In Alaska, the Bush typically refers to any region of the state that is not connected to the North American road network [1] and does not have ready access to the state's ferry system. A large proportion of Alaska Native populations live in the Bush, often depending on subsistence hunting and fishing. [2] [3]
Geographically, the Bush comprises the Alaska North Slope; Northwest Arctic; West, including the Baldwin and Seward Peninsulas; the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta; Southwest Alaska; Bristol Bay; Alaska Peninsula; and remote areas of the Alaska Panhandle and Interior.
Some of the hub communities in the bush, which typically can be reached by larger, commercial airplanes, include Bethel, [2] Dillingham, [2] King Salmon, [2] Nome, [1] [2] Utqiagvik, [1] [2] Kodiak Island, [1] Kotzebue, [2] and Unalaska-Dutch Harbor. [2]
Most parts of Alaska that are off the road or ferry system can be reached by small bush airplanes. [1] Travel between smaller communities or to and from hub communities is typically accomplished by snowmobiles, boats, or ATVs. [2]