Nome

Located on the Seward Peninsula in far western Alaska, Nome is accessible by daily Alaska Air flights from Anchorage. The town faces Norton Sound and is just 190 miles from Siberia. Nome has a fascinating Gold Rush history. More than a century ago, Wyatt Earp made a fortune plying drinks to miners, and his old bar is still a busy place, especially during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race each March. Towering gold dredges dot the surrounding tundra, and a pair of old engines (once part of the New York elevated system) from the "Train to Nowhere" are slowly rusting away south of town. A planned railroad to the mines failed in 1907 and the ...

Located on the Seward Peninsula in far western Alaska, Nome is accessible by daily Alaska Air flights from Anchorage. The town faces Norton Sound and is just 190 miles from Siberia. Nome has a fascinating Gold Rush history. More than a century ago, Wyatt Earp made a fortune plying drinks to miners, and his old bar is still a busy place, especially during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race each March. Towering gold dredges dot the surrounding tundra, and a pair of old engines (once part of the New York elevated system) from the "Train to Nowhere" are slowly rusting away south of town. A planned railroad to the mines failed in 1907 and the engines have been here ever since. Nome's beach is still mined for gold, with divers operating small dredges all summer. Three deliciously long dirt roads fan out over the Seward Peninsula from Nome, providing hiking, fishing, camping, and bird watching opportunities. Musk ox and reindeer are frequently spotted. The Park Service's Bering Land Bridge Information Center in Nome has details on this remote park north of town. The park is accessed primarily by air, and is home to Serpentine Hot Springs.

About the Expert

Don Pitcher has written or photographed 10 travel guidebooks to Alaska, Wyoming, Yellowstone-Grand Teton, and the San Juan Islands for Avalon Travel Publishing, Random House, and Sasquatch Books.