold. When the White...
Iditarod
Iditarod was Alaska's largest city during the 1910s gold rush. At its peak, 10,000 people lived here, and gold worth millions was extracted. A sled do...
Independence Mine
Independence Mine was a hard-rock gold operation at 3,500 feet in the Talketnas. Now a state historical park, visitors can explore restored bunkhouses...
Kennecott
Kennecott produced 1.183 BILLION pounds of copper—over $200 million (>$2.5 billion today). The 14-story concentration mill still stands in the Alaskan...
Old Minto
Old Minto was an Athabascan village on the Tanana River that flooded repeatedly in the 1960s. The Bureau of Indian Affairs relocated the entire commun...
Portlock
Portlock was abandoned because residents believed a monster was killing them. The 'Nantiinaq'—a Bigfoot-like creature in Alutiiq mythology—was blamed ...
Skagway
Skagway was the gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush—20,000 people passed through in 1898 alone. Controlled by infamous con man Soapy Smith until he was ...
Whittier
Whittier was a secret WWII military port built beneath the glaciers of Prince William Sound. After the war, the military left, but civilians moved int...