Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Shadow Room
The Museum of Lost Tales
Sherlock Holmes Statue
Sherlock Holmes Statue
South Pole Growth Chamber
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
14 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
16 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
20 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
27 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Alaska Nome Ukivok

Ukivok

This ghostly Alaska village still clings to a steep cliffside despite having been abandoned for over 50 years.

Nome, Alaska

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Ukivok   Wikipedia
Ukivok   Wikipedia
Ukivok   Wikimedia Commons
Some of the original structures.   Wikipedia
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located on tiny King Island off the coast of Alaska, the stilt village of Ukivok was once the winter home of sea-faring natives who have left it abandoned for the last half-century.

King Island is surrounded on all sides of its squat, mile long width by steep slopes and cliffs that make inhabiting the already hostile environs an even greater challenge. However a local Inupiat population calling themselves the Aseuluk ("People of the Sea") or Ukivokmiut built a small village on one of the slopes using a precarious arrangement of stilts and huts. The Ukivokmiut subsisted mainly from fishing and whaling during the summer which they did from the mainland, but during the winters when thick ice formed, they would migrate to the village of Ukivok to hunt crabs, seal, and other game for the cold season.

The cliff village was in use until the mid-1900's when the Bureau of Indian Affairs forced the closure of the school on Ukivok, requiring all of the Aseuluk children to return to the mainland year-round. Without the support of the younger generation, the gathering of winter food became too much and eventually the entire Ukivokmiut population migrated permanently to mainland Alaska.

However the stilt village remains, clinging to the seas-swept slope of King Island, essentially left as though they would return the next year. In recent years, local researchers have actually worked to facilitate this, allowing some members of the original population to return to the village. 

Related Tags

Islands Abandoned Ghost Towns

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

michelle, glennwolf

  • michelle
  • glennwolf

Published

August 14, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Island_(Alaska)
  • http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2009/09/abandoned-stilt-village-of-ukivok/
  • http://www.abandonedplaygrounds.com/abandoned-stilt-village-ukivok-on-king-island-alaska/
Ukivok
Ukivok
Nome, Alaska
United States
64.972041, -168.060689
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Little Diomede Island

Diomede, Alaska

miles away

Diomede Islands

Russia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alaska

Alaska

United States

Places 102
Stories 45

Nearby Places

Little Diomede Island

Diomede, Alaska

miles away

Diomede Islands

Russia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Alaska

Alaska

United States

Places 102
Stories 45

Related Stories and Lists

The Incredible Ruins of 12 Abandoned Islands

abandoned

By Meg Neal

Related Places

  • Malo Grablje, Croatia

    Abandoned Village of Malo Grablje

    This deserted town in the hills of Croatia’s "party island" may have a scandalous connection to King Henry VIII.

  • The bank on Failaka Island.

    Zoor, Kuwait

    Failaka Island

    Wander among the ghostly ruins of an island where civilization flourished for thousands of years.

  • The abandoned village on Hirta.

    Outer Hebrides, Scotland

    Hirta Island Ghost Town

    The last inhabitants of one of the U.K.'s most remote islands were evacuated in 1930.

  • Pyramiden

    Pyramiden, Norway

    Pyramiden

    This abandoned mining village was predicted to resist decay longer than any other modern human settlement.

  • Múli

    Bordoy, Faroe Islands

    Múli

    Despite finally receiving electricity in 1970, this tiny town is now deserted.

  • United States Minor Outlying Islands

    Jarvis Ghost Island

    An abandoned guano-mining city in the South Pacific.

  • Famagusta, Cyprus

    Varosha Beach Resort

    A 1970s resort city now stands abandoned, caught in the middle of a divided island.

  • Nothing, Arizona

    The Ghost Town of Nothing, Arizona

    Nothing to see here.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.