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If Alaska is primarily characterized by both beauty and hostility, the fiery rim of volcanic islands stretching into the Pacific is the prime example of this dichotomy.
Where the Alaska Peninsula ends, the Aleutian Islands begin: a jagged 1100-mile arc that stretches across the north Pacific to within 500 miles of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. This is a barren, windswept and violent place, where over two dozen volcanoes are active or were active in the last 250 years.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Aleutian Islands.
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This small but impressive museum is one of the best native cultural centers in Alaska. It relives the Aleutian story from prehistory through the Russian America period to WWII and the present. Exhibits are broken into sections on Russian colonization, the WWII evacuation of the Aleuts, the modern fishing industry and – most interesting – displays of the tools, boats and grass baskets that allowed these clever and creative people to live in such a harsh environment.
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In 1996 Congress created this 134-acre national historic area to commemorate the bloody events of WWII that took place on the Aleutian Islands. Most of the park preserves Fort Schwatka, on Mt Ballyhoo, the highest coastal battery ever constructed in the US. Looming 1000ft above the storm-tossed waters of the Bering Sea, the Army fort encompassed more than 100 concrete observation posts, command stations and other structures built to withstand earthquakes and 100mph winds.
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Unalaska is dominated by the Cathedral of the Holy Ascension, the oldest Russian-built church still standing in Alaska. It was built in 1825 and then enlarged in 1894, when its floor plan was changed to a pekov (the shape of a crucifix). Overlooking the bay, the church and its onion domes are Unalaska's most iconic symbol. The church contains almost 700 pieces of art, ranging from Russian Orthodox icons and books to the largest collection of 19th-century paintings in Alaska.
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Part of the national historic area, this coastal battery was known to the military as Hill 400 or colloquially as Little South America (due to its shape). The hill was fortified with 155mm guns, ammunition magazines, water tanks, 22 Quonset huts and a concrete command post at the top. You can easily hike to the peak of Bunker Hill along a gravel road picked up just after crossing the bridge to Amaknak Island.
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To learn about the ‘Forgotten War,’ begin at the Aleutian WWII Visitor Center, near the airport, in the original air-control tower built in 1942. Downstairs, exhibits relive the Aleutian campaign, including the bombing of Dutch Harbor by the Japanese. Upstairs is the recreated air-control tower, and in a theater you can watch documentaries about the war.
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Next to a disheveled hillside graveyard overlooking the bay is Memorial Park. The park has several monuments dedicated to the Coast Guard and Navy personnel who died in WWII. Alongside pillboxes and bunkers, there are granite monuments and a peace memorial. US and Alaskan flags fly gallantly in the (usually) strong winds.
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Commissioned by Bishop Nester, this house was first built in San Francisco in 1882, dismantled and shipped to Unalaska to be reassembled. During his return to Unalaska, the bishop fell off the deck of the ship and died, and he never had the chance to live in the house. His body was recovered and he was buried in the graveyard outside the Cathedral of the Holy Ascension.
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Bald eagles are as common as crows in and around Unalaska and Dutch Harbor. There are so many birds that locals view them as scavengers, which they are by nature, rather than as the majestic symbol of the USA. One of the best places to photograph them up close and in a somewhat natural setting is Expedition Park, at the end of Bobby Storrs Boat Harbor.
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This national historical landmark within Dutch Harbor is where the Russians first planted Sitka spruce on the island in 1805. It’s the oldest recorded afforestation project in North America. Three of the gnarly spruce trees are said to be the originals. The park also features interpretive displays and a short trail to an edge-of-the-cliff overlook.