Alaska's cities
Yakutat, Alaska
Town neighbors some of country's most rugged terrain
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.
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