Anchorage

Jackson Creek

Shelter: NW, N, NE, W, SW
Seabed: mud
Anchoring: Allowed

Sheltered inner harbour off Port Clarence on the Seward Peninsula, behind the spit at Teller in north-western Alaska.

Water
Pontoon

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Entered through a narrow gap about 0.33 miles wide between two sand spits at the eastern end of Port Clarence. The harbour runs roughly nine miles east to west and three miles north to south, with a mud bottom. It is sheltered from most directions except the north-east. Port Clarence is the last port of refuge for vessels heading north into the Arctic.

History

The harbour was named in 1827 by Captain Frederick Beechey of the Royal Navy after Lord Grantley. The village of Teller, on the spit, was established in 1900 after gold was found at the Bluestone placer mine to the south. In May 1926 the airship Norge, carrying Roald Amundsen, Lincoln Ellsworth and Umberto Nobile, landed near Teller after the first flight across the North Pole.

Key facts

Type: Anchorage
Coordinates: 37.54858, -76.33100 (37°32.91'N 76°19.86'W)
Country: United States
Shelter: Sheltered from north-west, north, north-east, west, south-west winds
Seabed: mud
Anchoring: Allowed
Services: Water, Pontoon
Boaters' rating: 5.0/5
Updated: July 7, 2026