Earthquake Land Subsidence
During the 1964 magnitude 9.2 earthquake, the tectonic plates shifted, causing the Girdwood valley floor to drop permanently by about 6.5 feet (2 meters). This sudden land subsidence allowed saltwater from the Turnagain Arm to flood the forested valley floor.
The Drowned Forest
As ocean tides flooded the subsided valley, the roots of the towering Sitka spruce and hemlock trees were drowned in saltwater. The salt poisoned and killed the trees, leaving behind gray, weathered 'ghost' trunks preserved by the mineral-rich glacial silt.
Viewing Points & Safety Alerts
The Ghost Forest is visible along the Seward Highway near milepost 90 and Turnagain Arm trails. Visitors should observe the forest from safety pullouts; walking out into the surrounding tidal mudflats is highly dangerous due to deep, quicksand-like glacial silt.