Poorman

Tucked into the Kilbuck-Kuskokwim Mountains of the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in Alaska, Poorman began as a gold mining camp established in 1913 along the left bank of Poorman Creek. For roughly two decades the settlement functioned as a going concern, complete with its own post office from 1915 until 1932, and its name was formally recognized by the Board on Geographic Names in 1944. Today it is considered an unincorporated community — effectively a ghost town — sitting at 502 feet elevation on an unpaved road about 44 miles south of Ruby on the Yukon River.

Visitors should come with realistic expectations. The setting is genuinely remote Alaskan interior, accessible only by an unpaved road or small aircraft. The short subarctic summer, roughly June through early September, offers the most practical window to visit. Winter conditions make access dangerous and the road effectively impassable for much of the year.