Abandoned Record
About Kern
Kern is a former settlement on the Turnagain Arm in Alaska and a flagstop for the Alaska Railroad, about 71 miles (114 km) north of Seward, and 13 miles (21 km) east of Sunrise, Alaska. Kern was located near Kern Creek.
This is a site record: what public sources say about Kern, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.
Map
Where Kern is
Historic maps
7 historic USGS maps cover Kern
Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.
- 1951 Seward D-6 sheet, 1:63,360 · GeoTIFF download
- 1951 Seward sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1952 Seward D-6 sheet, 1:63,360 · GeoTIFF download
- 1953 Seward sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1959 Seward sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1984 Seward D-6 Nw sheet, 1:25,000 · GeoTIFF download
- 1994 Seward D-6 sheet, 1:63,360 · GeoTIFF download
Directions
Getting there
Before you go
- Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
- Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
- Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.
Nearby
Other sites near Kern
Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our Alaska index.
- Portage5.8 mi SE · Anchorage
Sources
Sources
- ghosttowns.com, "Kern": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
- Wikipedia, "Kern, Alaska": coordinates and summary.
- Wikidata Q14945246.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
- USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).