Pilot Station, AK

Perched on the north bank of the lower Yukon River, Pilot Station is a quiet Yup'ik village of about 600 residents roughly 80 miles from the Bering Sea. The town earned its name from the riverboat pilots who once used the bluffs as a navigation checkpoint, and the river still serves as the primary route for traveling, salmon fishing, and hauling cargo. Daily life revolves around seasonal subsistence traditions, community gatherings, and the local K-12 school. With no connecting road system, residents get around by boat in the summer and snowmachine in the winter, making it a close-knit, self-reliant place to live.