Alaska's Cold War Landmark: Nike Site Summit at Arctic Valley

For 20 years (1959-1979) during the Cold War, Site Summit at Arctic Valley protected the skies around Anchorage, Alaska from the threat of nuclear-armed Soviet bombers. This decommissioned Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile base is now America's most intact former missile base and a growing destination for Cold War tourism in Anchorage. Each summer, local non-profit Friends of Nike Site Summit leads tours, guided and narrated by missile site veterans, of the historic structures that are being restored to their Cold War-era appearance. This richly illustrated guide is intended as a supplement to an in-person visit or a way to learn about Alaska's Cold War heritage from the comfort of your own home. The booklet places Site Summit in the larger historical and geographical context of the global Cold War conflict, with features on its sister sites at Site Point (now Anchorage's iconic Kincaid Park) and Site Bay; Anchorage during the Cold War; and Nike sites elsewhere in the United States and abroad. Read more