More Information About

Yakutat, Alaska

Yakutat, Alaska is a small seaport community located on the  Gulf of Alaska.   It is completely surrounded by the Tongass National Forest.  The nation's largest national forest, the Tongass is the world's northernmost rain forest. It is home to an abundance of fish and wildlife.  This remote setting makes Yakutat a perfect "step back in time," both as a community and as a place where fish and wildlife are still in abundance. 

Take advantage of this unique setting with the help of Captain Kirk and your hostess, Shirley.

The Geography

The local maritime climate  is responsible for these huge glaciers which form on the sides of  mountains.  This climate also feeds the many streams and rivers that are the natural spawning beds for members of the salmon, steelhead, and char fish families.

To the east of Yakutat lies the Coastal Range, whose largest peak is Mt. St. Elias. At 18,008 feet, the second tallest peak in the United States. Danish explorer Vitus Bering discovered the peak while exploring for the Czar of Russia in 1741. The mountain was named for the
Danish holiday, St. Elias Day.

To the west, the Gulf of Alaska is home to the world's largest salmon, halibut, and other game fish. It is also home to great ocean storms, but fortunately they occur primarily in the middle of winter.  During the heart of the fishing season, the Gulf is generally calm with winds under 20 miles per hour in the Yakutat area.

Yakutat is the home of many glaciers.  Three are of special interest.

1. The first, the Malaspina Glacier,  forms on the side of Mount St. Elias, and it is the largest piedmont glacier in North America.  The Malaspina is larger than the state of  Rhode Island.
2. The second, the Hubbard Glacier, is the largest tidewater glacier in North America, meaning the largest that empties into salt water.  It created an international sensation when it recently advanced across the face of Russel Fjord, trapping sea mammals inside what was temporarily the world's largest glacial lake.   Eventually, the ice dam collapsed, freeing the animals. The Hubbard may be visited by charter boat.
3. The third, the Yakutat Glacier, is the largest glacier that terminates, and thus calves, into its own freshwater lake.  The 30 mile road lead to the Dangerous River.   You have then reached the Harlequin Lake and Yakutat Glacier.  The Yakutat Glacier is accessible by jet boat charter.

The Community

Yakutat is described by visitors as "a step back in time."

The community is about 600 people in winter and 1000 in summer.  It is a waterfront community with a two docks.  Yakutat is the smallest community in the world served by daily jet service.

The local native culture is Tlinget Indian.  These people have lived throughout southeast Alaska for thousands of years. In fact, the word Yakutat evolved from the Eyak (branch of Tlinget) word Yak-tat, meaning "lagoon behind the breakers". 

Visitors

There are a wide variety of outdooor activities to enjoy in Yakutat.  These include:

• Fishing, both saltwater and freshwater
• Whalewatching
• Hiking, both the woods and beaches, and lakes
• Mountain climbing
• River rafting
• Surfing on 10 miles of surfable beach
• Sightseeing on 30 miles of beach combing  
• Bird watching
• Wildlife sighting

Yakutat is very unique because it offers the opportunity to encounter both coastal and interior wildlife.  There are few places on earth where you can see  moose, wolf, whales, and sea lions in the same day!

The State of Alaska has an informational page devoted exclusively to Yakutat.  For in-depth detail leave our page for a moment to visit the Department of Community and Regional Affairs' page about Yakutat, Alaska. Press the browser's BACK button to return to us when you are done with that page.

The only consistent way to get to Yakutat, Alaska is on Alaska Airlines.  There is one northbound and one southbound flight daily, connecting to the north in Anchorage, and to the south in Juneau, usually with a Boeing 737-200.  To make flight reservations or check on ticket prices, you can visit them briefly.  But don't forget to come back, now, you hear?

Another Great Website from