Nome, Alaska: The End of the Road (Literally)
A magical visit to the last stop before the map runs out.
Let’s be real for a hot minute: nobody “just ends up” in Nome. It’s not a layover or a spontaneous weekend trip. Nome sits on the edge of the Bering Sea, 500 miles from the nearest highway, and feels like the end of the world in the best possible way. The kind of place that makes you hit pause and wonder why everything everywhere else feels so rushed.
A Walk Through Town
Nome doesn’t really require that much advance planning; just slow down and look around. Wander a few blocks and you’ll see gold rush relics rubbing shoulders with satellite dishes and hand-painted signs that have seen better decades. Locals still talk to strangers, kids ride bikes past the old church, and somehow it all just works. The statue nearby sums it up perfectly: grit, grace, and a sense of humor about the weather.
A Flight to Remember
If you do one thing in Nome, make it a ride with Bering Air. It’s Alaska’s version of public transit, except your seatmate is likely be a local heading home to their small town or village…or a box of mail. My flight to Unalakleet made three stops, each one smaller and more spectacular than the last.
From the air, the tundra looks unreal, all greens, silvers, and winding blue rivers. You realize just how connected these remote places are, even when it feels like you’re flying to the edge of the map. It’s part road trip, part documentary, and all unforgettable.
The Road to Council
Nome’s “road system” is more suggestion than infrastructure. Three dirt tracks lead out of town and vanish into the wilderness. The Council Road is the most iconic and is equal parts history, adventure, and test of your car’s suspension.
Halfway there you’ll find this rusted old steam engine, a relic from the gold rush when people were dreaming big and freezing harder. It’s falling apart beautifully, surrounded by tundra and silence. The kind of stop that makes you pull over even if you weren’t planning to.
Destination: Mosquito Country
Keep going and the road eventually dissolves into puddles and tall grass. Near a quiet lake , you’ll find a gorgeous place…and roughly ten trillion mosquitoes who didn’t get the memo about personal space. Still, it’s worth it for the stillness and the sense that you’ve truly gone off-grid.
Unalakleet: The Other Side of Remote
(photo: IMG_1858 – Unalakleet sign)
(photo: IMG_1858 2 – post office)
(photo: IMG_1938 – old cabin with satellite dish)
Unalakleet is the kind of place where driftwood replaces fences, the mail arrives by plane, and everyone knows exactly who you are five minutes after you land. There’s Wi-Fi in a few, but it feels optional. People actually talk to each other. It’s Alaska at its most authentic: raw, human, and quietly connected.
If you make it to town, don’t skip Peace on Earth Pizza, it’s part restaurant, part community hub, and the most amazing place in Unalakleet. The owner is one of those rare people who knows everyone and everything about this stretch of coast. During the Iditarod, they feed dozens of pizzas to the mushers, the dogs, and the support crews that roll through town. The pizza’s legit, too: warm, hearty, and exactly what you want after a long day of wind, flight hops, or mosquito dodging. The irony of eating a Hawaiian pizza in remote Alaska wasn’t lost on me either!
Top Tips for Nome
🛏️ Stay: Aurora Inn, worth it for the hot showers, comfy beds, and Wi-Fi that actually works (most of the time). Crucial, since most mainland U.S. carriers don’t roam on Alaska’s rural network.
✈️ Fly: Hop on Bering Air amd if there are weather delays, just call it “part of the adventure.”
🚗 Drive: Take the Council Road. Bring snacks, bug spray, and a sense of adventure… you’ll need all three.
🏛️ Visit: The Carrie M. McLain Memorial Museum: small, but much deeper and more interesting than it first appears.
🎒 Pack: Layers, patience, and maybe a mosquito/fly head net. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
Final Thoughts
Nome isn’t for everyone, and that’s exactly its magic. It’s not curated, not convenient, and not pretending to be anything else. It’s weathered, wild, and completely its own. Out here, the road doesn’t just end. The noise does too.