Bethel Alaska Lodging Accommodations
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| Bethel
Longhouse Hotel |
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(907)
543-4612 |
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Bethel, Alaska
Bed & Breakfasts
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| Lynnette's Bed and
Breakfast |
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(907) 543-7730 |
| Bentley's Porter House
B & B |
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(907) 543-3552 |
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Bethel Alaska Tours, Sightseeing and Fishing Charters
Bethel, Alaska
Tours and Sightseeing
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Bethel, Alaska
Restaurants
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Bethel, Alaska
Attractions
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| Payless Car Rental |
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(907) 543-3058 |
Bethal, Alaska
Other Information
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| Bethel is located at the mouth of the Kuskokwim River,
40 miles inland from the Bering Sea. It lies in the Yukon
Delta National Wildlife Refuge, 400 air miles west of Anchorage.
It lies at approximately 60.79222° North Latitude and
-161.75583° West Longitude. (Sec. 09, T008N, R071W,
Seward Meridian.) Bethel is located in the Bethel Recording
District. The area encompasses 43.8 sq. miles of land and
5.1 sq. miles of water. |
| Precipitation averages 16 inches a year in this area,
with snowfall of 50 inches. Summer temperatures range from
62 to 42; winter temperatures average 19 to -2. |
| Bethel was first established by Yup'ik Eskimos who called
the village "Mumtrekhlogamute," meaning "Smokehouse
People," named for the nearby fish smokehouse. There
were 41 people in Bethel during the 1880 U.S. Census. At
that time, it was an Alaska Commercial Company Trading
Post. The Moravian Church established a mission in the
area in 1884. The community was moved to its present location
due to erosion at the prior site. A post office was opened
in 1905. Before long, Bethel was serving as a trading,
transportation and distribution center for the region,
which attracted Natives from surrounding villages. The
City was incorporated in 1957. Over time, federal and state
agencies established regional offices in Bethel. |
| A federally recognized tribe is located in the community
-- the Orutsararmuit Native Council. 68% of the population
are Alaska Native or part Native. The region is fortunate
in that rapid development did not occur before the importance
of protecting the Native culture was realized. The traditional
Yup'ik Eskimo practices and language remain predominant
in the area. Subsistence activities and commercial fishing
are major contributors to residents' livelihoods. The sale
of alcohol is banned in the community, although importation
or possession is allowed. |
Bethel Alaska Facilities:
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Some residents are connected to the central piped water
and sewer system. Approximately 75% of households have
water delivered and sewage hauled by truck. Several facilities
in Bethel have individual wells and septic tanks. For health
reasons the City ruled that residents can no longer use
honeybuckets. Extensions of the piped systems to the City
Subdivision and Old Town are under construction. Water
Treatment Plant improvements have been completed in Bethel
Heights. Additional funding has been requested to connect
105 homes to the piped system.
Electricity is provided by Bethel Utilities Corporation.
There are 6 schools located in the community, attended by 1,320 students.
Local hospitals or health clinics include Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional
Hospital (YKHC/PHS 543-6300); Bethel Family Clinic (543-3773). The
hospital is a qualified Acute Care facility, and the clinic is a qualified
Emergency Care Center. Specialized Care: YKHC Phillips Alcohol Program
(City-operated health care, lodging, rehabilitation); YKHC Outpatient
Services (Calista-operated health care, information); Bethel Community
Services' Malon Auxiliary health care is provided by Bethel Fire Dept. & Ambulance
Service (543-2131); Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corp. Ambulance & Aeromed
Int'l. Medevac (677-7501/888-283-7220).
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| Bethel serves as the regional center for 56 villages
in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Food, fuel, transportation,
medical care and other services for these villages are
provided by businesses in Bethel. 50% of the jobs in Bethel
are in government positions. Commercial fishing is an important
source of income; 200 residents hold commercial fishing
permits, primarily for salmon and herring roe net fisheries.
Subsistence activities contribute substantially to villager's
diets, particularly salmon, freshwater fish, game birds
and berries. Poor fish returns since 1997 have significantly
affected the community. |
Bethel Alaska Transportation:
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| The State-owned Bethel Airport is the regional transportation
center, and is served by two major passenger airlines,
two cargo carriers, and numerous air taxi services. The
airport ranks third in the state for total number of flights.
It offers a 6,398' asphalt runway and 1,850' gravel crosswind
runway, and is currently undergoing a $7 million renovation
and expansion. Two float plane bases are nearby, Hangar
Lake and H Marker Lake. The Port of Bethel is the northern-most
medium-draft port in the U.S. River travel is the primary
means of local transportation in the summer, and it becomes
a 150-mile ice road to surrounding villages in the winter.
A barge service based in Bethel provides goods to the Kuskokwim
villages. There are 16 miles of local roads. Winter trails
are marked to Napakiak (1.1 mi.) and Akiachak (19 mi.) |
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