The Port of Ouzinkie is located on Alaska's Spruce Island about 16 nautical miles (15 kilometers or 9.5 miles by air) away from the Port of Kodiak. Home to about 200 people, over 80% of the Port of Ouzinkie population is Native American. For more than four thousand years, the indigenous Sugpiaq/Alutiiq people have made their home on Spruce Island in the area of the future Port of Ouzinkie.

The Port of Ouzinkie can be reached by air or water only. Just 15 minutes from Kodiak by air, there are no commercial boats or marine passenger services to the Port of Ouzinkie. Goods arrive on small barges or commercial carrier vessels. The Port of Ouzinkie's dock is too old and shallow to accommodate modern deep-draft vessels; therefore, transportation costs and the cost of living are high.

Spruce Island is a mix of volcanic and sedimentary rock, swamps, and tall spruce trees. Lying on Marmot Bay on the Kodiak Archipelago and the migration route for several whale species, sport fishing is rich with king salmon, black bass, lingcod, and halibut.

The Port of Ouzinkie was established by the Russian American Company in the early 19th Century. Intended as a retirement community for Russian workers who wanted to stay in the area, the Port of Ouzinkie was home to the first canonized Russian Orthodox saint in North America, St. Herman.

The Port of Ouzinkie has a marine climate with frequent fog and clouds, moderate precipitation, and limited freezing weather. Weather frequently interrupts air service to the Port of Ouzinkie.

Visitors to the Port of Ouzinkie enjoy the nearby Shuyak Island State Park. Shuyak Island is located some 56 kilometers (35 miles) due north of the Port of Ouzinkie. The State Park contains only one type of tree, the Sitka spruce. Also boasting rugged coastlines and beaches, the island supports a wide range of wildlife that includes seabirds, otters, harbor seals and sea lions, Dall porpoises, Kodiak brown bear, and Sitka black-tailed deer. Shuyak Island State Park offers both campsites and four public-use cabins, but there is nowhere on the island to buy groceries or supplies.

Review and History    Satellite Map    Contact Information