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Pink salmon spawn in the center of this snug town with
gold-rush roots, bringing together birds, bears and people.
Black-billed magpie
Sandhill crane
NOTABLE
SPECIES
Pink salmon
Beluga whale
Black bear
Moose
Bald eagle
Sandhill crane
Black-billed magpie
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FIELD NOTES
Resurrection
Creek merges with the rising tides of Turnagain Arm in a sedge and
grass estuary, creating classic near-ocean spawning ground for
pink salmon. The fact that
their spawning stream gushes within yards of Hope’s main street
and a private campground popular with families adds to the site’s
charm.
 Once
the run begins in late July or early August, the salmon are easy
to watch in the clear water. Scan for gulls along the creek, and
bald eagles perched in trees. Shorebirds and waterfowl rest in the
salt-tolerant sedges and grasses. Magpies and forest birds move
amid the trees along the shore and creek. Black bears emerge from
the forest to snack on salmon carcasses and are regularly seen
along the creek. Beluga whales can sometimes be spotted passing
offshore during high tides.
HABITAT
The
tidally-influenced stretch of Resurrection Creek creates excellent
pink salmon spawning habitat. Mature forest stands line the
slopes, but much of the area has buildings interspersed with
trees, drawing human-tolerant species. A grassy meadow with sedges
and salt-tolerant plants reaches from the creek and gradually
transitions into Turnagain Arm’s notorious mud.
HISTORIC CONNECTION
Hope was founded in 1896
as a mining camp and staging area on Resurrection Creek. Unlike so
many other gold-rush sites, it was never abandoned.
VIEWING TIPS
Come after the
salmon start running in early August. If camping sites off Main
Street have filled, try the USDA Forest Service’s Porcupine
Campground a mile up the road.
HELPFUL HINTS
The tidelands
and creek bottom belong to the State of Alaska, but the campsites
adjacent to the creek are private. Campground reservations are
recommended during August.
This very
small community can be overwhelmed with visitors. Respect private
property and facilities.
GETTING THERE
The Hope Highway begins at Seward Highway milepost 56.
Take a left into the town site at Hope Highway milepost 16.9, just
before the bridge over Resurrection Creek
CONTACT
Hope Chamber of Commerce,
P.O. Box 89, Hope, AK 99605,
www.AdvenAlaska.com/Hope
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