Gustavus (Hoonah, Hope, Elfin Cove: vacation, rental, employment)

[heartalaska21]

I would love to move to Alaska. Gustavus is where I realy want to go. But I don't know what it's like.
So if you have ever been (or live) there I would love to hear what you think of it.
Thanks

[Oregonians]

I've flown into Gustavus a few times and then taken a boat to Elfin Cove. Gustavus seems to be fairly nice in the summer with a 9 hole golf course and Alaska Airlines service (summer only). However, I know that almost everybody leaves Elfin Cove for the winter and this may be the same for Gustavus.

[heartalaska21]

Okay, thanks. I didn't know you could fly in to Gustavus.

I'll have to look in to that, if everyone leaves after summer. Thanks again

[Oregonians]

Alaska Air flies there only in the summer. The airstrip is fairly big and gets a number of private jets flying in for fishing.

[mustardseed]

Hello there,

I lived in Gustavus for nine months for the first time about 15 years ago, and then for another six months about 10 years ago. It is a wonderful place. It is the landing place for people / tourists on their way to Glacier Bay. There is very little work available in the winter, but summers are booming with activity relating to tourists and fishing industry. I actually preferred the lifestyle of solitude in the wintertime, contrasted with the close knit friendly community of the year around residents.

My info might be a little outdated, as Gustavus seems to be growing and changing rapidly as more outsiders invest into the community. However, geographically it is isolated by bay water and mountains, less than 1/2 hour flight from the capital city of Juneau, but no roads connecting out. No deep harbor, so no ferries. Barge comes in every few weeks to deliver needful things. The only way to get out is by small plane and boat. The 727 which fly in the summer transport tourists.

The town is actually very civilized, well set up with all the amenities: post office, gas station, school, church, library, general store, hardware store, restaurants, dozens of B&B, cabin rentals, smokery, fish processing operations, active forrestry and park services. The people of Gustavus are very resourceful and talented at creating their own industries. There are plenty of artists and authors who live there, quietly enjoying the slower pace of life.

It is predominantly caucasion, families from early 1930's settlement, and then later homesteaders from 1970's era, then more recently land has been subdivided and developed for the vacation home boom, which seems to be impacting a lot of small communities in Alaska. There was a native settlement that was pushed out by advancing glaciers some centuries ago, and they live in Hoonah, across the Bay now, and have never reclaimed the Gustavus peninsula.

Gustavus is on a peninsula which is surrounded by water and mountains. There are fields and wetlands, over 20 miles of sandy beaches, as well as heavily forested areas to explore. Gustavus supposedly has the highest variety of mushrooms in the world due to the wet but warm climate of the summers. Bartlett Cove, the busy port of all Glacier Bay activities is about a fifteen mile drive north. Glacier Bay Park and Lodge provides a lot of employment to residents in the summer. At one time, this was the only road in Gustavus, except for Rink Creek where the cattle ranchers were.

To me, Gustavus proper became way too congested with roads and houses after the subdivisions in the past ten years, but there are still lonely places to be found, if you like the best of both worlds, of rural life and wilderness.

Hope that helps.

[heartalaska21]

Thank you so much! That really dose help. Have you been else where in Alaska?

And the weather, I'm not sure when in the year you where there. But do you think it rains a lot? I like storms, but theres such a thing as too much rain.

Thanks again for your help