Overview

If the wilds of coastal Alaska seem a little tame for you, head west to Unalaska. Set in the heart of the 1,000-mile-long Aleutian chain, this rugged outpost was a Russian fur trade outpost in the 18th century and a U.S. military stronghold in WWII. Today it's home to Alaska's largest commercial fishing fleet.

Nearly all of the island's residents are tied to the fishing industry in the town's working port of Dutch Harbor, but visitors can hike amid fields of wildflowers, pick wild berries, go mountain biking, climb several volcanic peaks, kayak along wilderness coastlines (sea otters and whales are common), and explore a rugged, treeless landscape populated by millions of birds.

There are more than 200 islands in the Aleutians chain, but only a handful are inhabited. Unalaska is one of the few with scheduled air service (in summer, Kodiak Island is a three-day ferry ride away), and the climate is cool (at best), windy (always), and wet (more drizzle than rain). But it's also a gateway to the vast Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge that encompasses virtually the entire archipelago.

 Plan Your Trip

FISHING

The commercial fishermen make their money on crab and salmon, and the salmon run on Unalaska's Iliuliuk River is a summer highlight for fishermen and bald eagles alike. But this is also halibut country: the world record (459 pounds) was landed here, and the island sponsors a fishing derby every summer with a $100,000 prize if you catch a new record halibut.

NATURE

Dedicated birders can start a tour on Unalaska, home to a large bald eagle population and a small colony of the rare whiskered auklet. Then island-hop by small plane as far west as Kiska, home to the world's largest colony of crested and least auklets. Along the way, expect to see fulmars, puffins, ptarmigans, peregrine falcons, as well as some exotic Asian visitors, including Siberian rubythroats, whooper swans, and far eastern curlews.

SIGHTSEEING

Explore the world of Aleuts, who first arrived on these islands thousands of years ago, at the new Museum of the Aleutians in Unalaska. Since its opening in 1999, the museum has been gathering collections of Aleut art, culture, and history from museums around the globe. Exhibits also highlight the island's early Russian history, the sea otter fur trade, gold rush days, and World War II. From the museum, head to the town's centerpiece, the newly restored Church of the Holy Ascension, a landmark, onion-domed, 19th-century Russian Orthodox Cathedral with an acclaimed collection of religious artifacts and icons. Then hike up Bunker Hill Trail, a mile-long climb near town to a WWII gun emplacement where the views (and the wind) will take your breath away.

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