Mt. Dewey
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An excellent half-mile boardwalk and trail wind up Mt. Dewey (actually more of a hill) from 3rd Street behind the high school. It’s a steep 15-minute climb up to the top, where a platform provides a vantage point over Wrangell. You could probably find a place to camp up here in a pinch.
On a wild stormy night in 1879, John Muir did just that. He also decided to build a huge bonfire atop the hill, however, its flames dancing off the clouds. Muir later wrote, “Of all the thousands of campfires I have elsewhere built none was just like this one, rejoicing in triumphant strength and beauty in the heart of the rain-laden gale.”
To the Native Alaskan people below, however, the fire ignited fears of evil spirits, and as Muir’s partner noted, “the Tlingits ever afterward eyed Muir askance, as a mysterious being whose ways and motives were beyond all conjecture.”
© Don Pitcher from Moon Alaska, 10th Edition
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Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.