Hyder is a coastal town in Alaska with a year-round population of 50. There are no taxes and almost no laws. The town is completely cut off from the rest of the state, and every time “Hyderites,” as they are called, need to get groceries, they have to cross the border into Canada to the neighboring town of Stewart, British Columbia.
While this may sound like a landlocked town somewhere in a small country in Europe, Hyder has an old-time American feel to it.
The only way to get there by car is through Stewart, and there is no border crossing into Hyder, only a sign that reads: “The Friendliest Ghost Town In Alaska.”
While this is a strange welcome, the locals are very proud of their sign. Continue 50 feet down the main road and you will get to the local bar where you can get “Hyderized”. This requires drinking a shot of 135 proof, but the catch is if you don’t keep it down, you buy the whole bar a round!
Keep driving through the town and you will notice that houses come in all shapes and sizes. Many of them look abandoned, but they are definitely not. The reason for this is because there are no building codes, and anyone can build whatever or wherever they want, as long as it is not on someone else’s property. It’s no wonder they call this town “A libertarian’s dream.”
Continuing up the only road about 45 minutes, well after it turns to gravel and potholes, you will get to Salmon Glacier, the biggest glacier you can drive up to in North America and the 5th biggest in all of Canada.
If it happens to be mid-July to the end of August, there is a bear viewpoint along the way. Here you can watch grizzly bears swat salmon out of the river, an incredible feat of nature that you don’t get to see in “the lower 48” as Alaskans call the rest of America.
While this town was made famous recently, it is still a relatively untouched quirky piece of America well worth visiting. Locals are always happy to see tourists and share their story of how they ended up in this interesting place.
For an added bonus, if you happen to be there between July 1- 4th then you can join the 4-day celebrations of Canada and America’s independence days. After all, these towns really do rely on each other so why not celebrate!
