Kenai Peninsula Borough, Portlock, Alaska
Hidden along the southern coast of Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula, Portlock Ghost Town is one of the most chilling abandoned settlements in the state. Isolated by dense forest, steep terrain, and unforgiving weather, Portlock was once a small but functioning fishing community. What ultimately erased it from the map was not economic failure or natural disaster, but fear so intense that an entire town fled.
Originally established in the early twentieth century as Port Chatham, the settlement later became known as Portlock. The town revolved around a cannery and subsistence fishing, with families living in modest cabins along the shoreline. For years, life was harsh but manageable. That changed during the 1920s and 1930s, when a series of disturbing events began to unfold.
Residents started reporting unexplained disappearances. Hunters and fishermen vanished while traveling short distances from town. Some bodies were later discovered badly mutilated, crushed, or torn apart in ways witnesses claimed were unlike bear attacks or accidents. Others were never found at all.
As fear spread, stories began circulating about something moving through the forest surrounding Portlock. Locals described a massive, upright figure watching from the tree line, capable of extraordinary strength. According to Indigenous Alaskan lore, the entity was known as the Nantiinaq, a powerful and dangerous forest being that avoided human contact unless provoked.
Eyewitnesses claimed to hear heavy footsteps pacing outside cabins at night. Some reported doors shaking violently, as though something attempted to force its way inside. Others described seeing large shapes moving silently between the trees, far too tall and fast to be human.
One particularly terrifying account involved a man reportedly dragged from his cabin and killed. Another described a body found crushed as though by immense pressure. These stories, repeated by multiple residents, created an atmosphere of constant dread. People refused to walk alone, even during daylight hours.
Families began sleeping in groups. Fires were kept burning through the night. Children were forbidden from leaving sight of adults. Despite these precautions, the fear did not ease. The forest surrounding Portlock came to feel alive, hostile, and watchful.
By the late 1930s and early 1940s, residents began abandoning the town. Some left suddenly, taking only what they could carry. Others fled under cover of darkness, leaving behind furniture, tools, and personal belongings. The evacuation was not orderly or gradual. It was urgent.
By the end of the 1940s, Portlock was completely deserted. Unlike many ghost towns, there was no attempt to rebuild, revive, or reclaim it. The land was simply left behind.
Those who venture to Portlock today often report an immediate sense of unease. The forest feels unnaturally dense, and sound behaves strangely, as though absorbed by the trees. The silence is often described as oppressive rather than peaceful.
Modern visitors, hunters, and researchers report hearing heavy footsteps circling campsites, branches snapping with no visible cause, and deep vocalizations echoing through the woods. Shadowy figures are frequently seen at the edge of vision, disappearing when directly observed.
Electronic disturbances are common. Cameras fail without warning, batteries drain rapidly, and GPS devices lose signal. Some visitors experience sudden disorientation, nausea, or panic that fades only after leaving the area.
While skeptics attribute Portlock's abandonment to isolation and harsh living conditions, the consistency of reports across generations tells a different story. Accounts of the Nantiinaq predate European settlement, and Indigenous elders have long warned against disturbing certain areas of the land.
Today, Portlock Ghost Town remains largely untouched. There are no preserved buildings, no guided tours, and no clear trails welcoming visitors. What remains is forest, shoreline, and the lingering sense that something still claims the land.
Portlock stands as a rare example of a place abandoned not because it failed to survive, but because those who lived there believed they would not survive if they stayed. Many who leave the area do so with one unsettling thought in mind: whatever drove the town away may still be there.
Visitor Information:
Address: Portlock Bay area, Kenai Peninsula
Alaska
Note: Portlock is extremely remote and accessible only by boat or air. Visitors should exercise extreme caution and respect the land.
