Abandoned City You Can Buy Into. A Forest Full of History and Relics. Destination Adventure

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Published 2024-07-06

Hyder Alaska, is one of those towns that I always think is going to blow up into a travel mecca, but seems to just stay under the radar. There is a handful of part time locals, and a smaller handful of full time locals, but the rest of the city basically sits abandoned. Like so many of these small north coast towns, Hyder came to life with the discovery of gold, and in a few short years was a bustling little city. As the years went by, the population of Hyder dropped and climbed, nearly as frequently as the tides of the Pacific beside her, and I fear that she is on her final decline now.

The residents that remain today are passionate and proud, and they are working hard to maintain what is left, and I do believe there is potential for this little town yet. Never the less, life here does not come without a fair bit of struggle. Hyder is only accessible by ship, float plane, or vehicle through British Columbia, and funny enough, being the southern most town in Alaska, it only covers a nine mile section of land. Cell phone reception is provided by Telus, a Canadian company. Power comes from Stewart, BC. There are no grocery stores, only a gift shop and a bar.

The forest is full of relics and history, the ground is still quite rich with gold, but with the challenges and isolation, Hyder stays pretty dormant. If you do get a chance to visit Hyder, make sure to stop at the Glacier Inn and get Hyderized.

Previous episode, with interview. • Alaskan Ghost Town, Trapped in Canada...

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All Comments (21)

@geoffstartswithg 14 days ago

It's not about you (It kinda is), but we really like you. Lots of people doing the travel blog thing, but suck at being likable. You ARE the channel, and we're all here for it.
@bombadil776 14 days ago

Yup, adventuring with Destination Adventures is the adult equivalent of Saturday morning cartoons.
@DeannasDailys 14 days ago

I lived in Stewart when I was 10 years old, my stepfather worked in the mine. I remember we went to Hyder for New Years and our can got stuck on the way and someone picked us up in a truck, and my Sfather left the pinto on the side of the road. The party at the bar was all families, and pretty drunk parents..lol. We were all stuck at the bar for the night. One guy had a heart attacked and died that night, and they propped him up in the phone booth (i think it was a coffin??). And everyone had a shot of hyderize to honour the man… then they wrapped him up and put him on the back porch… When we got out late in the afternoon the next day, we found our car destroyed, a huge bolder had came off the cliff above and lander right on the pinto! That spring, when the airport opened, my mom booked flight out for her and us kids, and told my stepdad, “you can stay or pack up the house and meet us back in Campbell River, but the kids and I are leaving!” I have always wanted to go back.. I remember snow being higher than the telephone poles? Just found some pictures the other day…
@RobsNeighbor 14 days ago

First thing I do on a Saturday morning is Watch Destination Adventure thank you Dustin
@KrazyMitchAdventures 14 days ago

Nothing better than Dustination Adventure on a saturday morning before work.. Thanks Dustin and Emi
@rebeccarobinson1575 14 days ago

A great adventure. I am 68 and no money to travel with, so I really enjoy traveling with you. You make great videos with good content. Keep up the good work.
@mikebritton8798 14 days ago

Now that I'm retired, I believe I could go there and never come back.
@lingling5278 14 days ago

Happy weekend everyone 😊👍
@FreeDom-dh5mf 14 days ago

@20:03 - "Pretty basic adventure strategy today: Phase 1: find a road. Phase 2: see where it goes." ... true adventure spirit! 🤩💚
@Vtarngpb 14 days ago

“But Uncle D! Everything has already been found…” 😉
@waynebusilla 14 days ago

The Shasta pop can brought back memories. We used to drink their pop back in the early sixties in the Lower Mainland. Hasta, Hasta to be Shasta was the jingle on the TV.
@sandkirk 14 days ago

If you want to talk about old pieces of equipment you should have stopped in for a chat with my Dad. He is 83 born and raised in Stewart and worked his whole career as a mechanic and equipment operated in the area. He probably can tell you about most of the old trucks you found.
@briannave7326 14 days ago

Thanks for the interesting tour of Hyder.
@pigoff123 14 days ago

You are awesome. Thank you. Have a great weekend.
@SickofTired 14 days ago

Got to check out a neat little town in Alaska this morning as I sipped coffee at my desk in West Virginia. Thanks again good sir
@RichRetr0 14 days ago

Totally said "thanks for tuning into another episode of Dustination Adventure" at the end, dont act like you didnt! lol!
@ruckseed 14 days ago

It's a lot more fun being where you've been when you're showing a new friend!
@kimklobucher3154 14 days ago

Those mountains, what a backdrop for all your great exploration 😍 And thanks for helping Caroline like you did, proud of you for that.😊
@WBHAdventures 14 days ago

One of my favorite drives and places to visit Stewart and Hyder. Thanks for bringing back the memories ✌️
@bradleymorris8875 14 days ago

Caroline is an absolutely brilliant human being. I learned about her from this channel and I met her once. Super talented person and thankful to have her as my friend.