DuPont Explosives Depot Ruins

DuPont Dock. Drew412T (Atlas Obscura User)

Constructed by the DuPont Powder Company (now Dow-DuPont), the DuPont Dock and Depot was a storage site for blasting supplies used in the Alaska Juneau mine. It was built seven miles from downtown Juneau due to the threat of an accidental explosion.

The DuPont trail follows the water’s edge of the Gastineau Channel with excellent views of the water to the right. On the left are waterfalls that flow through the lush, mossy rain forests.

When visitors arrive at the ruins, they will see a large dock with moss and plants. Abandoned since the 1940s, the dock is crumbling and inaccessible from land. Inland from the dock is the foundations of the depot, littered with rusty pieces of machinery and mining equipment.

Next to the ruins is a shale beach at the mouth of a small stream, a popular salmon fishing spot during the salmon run.

Know Before You Go

The trailhead is at the end of Thane Road. There is no parking lot, but there is space alongside the road. It's about 1.6 miles along the trail to the ruins. The trail continues on for several miles past the ruins before reaching a deadend.

There is bear activity in the area, so bear spray is recommended especially if hiking alone. The trail is minimally maintained and is very uneven with rocks and roots. During the summer there are several streams that run over the trail making it muddy.

The land is privately owned (and for sale) but is a popular trail with no restrictive signage.