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Yakutat, Alaska

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By Leon Unruh / Alaska.com

Yakutat stands alone along the Gulf of Alaska coast, facing the continent's largest glacier across Yakutat Bay and backed up to hundreds of miles of some of the most rugged mountains in the world.

The town's 680 people also have the pleasure of living next to some of the best fishing in the world.

The 19 miles of the road-accessible Situk River, east of town, are famed for steelhead and four kinds of salmon: silvers, reds, kings and pinks. Yakutat Bay has big kings and silvers. Several lodges in the area cater in season to anglers and hunters.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game provides weekly summaries of fishing in the area. License information is also available.

A favorite kayak or raft trip in the area also involves the Situk. From Situk Lake across the Yakutat Forelands to the gulf, it's a two-day trip. From where Forest Highway 10 crosses the Situk, it's one day. The takeout is at the Lost River Road, which goes back to Yakutat.

Yakutat is also famous for its surfing. The Gulf of Alaska provides excellent rollers.

Commercial fishing occurs in the risky Fairweather Grounds south of Yakutat for salmon, halibut, crab and black cod.

Getting to Yakutat takes some doing. The town is 225 miles northwest of Juneau and 220 miles southeast of Cordova. The Alaska Marine Highway System ferry M/V Kennicott stops only in the summer on its runs between Valdez and Juneau, and only then when a reservation has been made. Alaska Airlines has flights connecting Yakutat to Juneau and to Anchorage (through Cordova).

Fishing's not the only attraction.

The Hubbard and Malaspina glaciers are nearby, which attracts some cruise ships.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, which includes the Malaspina, sprawls to the northwest; Tongass National Forest and the Russell Fiord Wilderness covers the north and east; and about 50 miles east, the Alsek River, a rafter's delight, forms the eastern border of Glacier Bay National Park.

History

Yakutat has a diverse history.

The original settlers are believed to have been Eyak-speaking people from the Copper River area who were conquered by the Tlingits, of which the Yakutat Indians were a subtribe, according to the Dictionary of Alaska Place Names. Yakutat is reported to mean "the place where the canoes rest."

In the 18th and 19th centuries, English, French, Spanish and Russian explorers came, and fur traders were attracted to the region's sea otters, according to the Alaska Department of Economic Development. The Russian-American Co. built a fort in Yakutat in 1805 to harvest sea otter pelts. Because the Russians would not allow local Tlingits access to their traditional fisheries, a Tlingit war party attacked and destroyed the post.

In 1884, the Alaska Commercial Co. opened a store in Yakutat, and the black sand beaches were being mined for gold within two years. A cannery, sawmill, store and railroad were constructed beginning in 1903 by the Stimson Lumber Co. Most residents moved to the current site of Yakutat to be closer to the cannery, which operated through 1970.

During World War II, a large aviation garrison and paved runway were constructed. Troops were withdrawn after the war, but the runway is still in use.

The city of Yakutat was formed in 1948, but in 1992, the city was dissolved and a borough was organized.

The area maintains a traditional Tlingit culture with influences from the original Eyaks, as well as Russian, English and American traders and miners. Fishing and subsistence activities are prevalent.

Yakutat's economy depends on fishing, fish processing and government. A cold-storage plant is the major private employer. Lodges and fishing charters in the Situk River drainage provide some jobs. Subsistence hunting and fishing focus on salmon, trout, shellfish, deer, moose, seals, bears and goats. There's little gardening.

Climate

Yakutat's climate is relatively mild and often rainy. Summer temperatures range from 42 to 60 in the summer and from 17 to 39 in the winter. The amount of precipitation is staggering: 145 inches, including the melted water from an average 193 inches of snow.

In August, between salmon runs, Yakutat celebrates Fairweather Days with partying, games and food.

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Yakutat, Alaska

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