Unalaska Day Tours & Attractions
Visit historical sites, visit wildlife viewing spots, check out the hiking trails, local attractions & more.
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Day Tours & Attractions
Day Cruises
An Unalaska Bay cruise is highly recommended for close up views of sea mammals in their natural habitat, birding, delicate waterfalls and pristine, uninhabited islands.
Visitor Information Centers
The Unalaska/Port of Dutch Harbor Convention and Visitors Bureau is established to promote and encourage tourism and to support the development and sustainability of tourism infrastructure in the Unalaska/Dutch Harbor Region. They are Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm. Feel free to drop in, call, or email them with any questions about the region. The Unalaska / Port of Dutch Harbor CVB is a great resource; providing maps, visitor guides, ...more
Whether or not you’re a World War II scholar, the story of the Aleutian Islands’ role in the second great war is fascinating. The military buildup, the battles, the removal and eventual return of Aleut residents. It’s all detailed at the Aleutian World War II Visitor’s Center, located in an historic Aerology Operations Building that has been renovated to its original 1940s-style façade.
Museums & Cultural Centers
Whether or not you’re a World War II scholar, the story of the Aleutian Islands’ role in the second great war is fascinating. The military buildup, the battles, the removal and eventual return of Aleut residents. It’s all detailed at the Aleutian World War II Visitor’s Center, located in an historic Aerology Operations Building that has been renovated to its original 1940s-style façade.
Spend just a few hours at the Museum of the Aleutians and you’ll walk away with a broad understanding of this remote island chain, its hardy and inventive Unangan people, and its compelling World War II history.
Parks & Trails View All
For thousands of years, being able to survive in the Aleutians has depended on the ability to use what the land and sea provide. The rugged, remote and stunning landscape continues to inspire – and challenge – locals and visitors alike. Understanding this primal connection with the land is best done by exploring on foot. Hiking the Ugadaga Trail – reportedly in use for more than 9,000 years – allows the imagination to wander, and wonder, about ...more
Take in many dimensions of Unalaska in just an hour on a 2‑mile hike around a spot called “Little South America.” Watch boats in the harbor, look for whales, spot birds (including puffins nesting in the cliffs), walk the beaches, search tidepools, and talk with locals who are also hiking or enjoying a beach party.
Mt. Ballyhoo is a lure for hikers wanting a moderate climb and an outstanding vista. Both the airport and city dock are located right at its base, so the south face of Ballyhoo is the first thing you’ll notice when you get here. Its 1,634-foot-peak is the highest point on Amaknak Island, with a panoramic view that helps orient you to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor geography.
The mild stroll around Strawberry Hill offers great views, wildlife and some historic flavor. Old military roads cover the area, providing easy walking. Adventurers can bushwhack or scramble short distances for better views of the surrounding area or get up close to WWII-era trenches and the remains of old bunkers.
Beaver Inlet, on the other side of Unalaska Island, was an historic portage for the native Unangan people who lived in the village of Biorka just across on Sedanka Island. You can only get there by boat or by foot, but the pristine views away from the more populated areas of Unalaska are worth the effort. One popular and accessible route is the Peace of Mind Trail, a three-mile round-trip trek that showcases a range of topography and winds ...more
If your travel group includes a WWII enthusiast, a wildlife devotee, a birder, and a kid who enjoys rolling around on the tundra, Bunker Hill is the perfect spot. Plus, it has the best photo ops, with a 360-degree view of the entire area: Captains Bay, Amaknak Island, Unalaska Bay and Iliuliuk Harbor.
Jutting half a mile into the center of Unalaska Bay, the Dutch Harbor Spit offers a short, sea-level hike for all ages, with beach access, wildlife viewing and birding. The trail follows an old roadbed, which makes for an ideal hiking surface. You’ll want to stop frequently with a ready camera for close-up views of marine mammals on either side of the spit.
A drive or walk up Mt. Ballyhoo is interesting for both birders and those interested in World War II history. It’s such as good view that you might even catch sight of whales in the distance. The view from the 1,634-foot mountain gives you an idea of how birds might see the area (that is, if you can imagine the view with a lot more color and super-sharp clarity)
A hike to the windy, northernmost point of Amaknak Island provides a good uphill workout, a peek into World War II history, and a breathtaking panoramic vista of the Bering Sea and the islands around you.
The Agamgik Bay trek is a bit longer than the others, has some difficult spots not easy for the very young or the very old, and offers access to an even longer hike over to English Bay, where Captain Cook arrived in 1778. As a longer, more difficult trail, it is also less frequented, a bonus for those who yearn for a more solitary journey.
The 2,300-foot Pyramid Peak is surrounded by Pyramid Valley, Captains Bay and miles of popular hiking trails, including a circuit around the peak. This location is for the birder who wants to get out of the city and industrial areas of town to listen for birdsong while sitting among the wildflowers or berries of the Aleutian tundra.
Historic Sites View All
The bow of the sunken SS Northwestern points to the sky in Captains Bay, a fifty-foot-high symbol of Alaska’s role in World War II. The Northwestern had a fascinating history even before Japanese warplanes bombed her on June 4, 1942. After transporting passengers, troops and bananas on the East Coast, she logged more than thirty years in northern waters, carrying passengers between Southeast Alaska and Seattle.
In the 1940’s more than 100 buildings peppered the hillside here, making up U.S. Army Base Fort Schwatka and Battery 402. This coastal outpost was considered cutting edge for its time. The Battery’s position high on Ulakta Head gave lookouts a strategic view and its 8‑inch, 21-ton guns boasted a range of 22 miles.
Memorial Park was built in 1992 in honor Coast Guard and Navy personnel that lost their lives during WWII.
If your travel group includes a WWII enthusiast, a wildlife devotee, a birder, and a kid who enjoys rolling around on the tundra, Bunker Hill is the perfect spot. Plus, it has the best photo ops, with a 360-degree view of the entire area: Captains Bay, Amaknak Island, Unalaska Bay and Iliuliuk Harbor.
World War II buffs will want to check out remaining World War II defensive fortifications like elephant-steel magazines and the base-end station that overlook Summer Bay and Humpy Cove.
When the United States military left Unalaska Island at the end of World War II, it also left behind buildings and equipment that would become war relics and reminders of the area’s importance during the Aleutian campaign, often called the “Forgotten War.” The buildings have deteriorated over the years and some have been torn down. But historical plaques marking the location of seven World War II points of interest were erected in 2007 to ensure ...more
The striking Holy Ascension Russian Orthodox Church – with its red-shingled roofs and green onion domes – has become an integral part of the Unalaska skyline over the last century. It is both an oddity (architecturally different than anything else in the Aleutians) and a symbol of Russian influence on Aleut culture and religion.
Captain James Cook saw much of Alaska’s coastline during his troubled third voyage in search of a Northwest Passage. Prince William Sound, Prince of Wales Island, Norton Sound, and Bristol Bay are just some of the places he named during his travels. English Bay, on the eastern side of Unalaska Island, references the two landings Cook and crew made there in 1778 (just months before his death in the Hawaiian Islands).
Fairs & Festivals View All
One of the most unique golf outings you could ever experience takes place every August, on the Aleutian tundra thousands of miles from any established golf course. This is a place where you can (and perhaps should) wear knee high boots as you advance along a 9‑hole course winding through the Pyramid Valley of Unalaska Island.
Unalaskans are “always ready” for music, a tradition that goes back to the 1920s. Back in those days, there was just one piano on the whole Aleutian Chain, and it was used by Bering Sea Patrol commander Captain Frances Van Boskerck (along with friends Alfred Nannestad and Joseph Fournier) to write a catchy tune that became United States Coast Guard’s anthem “Semper Paratus” (“always ready”). Today, there are plenty more pianos, along with plenty ...more
One of the best ways to view the true spirit of a small community is to take part in its annual Fourth of July parade. This is true for the City of Unalaska, where you’ll see a number of unique floats put together by local businesses, community groups and individuals. The spirit of patriotism runs high in this wind-swept Aleutian island, whose history includes an attack by Japanese bombers during World War II.
Unalaskans turn out for an active running/racing schedule most of the year no matter the weather. In fact, the season officially gets started with the 5K Polar Bear Run in late February, when the average temp is still hovering around 32 degrees. Events range from mild to technically challenging, and most also offer shorter versions for the kids. Come to Unalaska, and join a race February — November!
Framed by green mountains on three sides, Kelty field is the perfect setting for an end-of-summer party – a celebration of Aleutian life and the people who make Unalaska their home (whether year-round or just for the summer). Coordinated by the city’s Parks, Culture and Recreation Department, the Heart of the Aleutians Festival is a family affair, where artists and their crafts, small businesses and non-profits fill the community tent with ...more
Whether you land a record-breaker or not, the Halibut Derby in Unalaska is a full day’s worth of excitement. Held on a single day in late June or early July, you’ll have just ten hours to land the largest halibut you can – and a $1,000 cash prize is on the line.
Fall in Unalaska brings cooler air, rich color to the tundra, and a plethora of berries. While locals can be pretty secretive about their favorite picking spots, they are generous with the fruits of their labors – at the annual Blueberry Bash. Here you’ll find an amazing array of blueberry dishes – table after table loaded with variations on tasty pies, cobblers and tarts, along with jams, vinegars, chutneys, salsas and everything in between. ...more