Dillingham, Alaska Information

You may have heard that Dillingham, Alaska was once called the salmon capital of the world. Located in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska, Dillingham is a friendly community with the wonders of wild Alaska right in its backyard. Dillingham is set on an inlet of Bristol Bay called Nushagak Bay that opens onto the Bering Sea and backs onto the great outdoors. It's the type of place where everyone is called by his or her first name. Dillingham is an awesome small town and a great place to visit all year long.

Dillingham is a fast growing town. Made up mostly of college grads, median incomes are higher than similar sized towns. People take pride in being from Dillingham. With roughly 73.4 people per square mile, there are about 2,500 people living year round in the city.

Surrounding the city are the wilds of Alaska. People in Dillingham take advantage of that fact too. Lakes and rivers are close by and easy to explore. Boating, canoeing, hunting, rafting, tubing, hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing, snowmobiling, and dog sledding are just some of the sports you can choose to participate in.

Did You Know?
Dillingham is home to the largest state park in the nation - Wood-Tikchik State Park.

Dillingham is rich in history. Originally inhabited by the Yupik people, it became a Russian trading post in 1818. People from the Nushagak River, Kuskokwim River, Alaska Peninsula, and the Cook Inlet all used it as their trading base. After the United States purchased Alaska in 1881, the salmon industry exploded. Dillingham was home to the first salmon cannery because of the abundance of salmon in the nearby rivers. Since then Dillingham's salmon industry has been its driving industry. Today fishing and canning are the big money makers, but sport fishing and tourism are a close second.

Salmon visit Dillingham's Nushagak River every year, making it one of Alaska's best places to fish for king salmon. The Nushagak is where thousands and thousands of fish travel from the salt water seas to the fresh water rivers to spawn. It's an incredible site to see and it's right there in Dillingham. If you want to see it, try to be there in June. Sport fishing can take place right in town or a on float trip to a more remote location. Guides can show you the best fishing in the area.

Prime hunting grounds are easy to access from Dillingham. Moose, caribou, brown bears, wolves, and wolverines are all typical game to hunt near Dillingham. A short flight on a floatplane will take you to incredible scenery with incredible hunting, where you'll hunt for the game of your choice.

Did You Know?
Bristol Bay often sees 20 million Red salmon in its waters every year.

Town Information:

City of Dillingham
http://www.ci.dillingham.ak.us/

Population: 2,501 (2007 census)
Location: On Nushagak Bay, southwestern AK
July Averages: Temperature - 60*F

Lodging:

Beaver Creek B & B
PO Box 563, Dillingham, AK
(907) 842-7335 / (866) 252.7335
http://www.dillinghamalaska.com/
Email: innkeeper@dillinghamalaska.com

Alaska’s Bearclaw Lodge
PO Box 32, Dillingham, AK
(907) 842-4060 / (866) 429-2327
http://www.bearclawlodge.com/

Aleknagik Schoolhouse Inn
PO Box 116, Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-1630
http://www.visitbristolbay.org/aleknagikschoolhouseinn/

The Board Room B & B
136 Aleknagik Lake Rd., Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-5926
Email: jdddjr@nushtel.net

Bunk House B & B
368 Aleknagik Lake Rd., Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-2715

Fireweed B & B
809 Emperor Way, Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-5775
Email: fireweed_bb@yahoo.com

Northern Lights B & B
E St., Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-1259

Thai-American Inn
119 E St. W., Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-7378
http://www.thai-inn.com/
Email: rfglg@uaf.edu

Tikchik Narrows Lodge
PO Box 807, Port Townsend, WA
(360) 379-2842
http://www.tikchiklodge.com/
Email: info@tikchik.com

Bristol Bay Lodge
PO Box 1509, Dillingham, AK
(970) 743-0326
http://www.bristolbaylodge.com/
Email: everlands@bristolbaylodge.com

The Bristol Inn
104 Main St., Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-2240 / (800) 764-9704
http://alaskaoutdoors.com/bristolinn/
Email: Bristol@nushtel.com

Did You Know?
The Togiak Wildlife Refuge borders Dillingham's city limits. It has three popular fishing rivers - the Goodnews, Togiak, and Kanektok.

Restaurants & Bars:

Dean’s Video Vault
574 Seward St., Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-4050

Espresso, ETC.
304 Main St., Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-5574

Twin Dragon
PO Box 1214, Dillingham, AK
(970) 842.2172

What to See:

Sam Fox Museum
PO Box 273, Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-5610

Camping:

Transportation:

D & J Car Rental
(970) 842-2222

Ferry Terminal:

Alaska Marine Highway System
http://www.ferryalaska.com/

Airport:

Dillingham Airport - 2 miles W of Dillingham
803 Airport Rd., Dillingham, AK 99576
(970) 842-5511

Did You Know?
Round Island near Dillingham is home to the world's largest Walrus population along with sea lions and harbor seals.

Chamber of Commerce:

Dillingham Chamber of Commerce
348 D St., Dillingham, AK
(907) 842-5115
http://www.dillinghamak.com/

AK Employment Service:

Alaska Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development
PO Box 1149, Dillingham, AK
(907) 842-5579
http://labor.state.ak.us/

Local Newspaper:

The Bristol Bay Times
PO Box 1770, Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-5572
http://www.thebristolbaytimes.com/

Hospital:

Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation
6000 Kanakanak Rd., Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-5201
http://www.bbahc.org/

Did You Know?
Grey, beluga, minke, and killer whales can easily be seen from Dillingham's coast.

Fish & Game:

AK Dept. of Fish & Game Dillingham Office
546 Kenny Wren Rd., PO Box 230, Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-5227
http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/contacts/bwsstaff.php

Internet Access:

Dillingham Public Library
361 D St. W. PO Box 870, Dillingham, AK
(970) 842-5610
http://www.ci.dillingham.ak.us/library1.html

 

Dillingham, Alaska is is a superb destination for Alaska hunting and fishing trips. It's a great place to plan your outdoor adventure. And only a short 360-mile trip by air from Anchorage, it's relatively accessible to hunters and fishermen.