Discover Unalaska through collections on culture and natural sciences, traces of military history and nature observation. There are different options to consider when planning your visit: guided museum tours, a hike to Bunker Hill and a longer coastal route.
Museum and guided tours
The Museum of the Aleutians offers permanent and temporary exhibitions. Its permanent collection covers archaeology, ethnography, history, art, archives and natural sciences. You can focus your museum visit on cultural topics as well as natural sciences.
The museum also offers two guided tours that differ in scope and time required. The city tour is 1.5 miles long and goes through downtown on paved and gravel roads. The guided hike to the summit of Bunker Hill, also called Hill 400, takes two hours. The round trip covers two miles, with an elevation gain of more than 400 feet. Along the way, participants explore the remains of a World War II battery command post and four Panama gun emplacements. A gravel road leads to the summit, where you can see military remains.
Military history and memorial sites
The visitor center for the Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area is located in the historic Naval Aerology Building on Unalaska Island. Fort Schwatka was built in 1940 to protect the Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base from an invasion by sea. At 897 feet above sea level, it is the highest coastal battery built along the coast of the United States.
The former Burma Road Chapel is the only surviving military church from World War II on Unalaska Island and Amaknak Island. Another reminder of the war is the site of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Hospital in Unalaska: on June 4, 1942, it was hit by a Japanese bomb next to the hospital. Unalaska Memorial Park is next to Unalaska Cemetery. Its memorial plaques commemorate people from Unalaska who lost their lives at sea, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Unangax̂, and military personnel who died in World War II.
Sacred art is also part of the area's cultural heritage: the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Ascension of Christ contains nearly 700 works of art.
Nature and routes
Unalaska is home to more than 100 bird species, including parakeet auklets and crested auklets. Along the Bunker Hill Trail, you may spot foxes, harbor seals, porpoises and numerous seabirds seasonally; sightings are not guaranteed. Trail conditions can change, so check them before setting out on a hike.
Another route option is the approximately seven-mile-long Summer Bay Road north of Unalaska. The coastal road passes Summer Bay and Humpy Cove and ends at Morris Cove. Check current route conditions before driving.
Plan your trip
The Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area can be reached from Anchorage by limited scheduled or charter flights. Keep this limited air service in mind when planning your trip and check flight options in advance.
Discover more destinations: St. Paul.
Go to the main travel overview: Aleutians West Census Area.
