Rat Islands

The Rat Islands are a group of volcanic islands in the western Aleutian chain of Alaska, located in the North Pacific and Bering Sea region. The group includes several large islands such as Kiska and Amchitka and is part of the Aleutian island arc.

The islands are remote, sparsely inhabited and largely undeveloped, with rugged shorelines, volcanic terrain and abundant seabird and marine life. Some islands retain historical remains from World War II and earlier exploration.

During World War II the Japanese occupied Kiska in mid-1942; allied forces later landed in 1943 after the Japanese evacuation. In the Cold War era Amchitka was used by the United States for underground nuclear tests in the 1960s and 1971, the latter known as Operation Cannikin. Today the islands are mostly uninhabited and visitable only under specialized arrangements.

Geographically the Rat Islands lie in the western portion of the Aleutian chain, forming part of Alaska’s island arc that stretches westward from the Alaskan mainland into the North Pacific.

• Access and conditions: The island group is remote, exposed to strong weather and seas, and is generally visited only by scientific, military or specially chartered vessels.

What to See#

• Kiska Island: A large, lightly populated island that was the site of intense allied planning and later occupation-related operations during World War II; traces of wartime infrastructure and wreckage remain in places.
• Amchitka Island: A remote island used by the United States for underground nuclear tests in the 1960s and early 1970s, including the largest continental US underground test in 1971 (Operation Cannikin).

The Rat Islands are a remote island group in the western Aleutians with no scheduled public transport. They are reached only by private vessel or by chartered aircraft from Aleutian hubs such as Adak or Unalaska/Dutch Harbor; most visitors stage via Anchorage (commercial flights) to those hubs and continue by charter or boat. Land access and local services are extremely limited-plan logistics with an experienced operator.

• Visit in summer (June-August) when daylight is long and seas are calmest; winter and shoulder seasons bring very rough weather that often cancels small-boat trips.
• Arrange travel through experienced Aleutian expedition operators rather than independent plans-landings are remote, weather-dependent and operators know safe anchorages and local regulations.
• Check with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge before planning landings-many islands have restricted areas and seasonal seabird colonies that limit access.