10 of the Most Remote Locations in Alaska
Alaska isn’t just big—it’s mind-bogglingly vast, with landscapes so wild and untouched that some places feel like they belong to another era. While many parts of the state are already isolated, a handful of spots take “off the grid” to a new level. These are places where grocery stores are a distant dream, roads are nonexistent, and the only way in might be by bush plane or snowmobile.
Whether you’re an adventurer looking for your next challenge or just curious about how far “far away” can be, these ten locations will leave you amazed.
Adak Island
At the tail end of the Aleutian chain, Adak Island once housed a military base during World War II and the Cold War. Now, with fewer than 200 residents, it’s a windswept ghost town known for fierce weather and world-class birdwatching.
Anaktuvuk Pass
This small village in the Brooks Range is home to the Nunamiut people, who have lived here for centuries. Air travel is the only way in or out, as no roads connect it to the rest of Alaska. Lacking some modern conveniences, residents fight the winter’s extreme cold in traditional ways as the community thrives on subsistence hunting and a deep cultural heritage.
McCarthy
McCarthy, surrounded by Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, was once a copper mining hub. Today, it’s a remote town that can only be reached by a rough 60-mile gravel road. The epitome of solitude and off-grid living, McCarthy is where self-reliance and a love for the wilderness define daily life.
Attu Island
Known as the westernmost point of the U.S., Attu Island is an uninhabited town located nearly 1,500 miles from Anchorage. Once a major battleground during World War II, today, it draws only a few history buffs and birdwatchers to its lonely lands.
Nome
Famous for being the finish line of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Nome is located on the Bering Sea. Today, no roads connect this once popular location in Alaska, leaving the lonely town nearly uninhabited except for a few residents who still pan for gold on the beaches.
Gambell
Located on St. Lawrence Island, just 36 miles from Russia, Gambell is home to the Siberian Yupik people. The resident community depends on the traditional hunting of walrus, whales, and seals. Visitors to this scarcely populated town are rare but welcomed into a way of life that has endured for generations.
Barter Island On the Arctic Ocean
Barter Island is home to Kaktovik, a remote village best known for its sizeable polar bear population. As sea ice forms each fall, the bears gather near town, drawing wildlife photographers from around the world to this isolated corner of Alaska.
Port Protection
Featured on the National Geographic series Life Below Zero: Port Protection, this isolated Prince of Wales Island community is only accessible by boat or floatplane. With fewer than 100 residents, it’s a place where self-sufficiency is a necessity, not a choice.
Little Diomede
This tiny island in the Bering Strait is home to about 80 people and sits just a few miles from Russia. The only access to Little Diomede is by helicopter or crossing the sea ice in winter, making modern conveniences a distant thought.
St. Matthew Island
One of Alaska’s least visited places, St. Matthew Island, is over 200 miles from the nearest village. Completely uninhabited, it’s home to seabirds, Arctic foxes, and the remnants of a long-abandoned military outpost.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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