<<Back to Southeast Alaska Birding Trail Homepage

Yakutat is the northernmost community on the Southeast Alaska Birding Trail. Though remote, Yakutat is easily accessible with daily jet service from Juneau, Cordova, Anchorage, and Seattle as well as via ferry on the Alaska Marine Highway system. Yakutat is a scenic coastal village with a rich Alaska Native culture. The village is surrounded by beautiful beaches and stunning scenery including the Gulf of Alaska, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Tongass National Forest, Mount St. Elias, and the Hubbard Glacier.

Yakutat hosts one of the largest and southernmost known nesting colonies of Aleutian Terns as well as Arctic Terns and up to 200 other bird species that nest in or migrate through the area each spring. The community celebrates the return of its birds each spring with the annual Yakutat Tern Festival, which also highlights the natural and cultural resources of Yakutat. The festival is typically planned for late May or early June.

Download the Southeast Alaska Birding Trail mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

General Area Overview and Information Sources:

• Yakutat Chamber of Commerce
• US Forest Service Yakutat Ranger District
• US Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map for Yakutat
• National Park Service Wrangell St. Elias - Yakutat Area
• Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Yakutat Birding and Wildlife Viewing
• Yakutat Ranger District - Recreation: Trails and Cabins
• Yakutat Area Map
• Medical Clinic
• YakutatTernFestival.org

Birding and Wildlife Resources:

• Yakutat Birding Checklist
• US Forest Service Yakutat Area Birding Guide
• US Forest Service - Birding on the Yakutat Ranger District
• The Summer Birds of Yakutat Bay 1939
• Marine Birds of Yakutat Bay 2013
• Audubon Important Bird Area: Yakutat Bay
• Audubon Important Bird Area: Black Sand Spit
• eBird: Yakutat Alaska