Portlock Alaska History, Ghostly Abandonment & Mysteries
Portlock (known as Arrulaa’ik in the native Sugpiaq language) is a deserted village on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, now known as a remote ghost town. It sits on Port Chatham Bay about 16 miles south of Seldovia. Long ago it was a small fishing and cannery village.
Today only broken buildings, an old dock, and rusted equipment remain. Rumors of vanished villagers and mysterious creatures have grown up around Portlock. Yet the real story involves everyday life and the practical reasons people left this place.
Early Settlement and Life in Portlock Alaska
Portlock Alaska’s story really began in the early 1900s as a small cannery village. The place was named after Captain Nathaniel Portlock, a British sea captain who had passed through the area in 1786. In the early 1900s, a salmon processing plant was built on Port Chatham Bay and workers came to fish, log, and mine in the area.
Many residents were Alaska Natives or Russian-Alaskans as Alaska is not far from Russia in terms of distance. By 1921 the village even had its own post office, a sign it was growing into a real community.
Life was hard and simple. There were no roads, so everything arrived by boat. People lived in wooden cabins and small bunkhouses. They fished salmon in summer, hunted moose and seals, chopped firewood, and worked at the cannery during the fishing season. Winter meant darkness, cold, and snow, but families stuck together and made do with what the land provided.
In the 1930s and 1940s, things began to change. Alaska built a highway (Route 1) on the other side of the peninsula. It did not reach Portlock, though. Towns along the road like Nanwalek (English Bay) and Seldovia grew larger. One by one, families in Portlock Alaska started moving to those towns for better access to schools, stores, and jobs. By the early 1950s, almost no one lived in Portlock, and it fell silent.
Strange Tales and Disappearances at Portlock Alaska
Portlock picked up a spooky reputation over time, mostly through word of mouth. Local legends say that at times people or animals vanished without explanation. For example, one tale says that around 1905 some workers abruptly fled the cannery, feeling scared of something in the woods.
Later on, hunters spoke of seeing giant footprints and finding oddly killed animals. There is even a story of a logger found dead in 1931 with strange injuries. Another tale from 1917 mentions a boat found near Portlock linked to two missing men, but in fact that case was from faraway Seward and seems unrelated.
Stories also spoke of prospectors who vanished in the nearby mountains and a fisherman named Tom Larsen who claimed to see a huge, hairy creature on a Portlock beach. These sensational accounts joined the local folklore, even if none were confirmed.
After the town emptied, more stories were told. People spoke of missing hunters or late-night cries in the forest. However, none of these events were documented officially. Alaska state records and old newspapers do not report any monster attacks or big mysteries. Most historians believe these are just legends and coincidences that made Portlock seem more mysterious. The real reasons for residents leaving were practical, not paranormal.
The Legend of Nantinaq (Bigfoot)
A big part of Portlock Alaska’s mystery comes from local folklore about Nantinaq (also spelled Nantiinaq or Nantina). This word in the Alutiiq language means “those who eat people.” In stories, Nantinaq is like a Bigfoot: a large, hairy man-beast living in the forest.
After Portlock was abandoned, people told tales that Nantinaq had stalked the village, attacking animals and even people in the woods. Hunters and villagers claimed they saw huge footprints and heard strange howls at night.
Of course, no one has ever proven Nantinaq is real. There’s no photograph, no body, no scientific evidence of any creature in Portlock. For example, one local story claims a caretaker once found a giant footprint on the door of Portlock’s old church late at night. The frightened caretaker left the village and never returned.
This particular story seems to have appeared in the legends only after Portlock was already empty, rather than being a true historical event. Many experts say these stories came much later, maybe from misidentified bears or made-up legends. Black bears can leave large footprints and sometimes walk on two legs, which might explain the sightings. The Nantinaq tale seems to have grown from these rumors.
Today, Nantinaq has become part of Portlock’s story. The legend shows how people remember the past. The tales were passed through local residents and retold in articles and even TV shows. Whether Nantinaq is real or just a story, it adds a spooky element to the history of this ghost town.
Portlock Alaska Abandonment: Official Reasons
Portlock Alaska had always been tiny. In the 1940 census the village had only about 31 residents. By around 1950, the Portlock post office closed. The real reason people left was practical. Alaska built a highway on the Kenai Peninsula that did not reach Portlock.
The road went to towns like Kenai and Seldovia, while Portlock remained off the grid, reachable only by boat. Without road access, getting supplies or selling fish became expensive and hard. At the same time, local industries faded: the nearby Chrome mine closed in the 1930s, and canneries were shutting down across the region.
One by one, families decided to move. Many relocated to Nanwalek (English Bay) or Seldovia for schools, shops, and jobs. By the early 1950s almost no one lived in Portlock. The old buildings fell empty. Today the land is still owned by Nanwalek village, whose residents are descended from Portlock’s inhabitants.
In short, Portlock Alaska’s decline was gradual and planned, not sudden or violent. People left for practical reasons – better roads, services, and opportunities elsewhere. There was no official report of a crisis or monster attack. The stories of creatures came later, long after Portlock had already become a ghost town.
Portlock Alaska Today
Today Portlock is silent and abandoned. It has no road access; you can only reach it by boat or floatplane. The wooden buildings still stand but are falling apart. The old salmon cannery, bunkhouses, a church, and an old dock are mostly ruined, with rusted machinery and crumbling walls.
Trees and bushes are growing through the wreckage. Because Portlock sits on land owned by Nanwalek village, visitors must be respectful and careful on private property.
Portlock’s haunted reputation has drawn some attention. Photographers and adventurers come to see the decaying town. In 2021, a TV series called “Alaskan Killer Bigfoot” sent a team to Portlock to search for the legendary creature Nantinaq.
This show and others have told Portlock’s story to new audiences. Locals say Portlock’s true importance is its history: older residents of nearby villages remember grandparents who lived there. The village council of Nanwalek has even discussed the idea of re-establishing Portlock someday, though no concrete plans have been made.
Portlock Alaska is not marked on most maps and has no visitor facilities. To reach it, people often paddle by kayak or take a small boat through Port Chatham Bay. There are no trails or guides: visitors must be prepared for rugged terrain and changeable weather.
Even without the ghost stories, Portlock feels like a time capsule. The silence and the rundown buildings let visitors imagine life there decades ago. For many, the experience of exploring a deserted village under quiet skies is unforgettable.
Because Portlock is on private land, visitors are asked to respect Nanwalek’s ownership and cultural ties to the place. Some local guides now lead tours to Portlock, not for profit but to share history and folklore. Wildlife is common around the ruins: deer may walk past the cabins, and eagles can be seen overhead.
Interestingly, there are no reports of wild animals attacking the buildings or any visitor, aside from the legends. For travelers, Portlock offers a quiet, reflective experience. It is a reminder of life long ago and of how time and change can turn a home into legend.
