On the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, you’ll find Portlock, Alaska, a whole town that disappeared within the state, with only a few rotting houses left of the once-vibrant village. Although Aleut people have lived on the Southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula for thousands of years, no one had a settlement in the Portlock area until the 1780s.

This thriving town remained until everyone abandoned the village in 1950, with most residents moving to nearby villages down the coast. A mine tunnel, house pilings, and rusted cannery equipment are all that remain of Portlock.

So what happened in Portlock, Alaska?

According to local history, an unexplained hairy creature continuously assaulted and stalked the villagers, murdering them and leaving their bodies, until they finally all abandoned the area. Read on to learn more about the terrifying history of Portlock and the Portlock, Alaska murders.

Where is Portlock Alaska?

Google Maps Portlock, Alaska lies on the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska. The village of Portlock was established when Captain Nathanial Portlock of the Royal British Navy landed there in 1787. It was an unexplored, beautiful area, filled with fish and plenty of space.

Travis | Flickr Residents in the nearby villages of Seldovia, Nanwalek, and Port Graham also report that the area is haunted, including Portlock (also called Port Catham,) Catham Bay, and Chrome, the site of a chromium mine. Portlock began to become well known as one of the creepy places in Alaska. Many are afraid to visit this area due to the unexplained circumstances that continued to happen in this small town.

When did the Portlock Alaska mystery begin?

Kim F | Flickr In 1905, it was reported that all the workers left their cannery jobs due to something mysterious that was “bothering” the camp. The cannery workers returned the next season, but unexplained events were continually reported. There was an air of fear and mystery that began to pervade the small town.

When did the Portlock Alaska murders start?

uaa-hmc-1050-album2-257 | Lawrence Eastman photographs, 1949-1951. UAA-HMC-1050 | Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage Hunters and gold miners who headed into the mountains started to disappear. In 1931, one man that was chopping wood was found murdered, seemingly by a single blow that seemed stronger than a human could manage. This alarmed the townspeople.

Bigfoot in Alaska?

ASL-P66-316 | Clyda Schott Greely Photograph Collection, ca. 1887-1926. ASL-PCA-66 | Alaska State Library - Historical Collections One group hunting a moose reported finding giant footprints also stalking the same animal. They arrived at the site of a bloody battle and no moose was found. Footprints over 18 inches long headed from that spot into the foggy mountains. Occurrences like these began to show up regularly. In the local dialect of Alutiiq, the language of the area, the creature is called a “nantiinaq,” half-man, half-beast

UAF-1991-18-155 | Arnold Granville photographs | Alaska Digital Archives One resident saw a huge, hairy man destroying fish wheels along the beach. He ran back to get his gun and when he returned, the beast just stared at him and walked off. With these sightings, unease began to ramp up in the town.

ASL-P237-1-18 | Carl L. Hubbs Photograph Collection, 1939, ASL-PCA-237-1 | Alaska State Library - Historical Collections Bodies that were recovered, having washed down the rivers into the lagoon, had strange wounds no bear could make. The loss of these lives took a toll on the small community and fear set in. People started to leave. With unexplained disappearances and murders, no one felt they could take a chance and continue to live here.

Why was Portlock Alaska abandoned?

UAF-1991-18-153 | Arnold Granville photographs | Alaska Digital Archives Residents took off en masse in 1949, leaving their houses, the nearby chromium mine, the cannery, the teacher cottage, and the large school house, to return to the wilderness. This left Portlock as on abandoned town in Alaska, and one many people never wanted to return to.

ASL-P237-1-17 | Carl L. Hubbs Photograph Collection, 1939, ASL-PCA-237-1 | Alaska State Library - Historical Collections Only the postmaster remained. After a year alone, the post office closed in 1950 and the last resident of Portlock left town. Even the postmaster couldn’t continue on in this town. This town experience over 50 years of hauntings, murders, and disappearances before the townspeople gave in and left.

Does anybody live in Portlock Alaska today?

Travis | Flickr Portlock is still mostly uninhabited to this day; the town was dissolved as a census designated place in the 1980s and has not been reported again since then. However the town does still get occasional visitors. In the 1970s, fisherman forced to take refuge from a storm reported something strange walked through their camp on two feet. It terrified them, and they left as soon as possible. Seventy years after the hauntings started, they were still continuing when people visited the area.

Can you visit Portlock Alaska today?

Travis | Flickr The ghost town of Portlock, Alaska has a mysterious story. Whether or not this is a stronghold of Bigfoot in Alaska, you can decide for yourself. The disappearances and the bodies found were too horrible for anyone to continue living in this small town.

Do you love being terrified? Head To This Eerie Island For A Real Life Adventure In Alaska or You Might Be Surprised To Learn That Bigfoot Has Been Spotted At These 13 Eerie Locations In Alaska.

Google Maps

Portlock, Alaska lies on the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula in Southcentral Alaska. The village of Portlock was established when Captain Nathanial Portlock of the Royal British Navy landed there in 1787. It was an unexplored, beautiful area, filled with fish and plenty of space.

Travis | Flickr

Residents in the nearby villages of Seldovia, Nanwalek, and Port Graham also report that the area is haunted, including Portlock (also called Port Catham,) Catham Bay, and Chrome, the site of a chromium mine. Portlock began to become well known as one of the creepy places in Alaska. Many are afraid to visit this area due to the unexplained circumstances that continued to happen in this small town.

Kim F | Flickr

In 1905, it was reported that all the workers left their cannery jobs due to something mysterious that was “bothering” the camp. The cannery workers returned the next season, but unexplained events were continually reported. There was an air of fear and mystery that began to pervade the small town.

uaa-hmc-1050-album2-257 | Lawrence Eastman photographs, 1949-1951. UAA-HMC-1050 | Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage

Hunters and gold miners who headed into the mountains started to disappear. In 1931, one man that was chopping wood was found murdered, seemingly by a single blow that seemed stronger than a human could manage. This alarmed the townspeople.

ASL-P66-316 | Clyda Schott Greely Photograph Collection, ca. 1887-1926. ASL-PCA-66 | Alaska State Library - Historical Collections

One group hunting a moose reported finding giant footprints also stalking the same animal. They arrived at the site of a bloody battle and no moose was found. Footprints over 18 inches long headed from that spot into the foggy mountains. Occurrences like these began to show up regularly. In the local dialect of Alutiiq, the language of the area, the creature is called a “nantiinaq,” half-man, half-beast

UAF-1991-18-155 | Arnold Granville photographs | Alaska Digital Archives

One resident saw a huge, hairy man destroying fish wheels along the beach. He ran back to get his gun and when he returned, the beast just stared at him and walked off. With these sightings, unease began to ramp up in the town.

ASL-P237-1-18 | Carl L. Hubbs Photograph Collection, 1939, ASL-PCA-237-1 | Alaska State Library - Historical Collections

Bodies that were recovered, having washed down the rivers into the lagoon, had strange wounds no bear could make. The loss of these lives took a toll on the small community and fear set in. People started to leave. With unexplained disappearances and murders, no one felt they could take a chance and continue to live here.

UAF-1991-18-153 | Arnold Granville photographs | Alaska Digital Archives

Residents took off en masse in 1949, leaving their houses, the nearby chromium mine, the cannery, the teacher cottage, and the large school house, to return to the wilderness. This left Portlock as on abandoned town in Alaska, and one many people never wanted to return to.

ASL-P237-1-17 | Carl L. Hubbs Photograph Collection, 1939, ASL-PCA-237-1 | Alaska State Library - Historical Collections

Only the postmaster remained. After a year alone, the post office closed in 1950 and the last resident of Portlock left town. Even the postmaster couldn’t continue on in this town. This town experience over 50 years of hauntings, murders, and disappearances before the townspeople gave in and left.

Portlock is still mostly uninhabited to this day; the town was dissolved as a census designated place in the 1980s and has not been reported again since then. However the town does still get occasional visitors. In the 1970s, fisherman forced to take refuge from a storm reported something strange walked through their camp on two feet. It terrified them, and they left as soon as possible. Seventy years after the hauntings started, they were still continuing when people visited the area.

The ghost town of Portlock, Alaska has a mysterious story. Whether or not this is a stronghold of Bigfoot in Alaska, you can decide for yourself. The disappearances and the bodies found were too horrible for anyone to continue living in this small town.

Have you been to Portlock, the whole town that disappeared in Alaska? Were you “bothered” by “something”? Is this someplace you would ever visit to explore, now that you know this bone-chilling piece of Portlock, Alaska history? Are there any other Alaskan ghost towns that you’ve visited? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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Address: Kenai Peninsula, Alaska 99610, USA

The OIYS Visitor Center

Abandoned Ghost Town In Alaska January 01, 2021 Megan McDonald Are there many abandoned towns in Alaska? Yes! There are many abandoned towns in Alaska that have been left to be reclaimed by the earth. After the gold rush, many booming small towns were abandoned as miners left to follow gold claims in other areas. This left plenty of villages that became what’s known as “ghost towns,” and they’re located all around the state. Here is a list of some of the creepiest ghost towns in Alaska. Are there a lot of haunted areas in Alaska? There are a lot of haunted areas in Alaska. This state is huge, and the animals and terrain haven’t been fully explored. There are plenty of areas that have unexplained happenings in them, including tales of ghost stories or people that disappear. You can even take a road trip to discover the most haunted places in Alaska.

The OIYS Visitor Center

Abandoned Ghost Town In Alaska

January 01, 2021

Megan McDonald

Are there many abandoned towns in Alaska? Yes! There are many abandoned towns in Alaska that have been left to be reclaimed by the earth. After the gold rush, many booming small towns were abandoned as miners left to follow gold claims in other areas. This left plenty of villages that became what’s known as “ghost towns,” and they’re located all around the state. Here is a list of some of the creepiest ghost towns in Alaska. Are there a lot of haunted areas in Alaska? There are a lot of haunted areas in Alaska. This state is huge, and the animals and terrain haven’t been fully explored. There are plenty of areas that have unexplained happenings in them, including tales of ghost stories or people that disappear. You can even take a road trip to discover the most haunted places in Alaska.

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

Yes! There are many abandoned towns in Alaska that have been left to be reclaimed by the earth. After the gold rush, many booming small towns were abandoned as miners left to follow gold claims in other areas. This left plenty of villages that became what’s known as “ghost towns,” and they’re located all around the state.

Here is a list of some of the creepiest ghost towns in Alaska.

Are there a lot of haunted areas in Alaska?

There are a lot of haunted areas in Alaska. This state is huge, and the animals and terrain haven’t been fully explored. There are plenty of areas that have unexplained happenings in them, including tales of ghost stories or people that disappear.

You can even take a road trip to discover the most haunted places in Alaska.