Cape Newenham is a massive headland on the eastern shore of the Bering Sea, situated between Kuskokwim Bay to the north and Togiak Bay to the south, about 149 miles (240 km) south of Bethel and 69 miles (111 km) southwest of Togiak, Alaska. The south side of the promontory rises nearly vertically from the sea to a summit elevation of 2,300 feet (701 m). The promontory consists of igneous rock intruded into a formation known as the Goodnews terrane. Much of Alaska is composed of rocks that were added to the North American continent in relatively recent geologic time. The motion between the Pacific and North American plates, combined with the shape of the continent’s western border, has resulted in Alaska serving as a collection area for wayward terranes. Remarkably, nearly all of Alaska has been assembled through terrane accretion over the past 200 million years. Geologists interpret the Goodnews terrane as a forearc accretionary complex that was progressively thrust under and against the northwestern flank of the Togiak terrane between the Early Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods. The rocks of Cape Newenham are primarily volcanic intrusive ultramafic rock, with the summit peaks consisting of gabbro. The climate at Cape Newenham can be severe, particularly at the summit. Snow covers the mountain from late October to May. Although the Bering Sea near the cape is rarely ice-covered, some sea ice may drift into the area from the north during winter. Storms with high winds are common in winter, while fog frequently occurs in summer.

Cape Newenham is the traditional territory of the Central Yup’ik people, occupied for at least 2,000 years. Evidence at Security Cove indicates human presence 4,000–5,000 years ago, sustained by fish, marine mammals and birds. European contact began in 1778 during Captain James Cook’s expedition along the Bering Sea coast. Cook dispatched Lieutenant John Williamson to claim the territory for King George III. Instructed to name the cape after a friend, Williamson honored Sir Edward Newenham of Ireland. He climbed the highest summit and left a sealed bottle listing the ship names and discovery date. In 1818, the Russian-American Company built a fort and trading post at Nushagak on Bristol Bay’s north coast, about 131 miles (211 km) east of Cape Newenham, handling over 4,000 furs annually. The Alaska Purchase of 1867 transferred the territory to the United States. In the 1880s, salmon canneries sprang up in Bristol Bay, making commercial fishing the region’s main industry. Gold discovered near Goodnews Bay in 1900—37 miles (60 km) north‑northeast of Cape Newenham—triggered a mining rush; some claims remain active. In 1950, a continental defense radar station was built at Cape Newenham as part of the Distant Early Warning Line, to warn of a Soviet attack during the Cold War. An aerial tramway linked the base camp with radar antennas at 2,300 feet (701 m), but high winds and ice disrupted repairs. The station was resupplied annually by sealift, and a runway built in 1952 eased transport of personnel and cargo. Unreliable high‑frequency radio was replaced by the White Alice system. Today little remains of the former Air Force station, part of the Alaska NORAD Region under Pacific Air Forces at Elmendorf Air Force Base. In 1969, 265,000 acres (107,242 ha) were designated as the Cape Newenham National Wildlife Refuge. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act expanded it to 4.7 million acres (1,902,022 ha) and renamed it the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the US Fish and Wildlife Service oversees three marine mammal species in Alaska—Pacific walruses, polar bears, and sea otters—with its Marine Mammals Management Office managing walruses. The rocky coasts and sandy beaches of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge support a diverse marine mammal population. Cape Newenham, in particular, provides haulouts for Pacific walruses, harbor seals, spotted seals and Steller sea lions. Its beaches and rock outcroppings have served as documented walrus haulouts since the late 1970s, while other haulouts in northern Bristol Bay include Cape Peirce, Cape Seniavin, Round Island, and Hagemeister Island. Walruses hold cultural significance for many indigenous Arctic peoples, who have hunted them for meat, fat, skin, tusks and bone. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, commercial hunters pursued walruses for blubber, ivory and meat. Populations declined sharply across the Arctic—especially in the Bering and Chukchi Seas—falling to between 50,000 and 100,000 by the 1950s and 1960s. Restrictions on hunting allowed numbers to rebound, peaking in the 1970s and 1980s, but recent figures have fallen again. The decline is linked to climate change and diminishing sea ice. The Pacific walrus feeds on benthic invertebrates along the continental shelf and rests on floating sea ice between foraging trips. Warmer temperatures, prolonged ice-free periods and delayed November freeze-up have forced walruses from offshore waters rich in food to less productive nearshore areas. Reduced food availability is the most likely cause of the decline, and continued sea ice loss is expected to drive more walruses to coastal haulouts, further impacting population levels. Read more here and here. Explore more of Cape Newenham and Togiak Bay here: