King Salmon, AK questions (Anchorage, Nome: home, employment, movie theater)

[igloo]

Anyone out there familiar with King Salmon? We used to live in Nome, but never got down as far as KS. May be moving back that way depending on several factors. If anyone out there is familiar with KS, I would appreciate any comments concerning wind, snow, overall long term lousy weather, drug problems and any other pertinent information. I have 2 small boys to raise so they would be a concern in a place as remote as KS. Nome wasn't too bad, at least it had 3,000 people with not the best weather in the world, but KS is about 400+ and at the start of Aleutian Range. Are there any mountains anywhere close to KS, or is it just flat? By the way, employment is not an issue, just a place for my boys to enjoy a different pace. Thanks in advance for any information.

[brightcopperkettles]

I don't have the answer to your question, but my daughter's fiance will. He has a fishing lodge up in King Salmon. I'm going to see him on Monday probably and will ask him then.

[igloo]

Originally Posted by brightcopperkettles

I don't have the answer to your question, but my daughter's fiance will. He has a fishing lodge up in King Salmon. I'm going to see him on Monday probably and will ask him then.

Thanks for the status. Look forward to the information from your daughter's fiancee.

[brightcopperkettles]

Originally Posted by igloo

Anyone out there familiar with King Salmon? We used to live in Nome, but never got down as far as KS. May be moving back that way depending on several factors. If anyone out there is familiar with KS, I would appreciate any comments concerning wind, snow, overall long term lousy weather, drug problems and any other pertinent information. I have 2 small boys to raise so they would be a concern in a place as remote as KS. Nome wasn't too bad, at least it had 3,000 people with not the best weather in the world, but KS is about 400+ and at the start of Aleutian Range. Are there any mountains anywhere close to KS, or is it just flat? By the way, employment is not an issue, just a place for my boys to enjoy a different pace. Thanks in advance for any information.

Ive been to King Salmon Alaska many times in my life, its a small town community where everyone knows your name, their isnt much to do in King Salmon besides work or fish...People are usualy very nice and ive never seen or heard of any drug problems. I personaly dont know if i would like or could live there myself because its such a small town and very secluded. my lodge is a half hour 30 mile float plane trip out to alagnak river or also known as the branch river. I like king Salmon when i visit becouse its different from civilization in the lower 48. their is a few mountouns some what close but its still a trip to sugar mountain. its mostly flat land and tundra with a few hills. A river quite wide runs next to the town with many float plane services available to take you on trips or locations if desired you need to go. well I hope i was alittle help on your questions to a little town. hope all is well with your boys! and have a great summer.

(My son-in-law wrote you the response above.)

[igloo]

Originally Posted by brightcopperkettles

Ive been to King Salmon Alaska many times in my life, its a small town community where everyone knows your name, their isnt much to do in King Salmon besides work or fish...People are usualy very nice and ive never seen or heard of any drug problems. I personaly dont know if i would like or could live there myself because its such a small town and very secluded. my lodge is a half hour 30 mile float plane trip out to alagnak river or also known as the branch river. I like king Salmon when i visit becouse its different from civilization in the lower 48. their is a few mountouns some what close but its still a trip to sugar mountain. its mostly flat land and tundra with a few hills. A river quite wide runs next to the town with many float plane services available to take you on trips or locations if desired you need to go. well I hope i was alittle help on your questions to a little town. hope all is well with your boys! and have a great summer.

(My son-in-law wrote you the response above.)

Thanks for the kind help with this information. It does help. Sounds like a place a person could live OK if they wanted quiet and not a lot to do. Just curious as to how a person gets the groceries they need. Also, what about big ticket items such as a washer/dryer, stove, frig, etc. I would imagine they have to be bought in Anchorage and flown in. If you would be so kind to ask your son-in-law, I would appreciate it, and I won't bug you any more. Oh yes, what about bugs, i.e. the typical mosquito problem we hear about in Alaska. Don't know if they are bad in KS as they were on the tundra in Nome. Thanks again.

[Marty Van Diest]

It's mostly tundra and 10 foot alders. The Naknek River runs alongside King Salmon.

They have an airport large enough to handle 737s and such. I believe there is still an airforce base there with a couple F15s or something. Warpt probably knows that.

Naknek is about 15 miles away by road. There is a bus at least in the summer. Most of the fishermen for Bristol Bay pass through King Salmon on the way to Naknek, Dillingham or Egegik.

Sports Fishers and tourists also pass through King Salmon on the way to different fishing lodges. Brooks Camp attracts lots of tourists who want to watch bears.

There are a couple restaurants in King Salmon and Naknek. Most things are flown in but a barge does make regular deliveries in the summer.

It is a spread out area...people living all along the road between Kink Salmon and Naknek.

King Salmon feels more like an airport with a few buildings around. Most of the people live in scattered housing away from the airport.

[dcbrewmeister]

Kind of old, but worth replying to. King Salmon is just like any other part of Alaska... Please, PLEASE go and visit it before you pack the family and move. King Salmon is very expensive to live in as EVERY THING is brought in by plane or barge. When I was there for the summer '07, it was ~0.50 per pound. i.e. a gallon of milk weighs 12 pounds, $6 just for shipping. You can only get to KS by plane or boat.

If you want to live in a very secluded place, you found it. But yes, the people are very nice (cabin fever?). Always willing to help out. Summer population grows by leaps and bounds due to fishing and canneries. There are a lot of places to go fishing without spending a dime.

Very nice place without a lot of "outside" influence (read gangs, crime, drama) typical of the lower 48.

But do realize that it is very isolated and can be very expensive to live. Prices are affected by the cost of fuel due to shipping cost. Shipping figures into EVERYTHING, so unless you can get it USPS or a flat rate form UPS or Fed-EX, it's gonna cost.

[starlite9]

A couple of the boats my company have came from King Salmon. They were used to go up the river into the Katmai National Park for bear viewing. When the big Alaska Airlines Jets quit going into there (Still small feeder planes in partnership with them do though), the tourist that filled the boats stopped coming and they quit the tours and the boats sat for a number of years before we bought them to use on the North Slope in Summer, one of the Lodges even "burnt down" after being idle....

I have been there a number of times and have enjoyed it each visit. There use to be a movie theater there, but the home Satellite TV pretty much killed that for the operators and it shut down. One store of size for food and stuff as well as some other businesses, but nothing like a Walmart...

The big Air Force base there is nothing but a shell now, it has some contractors that keep the place "turn key" operational and they have fueling there for the fighters from Elmendorf AFB when they pass through, but it is a ghost town for a base and no military personnel stationed there any more....

The people are very friendly there, but if you don't like a slow lifestyle, I wouldn't move there without a visit first.

[will fetherolf]

I will be visiting King Salmon in about a month for fishing and, since we will be isolated, that is, floating the Naknik River, I was wondering if ther is any kind of cell phone reception, in case we run into trouble?

Thanks,

Will

[Alaskan Mutt]

Originally Posted by will fetherolf

I will be visiting King Salmon in about a month for fishing and, since we will be isolated, that is, floating the Naknik River, I was wondering if ther is any kind of cell phone reception, in case we run into trouble?

Thanks,

Will

Not looking good. Both ACS which Verizon roams on and AK Digitel which Sprint roams on do not show coverage of the area