You can’t possibly surf in Alaska. Right? Visit Yakutat and be prepared to do a double take as you come across the only surf shop in Alaska, and see locals and visitors alike shredding up 25-foot waves.
The area has been developed for over 300 years, and has seen gold mining, fur and timber booms. Today, fishing drives the majority of the local economy. With all five species of salmon coursing through the rivers and oceans, anglers are eager to fish the local waters. Halibut, lingcod and trout also abound.
Hubbard Glacier can be found only 30 miles away from Yakutat. The longest tidewater glacier in the world is a whopping 76 miles long, and 600 feet tall. The humongous glacier is located in the Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve.
Once you’ve explored the crisp, beautiful wilderness, come inside and take the local history. Yakutat is home to the Eyak of the Copper River Valley and Tlingit People. Five clans of the Tingit perform traditional dances as the St.Elias Dancers. Colorful regalia flashes across the stage as the dancers tell cultural legends through their movements.
A jet charter airport in Yakutat brings you up directly to some of the most spectacular, glacier-filled views in the world. If the natural sightseeing or the warm welcome from locals doesn’t make Yakutat a regular stop for you, the easy access to Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve or the city of Juneau might sway you.
