Yakutat  is a small village in the northern part of  Alaska's southeast panhandle.  It is a remote village,  meaning that the only way to get here is by boat or plane. The village has the essentials such as a clinic, post office, gas station etc..., but you won't find a Wal-Mart, movie theatre or Burger King anywhere within 350 miles...give or take a few.

         The climate here is classified as maritime due to it's coastal location with cloudy and wet as the primary conditions. Although the latitude is fairly far north, Yakutat has a surprisingly mild climate due to the influence of the Gulf of Alaska.  But while temperatures are mild, other aspects of the weather can be severe.  The Rainfall averages around 150 inches annually with the wettest months typically being September and October.  The average winter produces nearly 200 inches of snow and that can double when winter is at her worst.  With her banks resting in "the graveyard of the storms", Yakutat can get blasted with fierce winds. Speeds of 85 mph have been observed at the station and at the far end of the bay, drainage winds can gust to over 100.    With all of the bad news taken care of you might wonder why anyone would want to live in such a remote and weather-some place.

         In spite of the often overwhelming weather conditions,  there is also a very positive side.  The true beauty of Yakutat is unveiled periodically when High Pressure sets up over the Alaska/Yukon border or a sharp ridge of High Pressure builds over the Gulf of Alaska.  Clouds clear out to reveal a most spectacular blue sky and the gleaming white mountains of the  St. Elias Range.  Two of the Continents three highest peaks are visible from Yakutat.  Mt. Logan, 19,850 ft  located in the Yukon about 77 miles north of Yakutat and Mt. St. Elias, 18,008 ft  located in Alaska about 70 miles northwest of Yakutat.

         Those are just a few of the things that make life here one of the best on the planet. We also have  some breathtaking views of the Aurora Borealis, a magnificent beach, a wide variety of birds, wildlife, sea-life and plant-life, the Hubbard Glacier, great seafood,  some pretty cool areas to cross-country ski and  one of the most entertaining garbage dumps around!  Check out our photo gallery to take a visual vacation to our station on the Last Frontier.