Pilot Point is a community on the eastern shore of Ugashik Bay, on the north coast of the Alaska Peninsula, about 83 miles (134 km) south-southwest of King Salmon and 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Ugashik, Alaska. In 1889, the area was home to a mixed Aleut and Yup’ik village and featured a fish-salting facility. The settlement was originally named “Pilot Station” due to the ship pilots stationed there, who were responsible for guiding boats upriver to a large cannery at Ugashik.

In 1891, the Bering Sea Packing Company built a cannery here, followed by three more plants over the next four years. The first school was established in 1909. In 1918, the Alaska Packers Association constructed a three-line cannery. Workers from various nationalities—including Italians, Chinese, and northern Europeans—were employed in the canneries. Only one Aleut family survived the 1918 flu pandemic. The village was repopulated by Yup’ik people in 1923 when reindeer herding began. Both a Russian Orthodox Church and a Seventh-day Adventist Church were built, and a post office named Pilot Point was established in 1933. Sediment accumulation widened the beach under the cannery dock, eventually making it impossible for boats to reach the wharf. The cannery closed in 1958.

Several historical cannery buildings remain well-preserved, with at least one still in use. The community features several miles of road running north-south along the coast and extending east into the highlands, though none connect to the state highway system. Residents rely on seasonal barge service and year-round air service for food, fuel, and other supplies. Commercial salmon fishing is the primary source of income, while subsistence hunting and fishing remain important for food. Additionally, residents find employment in construction, mining, tourism, guiding, health care, education, and government. Read more here and here. Explore more of Pilot Point and Ugashik Bay here: