You won't find it on any cruise brochure. Honestly, most Alaskans couldn't point to it on a map without a few tries.
St. Matthew Island AK is tucked away in the middle of the Bering Sea, roughly 200 miles from the nearest human soul. It's a place defined by what it lacks: no trees, no permanent residents, no cell service, and absolutely no easy way to get there. It’s the kind of spot where the fog doesn’t just roll in; it lives there, wrapping the basalt cliffs in a grey blanket for five months out of the year.
Most people who have heard of the island know it for one thing: a cautionary tale about reindeer. But there is so much more to this archipelago—which includes the main island, Hall Island, and the jagged Pinnacle Rock—than a 1960s ecological disaster.
The Reindeer Myth and the Brutal Reality
If you’ve spent any time in a biology 101 class, you’ve probably seen the graph. A line shoots straight up like a rocket and then plunges into a vertical drop. That is the story of the St. Matthew Island reindeer.
In 1944, the U.S. Coast Guard brought 29 reindeer to the island. It was a "just in case" move—an emergency food source for the guys manning the remote LORAN station during World War II. Then the war ended. The men left. The reindeer stayed.
With no wolves or bears to keep them in check, the herd exploded. By 1963, there were 6,000 of them. They were basically standing shoulder to shoulder, eating every scrap of lichen on the island. Then, the winter of 1963-64 hit. It wasn't just a cold winter; it was a Bering Sea nightmare of record-breaking storms and deep, crusted snow.
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The result was total collapse.
When researchers returned, they found a graveyard. Only 42 reindeer survived that winter—41 females and one infertile male. By the 1980s, they were all gone.
People often use this as a simple lesson in "overpopulation," but experts like the late Dave Klein, who studied the island for decades, noted it was more complex. It was a perfect storm of a closed ecosystem, an invasive species, and a catastrophic weather event. It’s a haunting reminder of how fragile life is when there’s nowhere left to run.
Who Actually Lives There? (It’s Not Humans)
While humans have tried to stick it out on St. Matthew, the island usually wins. There is a single "house pit" on the western end, likely built by Unangan or Yup’ik people about 400 years ago. Think about that for a second. Imagine surviving a Bering Sea winter in a hole in the ground with nothing but driftwood and whale bones for support.
Russians tried to establish a fur-trapping outpost in the early 1800s. They mostly ended up dying of scurvy or starving.
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Today, the "residents" are much better suited for the environment.
- The Singing Vole: This is the island’s only endemic mammal. You won't find it anywhere else on Earth. It literally chirps.
- McKay’s Bunting: This stunning white bird breeds almost exclusively here. If you’re a "birder," this is your Holy Grail.
- Arctic Foxes: They are the kings of the island now, prowling the cliffs for seabird eggs.
Getting to St. Matthew Island AK is a Nightmare
I’m being serious. You can't just book a flight.
The island is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, and it's protected as a wilderness area. This means you need a permit just to step foot on the beach, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service doesn't hand those out for casual picnics.
Basically, you have two options:
- Scientific Expedition: Join a research crew on the R/V Tiglax (pronounced TEKH-lah), the refuge’s workhorse ship. It’s a 24-hour boat ride from St. Paul Island, and that’s if the seas are "calm," which they never are.
- Expedition Cruises: A few high-end, ice-strengthened cruise ships occasionally make a stop here as part of a "Bering Sea Crossing." Even then, landings are never guaranteed. If the surf is too high, you’re just looking at a very expensive pile of foggy rocks from the deck.
Why This Remote Rock Still Matters
You might wonder why we care about a deserted island 200 miles from nowhere.
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Biologists see St. Matthew Island AK as a "bellwether" for climate change. Because it sits at the southern edge of the winter pack ice, it’s one of the first places to show the effects of warming waters. The ice used to stay around for seven months; now, it's becoming unpredictable.
The cliffs are home to over a million seabirds—murres, auklets, and fulmars—that rely on that ice for their food chain. When the ice shifts, the birds shift.
Practical Insights for the Truly Curious
If you are one of the few people dreaming of seeing the most remote place in the United States, here is the reality check you need:
- Logistics: There are no trails. There are no buildings. You are hiking through "spongey" tundra that feels like walking on wet marshmallows.
- Safety: There is no rescue. If you break a leg, you better hope your satellite phone works and the Coast Guard is nearby on a lucky patrol.
- The Experience: It is silent. Except for the wind and the birds, it is a level of quiet that doesn't exist in the Lower 48.
The best way to "visit" without the $20,000 price tag is through the Pratt Museum in Homer or the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. They hold the artifacts and the stories of the people who actually survived the island.
If you're serious about the history of the North, look up the work of Dennis Griffin, the archaeologist who has spent years documenting the human traces on the island. His reports are the closest thing you'll get to a guidebook for a place that doesn't want to be found.
Next Steps for You:
If you're fascinated by the reindeer story, look up the USGS report "The Rise and Fall of St. Matthew Reindeer." It’s a fascinating, albeit grim, read. Alternatively, if you're a bird enthusiast, check the eBird records for St. Matthew Island to see the rare sightings from the handful of researchers who make it there each decade.