Nike Site Summit 2005

Another Anchorage NIKE site, Summit, is located near the Arctic Valley ski area in the Chugach mountains. Since being decommissioned in 1979 it had deteriorated considerably, thanks to the harsh weather, vandals, and military training exercises. I paid a visit to the launch bunkers and surrounding buildings in 2005.

They were rather decrepit, and completely open to the elements. While the situation for the site looked rather grim back when I checked it out, it seems to have improved considerably since. Friends of Nike Site Summit and the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation seem to have been successful in their push to get the site recognition as historic. Since the summer of 2010 FONSS have been performing restoration work at the site.

Most of the equipment inside has been stripped, or is lying in pieces. Larger components are left in place though, including the missile carriages.

The works of the carriages are far less intact than at Point.

Several murals original to the site can be found. This one is on the ceiling in the lower level of one of the bunkers.

Another mural, I believe it was in the hallway to the back rooms of one of the launch bunkers.

The support buildings fared worse than the bunkers. Wood construction and the harsh climate don’t agree well.

A lot more of the old fixtures were present in this group of buildings. Lots of trash from training exercises was scattered around.

It was quite the hike from the ski area parking lot. Rest of the set below, lots of equipment detail and a few more interior shots.

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