Adak Island

Adak Island is one of the westernmost islands of the Aleutian chain in Alaska, notable for its strategic location and its former U.S. naval and airbase. The island is remote, with a very small resident population and a landscape shaped by volcanic peaks, tundra and a maritime climate.

The former military facilities concentrated near the main harbour were downsized after the Cold War but left substantial infrastructure including an airfield that continues to serve as the principal access point. The island’s highest points and coastal terrain are used for limited outdoor activities such as hiking and birdwatching by visitors and residents.

Adak lies in the central Aleutians roughly midway between the Alaska mainland and the western Aleutians; it is approximately 1,200 miles (about 1,900 kilometres) southwest of Anchorage and is reached by scheduled or charter flights and occasional ships.

• Former military base and air access: The island hosts a former U.S. naval and air facility converted to civilian use; an airfield remains the main access point for the island from Alaska.

What to See #

• Adak town and former naval base: The settlement and former military town that occupies former U.S. naval and airbase facilities, with housing, docks and service buildings clustered near the island's main harbour.
• Mount Moffett: A prominent volcanic peak on the island rising above the settlement and visible across large parts of the island.