Prospect Creek, human settlement in Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States of America
Prospect Creek is an abandoned settlement in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of northern Alaska, situated about 180 miles north of Fairbanks. The site today consists mainly of remnants from a temporary worker camp built during the 1970s pipeline construction project, along with traces of earlier prospecting activity from the gold rush era.
The area attracted gold prospectors around 1900 who searched for minerals using simple tools, though no permanent settlements developed. In the 1970s, the site saw its peak activity when a major worker camp housing up to 1500 people was established to support Trans-Alaska Pipeline System construction.
The site is accessible only by the gravel Dalton Highway or small planes, making a visit require careful planning. Visitors must prepare for extreme cold, snow cover during winter, and potential wildlife encounters such as bears or moose.
Prospect Creek holds the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in the United States, when the thermometer dropped to minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit on January 23, 1971. This extreme cold occurred during a severe Arctic cold snap and made the location famous for its harsh climate conditions.
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