Which Small Alaska Town Should You Hide Away In?

Hyder is a fun, crazy little town of 87 residents that really know how to live. It's on the Canadian border and nearly inaccessible to the rest of Alaska. There's a huge forest in between Hyder and the nearest Alaskan town, so if you come in from that direction it's by seaplane or boat. Everything is half or more Canadian from money to telephone area codes and certainly including holidays. They celebrate ALL of both country's holidays! And they're wacky. They accidentally burned down their own fire station with the fire truck in it when they got rowdy with fireworks on the 4th of July! Now they rely on the Canadian firetruck from nearby Stewart, B.C. That's okay - the Canadians were there when it happened - they've been partying for three days already and bring the party over stateside on the fourth. Oh, and because the Alaska State Police have no one stationed there, Hyder residents open carry. It's still the Wild West - except it's safe. It's been called the Friendly Ghost Town. It's also surrounded by incredible beauty that you can't find anywhere else. Yes, Alaska is beautiful everywhere, but Hyder has a turquoise lagoon!

Haines is custom built for the adrenaline junkie. It's known as The Adventure Capital of Alaska. Rightly so. You can go heli-skiing and paragliding off of enormous mountains. Hiking puts you close to ferocious bears. They're not likely to hurt you if you're smart, but still! To brace yourself, you can have a shot of something hard at the local distillery. Even the cafe is named Fireweed. If you've never touched actual fireweed, consider yourself very lucky - it STINGS. When you're feeling more sedate, you can go kayaking, bird watching, or visit the wildlife center. When you're feeling a bit quirky, hit the Hammer Museum. There is so much to do in Haines, you'll never be bored!

It's listed as one of the Happiest Seaside Towns in America. What more could you want? Sea otters - tons of them - play in the waters off the beach and pier, moose laze in the parks, kite surfers glide against a backdrop of gorgeous mountains, and there's tons of fun stuff to do. Bear watching, camping, fishing in the Halibut Capital of the World. There's humor too. Black tie means a top hat with your overalls or mud boots with your evening gown. Then there are the arts. Artists, poets, and writers come from all over the world to work or to show. If seafaring is your thing, there is a large marina to dock your boat, or if you go in for smaller vessels, there are excellent kayaking opportunities. You'll love this Cosmic Hamlet By the Sea.

The town of Hope is a throwback to the old mining days of yore. There are still several log and frame houses and buildings from that time. It looks like a Welcome to Alaska movie set that scouts should be going nuts over. Residents are friendly, too. They'll tell you where to pan for gold! If there's an old miner there when you find it, he'll be happy to show you how it's done. There are two great cafes, a very nice library, and in the summer, it's all lush with towering green trees and yards full of bright flowers. At just under 90 minutes to Anchorage across the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet, you're never too far from civilization. Oh, and the views of the Northern Lights are amazing!

Welcome to the Weirdest Town in America. It really is. With very few exceptions, the entire town lives in a huge condo-like building that used to be an Army barracks. Nearly everything is in that building: police station, church, school, grocery store, laundromat, etc. There are a bed and breakfast, indoor pool, and hospital inside as well.You can only get to the town by boat or by one of the world's longest mountain tunnels. A mountain tunnel with only one lane. But residents love it! The towers are especially homey in winter when it's not very hospitable outside. Some residents are reclusive but many others are social and there are no real barriers between people at all. Everyone pitches in to make sure that the town runs well and that everyone has what they need. In the summer, when the cruise ships pull up, the town becomes more open with lots of cafes, a bar, coffee shops and tons of things to do outdoors. When the town is holed up in the winter they have exceptional views from their condos of glaciers, mountains, sea, and amazing wildlife. They love their home both winter and summer and you will too!

The mayor is a cat. Stubbs the Mayor Cat welcomes you to this Alaskan paradise where you can spend days in serenity or be active and daring - your choice. They enjoy great weather (for Alaska), lots of wildlife sightings (including bears), and they're surrounded by rivers, streams, and an outstanding view of Mount Denali (named Mount McKinley there for a while). Art, festivals, and coffee are important to residents. There are tons of ways to explore the area by air, by sea, and by hiking boot. In the winter, see it on skis, dogsled, and snowmobile. Speaking of dogs, despite the mayor's species, Talkeetna loves canines!