# Portlock, Alaska

Portlock (Sugpiaq: Arrulaa'ik) is a ghost town in the US state of Alaska, located on the southern edge of the Kenai Peninsula, around 16 miles (26 km) south of Seldovia. It is located in Port Chatham bay, from which an adjacent community takes its name. Named after Nathaniel Portlock, the town was an active cannery community in the early 20th century.

## History
### Establishment

Portlock was established in the Kenai Peninsula in the early 20th century as a cannery, particularly for salmon. It is thought to have been named after Captain Nathaniel Portlock, a British ship captain who sailed there in 1786. In 1921, a United States Post Office opened in the town. The population largely consisted of Russian-Aleuts.

### Abandonment

After the construction of Alaska Route 1, Portlock, along with other towns, was abandoned in favor of communities along the opposite edge of the Kenai Peninsula that were accessible via the highway and, therefore, mainland Alaska. While some stories suggest that the town's abandonment was due to the presence of a creature known as Nantiinaq (often associated with Bigfoot) these accounts emerged decades later, in the 2000s. Official records indicate that the town's post office closed between 1950 and 1951, marking its formal abandonment.

### Nantiinaq and Bigfoot Legends

The legend of Nantiinaq is deeply rooted in the oral histories of Native Alaskan communities, particularly among the Alutiiq people of the Kenai Peninsula. Described as a large, hairy, Bigfoot-like creature, Nantiinaq is believed by some to possess supernatural and malevolent qualities. While these stories have existed for generations, they gained wider attention in the early 21st century.
In 2021, the Discovery+ series Alaskan Killer Bigfoot explored the legend of Nantiinaq and its alleged connection to the abandonment of Portlock. The show follows a team investigating reports of a Bigfoot-like creature terrorizing the former inhabitants, supposedly leading to the town's desertion in the 1940s.

### Post abandonment

Most of the people who left Portlock in the 1940s moved to the nearby Native Alaskan villages of Nanwalek and Port Graham. The village of Nanwalek still maintains private ownership of Portlock today. In recent years, the community has considered the possibility of re-establishing Portlock as a village.

## Nearby communities

Portlock was located adjacent to another community known as Port Chatham (which takes its name from Port Chatham bay). Seldovia is located c. 16 miles (26 km) north of Portlock; a chromite mining camp, known as Chrome, was also located near Portlock, which operated in the early-twentieth century.

## Demographics

Portlock first appeared on the 1940 U.S. Census as an unincorporated village of 31 residents. It would not report again on the census until 1980, when it was made a census-designated place (CDP), again reporting 31 residents. It was dissolved as a CDP by the 1990 census and has not reported again.

## In popular culture

In the spring of 2021, Discovery+ filmed a reality television series in Portlock. The series, Alaskan Killer Bigfoot, follows a scout team exploring the ruins of the abandoned village. Alaskan Killer Bigfoot premiered on Discovery+ on December 7, 2021. It made its linear cable television debut on Travel Channel on June 26, 2022.