Rika's Landing Roadhouse, Roadhouse in Big Delta, United States.
Rika's Landing Roadhouse is a wooden building in Big Delta near where the Delta and Tanana Rivers meet, situated along Richardson Highway at mile 274.5. The site includes a windmill and several original outbuildings and is now managed as part of Big Delta State Historical Park by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.
John Hajdukovich founded this establishment in 1913 to serve travelers along the Valdez-Fairbanks trade route. Rika Wallen later expanded the building and improved its interior.
The roadhouse served as a central gathering place where travelers, traders, and local people met for meals, lodging, and supplies over several decades. This social hub for the region ceased operations in 1947.
The location sits in a remote area with limited services nearby; plan ahead and bring what you need. The best time to visit is during warmer months when roads are more easily accessible.
Rika Wallen crafted interior floors from repurposed packing crates and grew food and livestock on-site to sustain the operation independently. These resourceful adaptations show how residents in this remote setting had to achieve self-sufficiency.
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