This Haunting Trip Through Alaska Ghost Towns Is One You’ll Never Forget
By Courtney|Published August 21, 2016
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Courtney
Author
Living and loving life in Alaska, Courtney enjoys living a happy life based on simple principles; work hard, be kind, stay humble. She is an avid dog lover with hobbies that include running, fly fishing, hiking & snowboarding.
As the largest state in the nation, a road trip to all of these haunted ghost towns using only a vehicle is just not feasible. Not only are many of these places completely deserted and remote, but some aren’t even on the limited road system that Alaska has to offer. So for this road trip, we’ll be utilizing a good 4WD vehicle along with a boat and probably a small bush plane as well. Hold on tight because you are about to experience a rare dose of Alaska’s history that is both eerie and fascinating at the same time.
Located in the Wrangell- St. Elias National Park county, this area is extremely remote. So you'll need to start your road trip by either hopping on a plane or preparing for a super-intense hike. The closest town is McCarthy, 70 miles away. Numerous buildings remain and there is actually one bunkhouse that you can stay in overnight. Worth the trip albeit the extremely rugged terrain to get here. Haunted? Maybe. But it's definitely a "once in a lifetime" experience.
This old Klondike Gold Rush town has a sign displayed that actually says "24 nice people, one old grump" so we suppose that must be the remaining population? Its location between Tok, AK and Dawson City, YT is filled with remnants from the 1900s. During it's prime, around 200 people lived in or near the area. Whats left now is just spirits from the past and minimal structures still standing.
Located near Skagway in southeast Alaska is this abandoned town which was a launching point for the historic Gold Rush. Today, few remains are still standing. You will trip upon gravestones and building remnants but not much more than that.
Located just a few miles south of Fairbanks on the George Parks Hwy is this tiny town that has a cool old fashioned saloon/theater in the original building from decades ago. It's really cool to see the old miners barracks that have been restored to hotel rooms for visitors to this little ghost town.
A mill with about 25 buildings is what remains from this 1908 gold camp. Located in the Mat-Su borough only about 45 minutes from Alaska's largest city of Anchorage is easy access to this abandoned ghost town. In 1936 this place was booming but today it is all a distant memory.
Located near the Copper River Basin in McCarthy is this old abandoned copper mine. From 1911 to 1938, this place was lit up like a bustling metro area. Today it is completely abandoned and there are even ghost town walking tours for those wishing to get up close and personal with the haunting past.
Located off Knik Goose Bay Road about 13 miles south of Wasilla is this ghost town with little remaining but a cemetery and the old town hall building that is now the Dog Mushers Hall of Fame.
This tiny place on Kodiak Island was settled in 1784 and was originally a trading center for the Russian furring fleet. It was completely destroyed by an earthquake and nothing remains to this day. But if you are out on the water, you can almost feel the haunting memories of the past. We can't help but wonder what we might find if we were expert divers and could go down to the ocean floor. Oh the mystery!
Utica and Fink Creek are located right next to each other in the Deering area of the Northwest Arctic Borough. It is located on a sandy spit on the Seward Peninsula and is relatively completely abandoned. It is said that these areas were mining towns in the 1910s through the 1940s and were abandoned shortly thereafter.