9 Playfully Peculiar Towns In Alaska

When most people think of Alaska, they think of glaciers, polar bears, wilderness, and the rugged outdoors. While those features certainly make up the bulk of an Alaskan adventure, the Last Frontier also has an incredible Gold Rush history, delicious seafood, and a one-of-a-kind native heritage. Nestled between all the nature are quirky towns with big personalities and unusual traditions, including nine playfully peculiar towns that reveal just how full of life Alaska can be. Let’s take a look.

Whittier

Starting off this list with a bang is Whittier, a town that houses about 250 people in a 12.3 square-mile area. Although a handful of residents live elsewhere, almost all of them reside in the Begich Towers Condominium. Whittier is a place of contrasts, both remote yet accessible, weird yet magical, and pretty yet rough. There’s not a lot to do indoors in the city, but the outdoors? It’s a real natural playground for those who seek rugged pursuits. Whilst there, you can start your journey at the Prince William Sound Museum, featuring exhibits that illustrate Whittier’s history and Alaskan military heritage. Then, find your way along the Portage Pass Trail for sweeping views of green mountains and glaciers or the Horsetail Falls Trail for a wildlife sighting.

Homer

Homer, Alaska, is more than just a place to fish for halibut. The seaside town enchants visitors with the narrow Homer Spit, the beautiful boardwalk, and the open-air activities like hiking, flightseeing, sea kayaking, and more. Surrounded by the Kachemak Bay, being in Homer is like stepping into a postcard and connecting with landscapes that feel almost unreal.

What makes Homer especially “peculiar” is the town’s many interesting community festivals, including the annual Homer Burning Basket ceremony, a temporary art installation that involves building a colossal natural basket and placing intentions into the fire.

Homer is also known as a gateway to premier bear viewing. So don’t leave without taking a day trip to the Cook Inlet, home to a large share of the 98% of the US brown bear population found in the state.

McCarthy

A visit to McCarthy is like stepping into a place frozen in time. Visitors will find it tucked away in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest national park in the US six times the size of Yellowstone National Park. It was initially a mining village that acted as a hub for the Kennecott copper mine but eventually became a ghost town after the mining operation crashed.

The best way to tour McCarthy is to take the Kennicott Mine & Ghost Town Walking Tour, which allows you to spot the area's many icons. If you’d rather see the park and the former village from a bird’s eye view, you can go on a flightseeing tour with Wrangell Mountain Air.

Ketchikan

Ketchikan has the world’s largest collection of standing Native American totem poles, dotted around the town. Everywhere you go, you’re bound to see a colorful collection of them, some more than 100 years old. Travelers who love a dose of history and culture must tour Potlatch Park, which has five Native Alaskan clan houses to explore. For those interested in exploring more Native art collections, the Totem Heritage Center displays masks, baskets, carvings, and more that you’ll be sure to appreciate.

While Ketchikan faces the glittering North Pacific Ocean, it also backs up against the Tongass National Forest. Visitors can venture into the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary, a private 40-acre preserve bordering the national forest. There are forest trails, guided walks, and a host of outdoor activities to enjoy.

Unalaska

Unalaska might sound like a place that is the “anti-Alaska,” but it’s actually a name taken from the Aleutian name “Ounalashka.” It’s best known for being the busiest fishing port in the United States, thanks to its affiliation with the historic Dutch Harbor. We’re talking about a commercial fishing fleet that once caught 770 million pounds of fish. On a visit here, it’s all about the outdoors and the maritime history. The Museum of the Aleutians will give you a glimpse into the community of the Aleutian Islands, while the Aleutian World War II National Historic Area tells the story of those who lived, worked, and fought in this remote region.

Sitka

Want to hear a fact that surprises most people? Sitka is the largest city by area in the entire United States, yet it is home to only just over 9000 people. What’s most intriguing about the town, however, is that it has a past that mixes Tlingit culture and Russian history. That’s precisely why you’ll find a blend of Russian architecture, like the St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral, and Tlingit cultural sites to showcase this fascinating story.

Sitka is best experienced on tours of both marine wildlife on a boat tour and the wildlife of the land on a walk around the Fortress of the Bear sanctuary. Explorers can get within 25 feet of Alaskan brown bears and appreciate these majestic creatures up close.

Fairbanks

Fairbanks is Alaska's second-most populous city after Anchorage. For most states, that typically means hundreds of thousands to millions. But for the Last Frontier, it only means about 31,400. Fairbanks is known as the Golden Heart City because of its gold mining past and its geographic location in the heart of Alaska.

Here, you’ll find ample opportunities to see what Mother Nature can really do. During your time, you’ll have the chance to see the midnight sun, lengthy sunrises and sunsets, and the ethereal Aurora Borealis, all with the incredible backdrop of mirrorlike lakes and imposing mountain ranges. Try the Chena Hot Springs Resort or The Overlook at Cleary Summit for prime views.

North Pole

While not the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean, North Pole, Alaska, definitely exudes Christmas. Year-round, you’ll find Christmas-themed attractions like the Santa Claus House Christmas store, from which you can order letters from Santa delivered during the festive season. The street signs are all Christmas-related, and the Historic North Pole and Welcome to North Pole sign are must-sees too.

Once you’ve had your fill, connect with the outdoors at the Chena Lake Recreation Area by dogsledding, camping under the stars, or simply exploring the birch forests and overlooks waters.

Kodiak

Kodiak is one of the most isolated towns in Alaska, set on the broader Kodiak Island Archipelago. Yet surprisingly, there’s quite a bit to do in the area. Charters let you connect with the city's fishing culture and spot whales in the ocean, while the two museums, the Alutiiq Museum and the Kodiak History Museum, display the maritime and Indigenous history of the land.

The outdoors has abundant opportunities to mountain bike, kayak, hike, and more, with 100 miles of roads between the city and wilderness. The most remarkable of them all, however, is the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, with 2,812 square miles of diverse habitat and 3,500 massive brown bears.

Simply, Uniquely Alaska

Some towns are more playfully peculiar than others on this list, but the state as a whole is well worth the trip. With well-kept museums, unreal natural landscapes, untouched wild spaces, and quirky oddities you won’t find anywhere else, Alaska lives up to its reputation as a place for endless discovery. Get your backpack ready and your walking shoes on, because you’re not going to want to miss the weird and unforgettable.