Community Type: 2nd Class City
Current Population: 349
Borough Name: Unorganized
Regional Native Corporation: Doyon, Limited
REAA/School District: Yukon Koyukuk School District
Nulato is located on the west bank of the Yukon River, 52 miles west of Galena and 310 air miles west of Fairbanks.
Nulato was the trading site between Koyukon Athabaskans and Inupiaq Eskimos from the Kobuk and Unalakleet areas. Western contact increased rapidly after the 1830s. A Russian Trading Post was established in 1838. Missionaries established their oldest Roman Catholic Mission in the state of Alaska, Our Lady of the Snows Mission and School in 1887.
Nulato residents are predominantly Koyukon Athabaskans, with a trapping and subsistence lifestyle. The Heeyo (Stickdance) Ceremony brings visitors from all over the region and state to witness this sharing time. The Nulato Sports Association holds many activities throughout the year to entertain the community.
Most of the employment is government-funded. BLM emergency fire-fighting positions and fish processing are important sources of cash for Nulato. 12 residents hold commercial fishing permits. Trapping is Nulato's largest private sector income source in winter.
River transportation is the primary mode in summer. Barge service is available, but there is no dock or loading facility. The State-owned airstrip provides year-round access, and has currently been undergoing major improvements. Numerous trails are used by locals for trapping and woodcutting.
The area experiences a cold, continental climate with extreme temperature differences. Temperatures range from below zero to the high 70s. Average precipitation is 15.6 inches, with 74 inches of snowfall annually.
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