Ghosts and ghouls are said to haunt the night in ancient Alaskan homes, landmarks, and towns. As the tundra reclaims the area, you might argue these settlements are little more than decaying houses that have sunk into the ground.
Many of these locations have been abandoned for many reasons. If you are a thrill-seeker, you might want to explore these creepy and abandoned places in Alaska.
So, here is a list of top creepy ghost towns in Alaska that you may not want to miss out on.
1. Sulzer
Sulzer’s remnants are now a distant, fading memory in the Tongass National Forest, which is surrounded by thick, impenetrable trees. You’ll need a small plane or boat to get to the abandoned ghost town, which is located in extremely rugged terrain.
Aside from the animals, there is no industry or life left in Sulzer, and the severe weather conditions that Alaska is notorious for continue to destroy a bit more of the last relics each year.
2. Pilgrim Hot Springs
It was feasible to have a large mission community from 1918 through the early 20th century because of the thermal springs. There were a church, a few dorms, an orphanage, and a few greenhouses which were all warmed by the sun. This area in Western Alaska is now abandoned, eerie, and slipping into the bog.
There is a National Register of Historic Places listing for this area, which was created in 1977. At the time, the structures had fallen into disrepair. There is a permit required for visits to Pilgrim Hot Springs. So you are advised to get the permit before visiting.
3. Portlock
Portlock, a tiny town in the Scottish Highlands, thrived from the 1780s until the 1950s. There was a major evacuation of people from the town after something started “bothering” the locals. For example – there have been accounts of enormous footsteps in the mud, but no one has ever been able to record what drove them away.
Portlock, Alaska, is a ghost town with a strange past; there were too many missing people and bodies recovered to keep this little village inhabited. You may judge for yourself whether this is a Bigfoot hotspot – the very creature which is rumored to be the cause of the abandonment of Portlock in Alaska or not.
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4. Kennecott
McCarthy is home to the ancient Kennecott copper mine, which is a massive operation with a long history. When the price of copper fell in the 1940s, this was transformed into an eerie ghost town. Experts have maintained it as a historic site, yet the creepy atmosphere still lingers in this abandoned mining town.
Except for a family of three who remained as watchmen in Kennecott until 1952, it was a ghost town by 1940. One of the most haunted towns in Alaska may be found in this village.
5. Jesse Lee Home
One of Alaska’s most eerie buildings, located near Seward, is this one. There’s an abandoned orphanage here that will freeze you to the bone. Until the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake devastated it, it sheltered hundreds of Alaskan orphans. The structure has been plagued by reports of ghostly activity since it was left abandoned; its windows facing out at the ocean.
All of these ghosts seem to be cheerful and full of excitement from the past, almost as if they’ve just returned from a vacation. Even still, the mere possibility of a haunted building is enough to keep many people away from this region after dark.
The site is now held by the City of Seward, and the citizens of the city are quite proud of their local historic landmark that has so many stories to tell.
6. Ukivok
People have inhabited King Island’s rocky ledge for thousands of years, living in stilted houses. People lived off the ocean and were extremely content with their lifestyle.
When World War II broke out, many women and children were left to fend for themselves on King Island over 75 years ago when men were recruited to serve in the war. A devastating TB epidemic soon followed, claiming the lives of a substantial portion of the remaining population.
Today, Ukivok is a ghost town and the whole island is desolate. History, recollections, and a jumble of barely surviving structures are all that exist in this deserted neighborhood.
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7. Independence Mine
An Alaskan gold mine that was previously one of the state’s most profitable has now been abandoned. The Independence Mine, located in Hatcher Pass, is both magnificent and eerie. Founded in 1980, the Independence Mine State Historical Park has been a labor of love for the state, which has labored tirelessly to repair and preserve the historic structures and artifacts.
There are some interesting places to view even though the town is mainly in ruins, such as an old cemetery with gravestones dating back to the town’s founding and a museum honoring the founders. There’s also an abandoned general store, as well as a number of other eerie structures.
8. Portage
In the 1964 earthquake, the Portage area sank 10 feet and became fully submerged. When the water reclaimed the land, the occupants were forced to leave everything behind. All that’s left are the eerie traces of what was once a beautiful place.
Many of these artifacts may still be seen around the ancient Portage town site today. When seawater inundated the roots of all the trees in this sunken region, it was dubbed the “ghost forest.” Now, glacier beauty illuminates the gloomy “ghost forest” with the most vibrant color palette, making it appear less threatening.
In addition to self-drive and guided bus tours, there are several alternative ways to enjoy this historic site while minimizing time spent behind the wheel.
9. Dyea
All that remains of this once-thriving Gold Rush boom town are a few building fragments and a graveyard. This abandoned village, which was a launching place for the historic Gold Rush, may be found near Skagway in southeast Alaska.
Today, just a few of the original structures survive. Occasionally, you will come across gravestones or building remnants, but little more than that.
10. Bremner Mining Camp
This location, which is located in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park county, is highly remote and isolated. Because of this, you’ll have to begin your road journey by either taking to the skies or preparing for a very strenuous hiking expedition.
McCarthy, which is 70 miles distant, is the nearest town. There are still a number of structures standing, and there is even one bunkhouse where you may spend the night. It’s well worth the journey, despite the difficulty of getting here. It is unquestionably a “once in a lifetime” event.
In Alaska, there is no shortage of things that make noises in the dark. Given the state’s connection to a number of old structures, this may not be surprising. Bad spirits are claimed to inhabit the aforementioned sites. You may feel a tingling sensation in certain places, which might be a sign of demonic activity!