Alaskanwilderness
Shutterstock Photo

More Than 20,000 People Have Disappeared In A Stretch Of Alaskan Wilderness —What's Going On

Most people have heard of the Bermuda Triangle, but what about the Alaska Triangle? This stretch of Alaskan wilderness has been responsible for more than 20,000 disappearances and is starting to make quite a name for itself.

The Alaska Triangle: A Strech Of Unforgiving Alaskan Wilderness

Sled dogs in Alaska

Getty Images, Jenhung Huang

This region, slowly becoming known as the Alaska Triangle, is "an area of wilderness between Utqiagvik, Anchorage, and Juneau." While the Bermuda Triangle is widely known and discussed, this stretch of the Alaskan wilderness is not gaining as much recognition as it should. Many people have ventured into this area, never to be seen again.

In fact, according to the History Channel, this stretch of Alaskan wilderness "is the site of more unsolved missing person cases than anywhere else in the world." That leads to the question, why? Why do so many people go missing in the Alaska Triangle?

People have been vanishing from this region since the 1970s, and with a very small population size, it makes the staggering numbers all the more puzzling. While there have been studies into these disappearances, most have resulted without explanation.

Trying To Solve The Mystery of The Alaska Triangle

The LadBible shares that an American cryptozoologist spoke with the History Channel about these disappearances. He stated:

"What I found when I was doing my research in the Alaskan Triangle, was that a number of these missing person cases legitimatley could not be solved."

He continued on with,

"This wasn't just the case of someone being mauled by a bear or falling into a crevasse, I mean, these were often people that were going about their daily lives."

While the lack of answers easily leads to conspiracy theories, others argue there are plenty of scientific reasons. The area is "brimming with 'ragged mountain ranges' and 'untouched wilderness'." In that area the climate is also "horrifically cold", it is no surprise that people could become victims to the harsh Alaskan wilderness.

In addition to the dangerous terrain and frigid climate, the area is also teeming with bears and has "millions of lakes, countless crevasses, and vast valleys." With all of those odds stacked against them, it is no wonder that people go missing.

How Many Are Missing?

More than 20,000 people have been lost to this stretch of Alaskan wilderness, and some of the stories are truly chilling. Two people disappeared off a cruise ship, while another went missing off a "crowded tourist area on top of a mountain."

Also, in 1972, a small plane disappeared while flying from Anchorage to Juneau. Searchers made valiant efforts, but they never found the plane and its passengers. Although investigators solved some of those disappearance cases. One man went hunting in the Alaska Triangle and vanished, never to be seen by his loved ones again. However, four decades later someone found a human skull.

Thanks to new technology and DNA testing, scientists proved that the skull belonged to the missing man. Furthermore, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers told a news source at that time, "Based on the shape, size, and locations of tooth penetrations to the skull, it appears the person was a victim of bear predation."

While a bear is a lot less mysterious than some of the other conspiracy theories surrounding this place, one thing is for certain. People should leave the Alaksa Triangle unexplored.