Raspberry Island (Alaska)
Raspberry Island is an island in the Kodiak Archipelago in the Gulf of Alaska, Alaska. It sits two miles northwest of Whale Island, across Raspberry Strait from Afognak, and is separated from Kodiak Island by the Kupreanof Strait, with the Shelikof Strait to the northwest.
The island is about 18 miles long and 3 to 8 miles wide. Its highest point rises to 3,300 feet. Raspberry Island is part of the Aleneva census-designated place in Kodiak Island Borough.
Two wilderness lodges—the Port Wakefield lodge and the Raspberry Island Remote Lodge—are the only permanent inhabitants. They operate full-service wilderness experiences. The lodges use hydro power generated from nearby creeks. The nearest town is Kodiak, roughly an hour and a half by boat or about 30 minutes by floatplane.
The landscape features Sitka spruce forests with fields of salmonberry bushes, alders, and wildflowers. Higher elevations have wild blueberries, cranberries, and grasses. Wildlife includes Sitka deer, red foxes, Kodiak bears, tufted puffins, and bald eagles. Elk populations exist on both Afognak and Raspberry Islands; Roosevelt elk were brought here in 1928 from Washington’s Olympic Peninsula and can weigh as much as 1,300 pounds. Muskrats were also introduced.
Whales often pass through Raspberry Strait, but the shallow water makes it hard for them to go all the way through; kayakers sometimes watch them as they turn back toward deeper water. Bald eagles are common here.
The island was first inhabited by Aleut people for thousands of years. In the 18th century, Russian fur traders arrived and greatly affected local sea otters. Early 20th-century fishing canneries operated on Raspberry Island, including Port Wakefield and Northwest Cannery. The Northwest Cannery site later hosted a fox fur farm. Placer gold was found at Raspberry Beach as early as 1915, with the last mining activity recorded in 1935. The half-mile beach is at Drivers Bay on the northwest coast.
Most of the land is owned by the First Native Corporation and is largely uninhabited except for the two wilderness lodges. After cannery closures, the land was bought and used for tourism. Fishing boats from Kodiak and Port Lions regularly fish the surrounding waters for salmon and halibut. Tourists come for bear viewing, kayaking, wilderness adventures, fishing, and hunting.
National Geographic once featured a bear-encounter story connected to Raspberry Island. There are no roads on the island; most travel is by floatplane or boat, with hiking trails used by wildlife and a few people.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:01 (CET).