So here is the name of a town in Alaska that no one has heard of but everyone would talk about if they knew.  Chicken, Alaska which bears a funny name, is anything but.  Chicken was originally settled back in the late 1800′s by a bunch of gold miner’s seeking the American Dream. In 1902 it got it’s first Post Office but through today I do not believe there is a telephone exchange service available in the area.   It is really one of the few surviving gold rush towns still out there in Alaska.  In the area there 40 miles of mining country in which Chicken ended up being the outpost for it.  Everyone who worked in the area gold mining was based out of this town which ended up attracting all kinds of people.  It even ended up attracting a teacher named Anne Hobbs Purdy who ended up writing a book about her adventures in the wild.  The story is a compelling one involving hate, love, and adventure.  There are phone (via satellite or computer) and wifi services located within the town of Chicken so you are not totally out in the boonies.

The population may only be in the single digits but the town will literally stop at nothing to show you a good time and make sure you are having fun.  They will take you to their historic sites, goldpanning and if you are lucky enough you’ll get a heap of stories to go along with it.  Like I said before, if you head over to the GoldPanner Gift Shop you can get free coffee and free wifi to check emails, read news, etc.  They also have some great homemade fudge for sale if you end up wanting dessert.  This is also a great place to get gas if you are heading back to Fairbanks or off to somewhere else.

Population: 7-13
Elevation: 1700ft (518m)
Village Website: Town of Chicken

Taken from: https://chickenalaska.com/info_frameset.html

Things to Do

  • Downtown Chicken
  • Chicken Gold Camp and Outpost
  • Pedro Dredge
  • BLM Mosquito Fork Wayside
  • Tisha’s School House

Places to Stay