Castle Hill (Baranof Castle State Historic Site) | Sitka

Castle Hill, officially known as Baranof Castle State Historic Site, stands above the waterfront of Sitka, Alaska, on a rocky promontory overlooking the harbor and surrounding islands. Though no castle remains today, this modest rise of land holds immense symbolic weight-it was once the seat of power for both Tlingit clans and later Russian colonists, and it served as the setting for Alaska’s official transfer from Russia to the United States in 1867. Every layer of this site tells a story of sovereignty, resilience, and transition.

From Tlingit Stronghold to Russian Settlement

Before foreign powers arrived, the hill-known to the Tlingit as Noow Tlein (“Big Fort”)-was a fortified village site belonging to the Kiks.ádi clan. It commanded a strategic view of Sitka Sound, giving early inhabitants control over trade and defense. In 1804, during the Battle of Sitka, Russian forces led by Alexander Baranov captured the hill after a fierce confrontation with the Tlingit people. Following the conflict, the Russians established a fortified settlement here, naming it Novo-Arkhangelsk (New Archangel)-the capital of Russian America.

The Russian Era

For the next six decades, Castle Hill became the administrative and political heart of Russian Alaska. A succession of wooden buildings once stood atop it: the governor’s mansion, officers’ quarters, warehouses, and fortifications. The Russian-American Company, which managed trade and colonial affairs, operated from here, overseeing the fur industry that drove much of Alaska’s early economy. Visitors described the view as commanding-the harbor below filled with sailing ships, the Orthodox church spires rising through the mist, and beyond, the forested islands fading into the gray sea.

The 1867 Transfer Ceremony

Castle Hill’s most famous moment came on October 18, 1867, when the transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States took place. On that chilly autumn day, Russian and American troops gathered atop the hill for a formal ceremony. The Russian flag was lowered, the U.S. flag raised, and cannon fire echoed across Sitka Sound. Witnesses recorded that the Russian flag became tangled in its ropes and briefly dragged the ground-a moment interpreted in later retellings as a symbol of reluctant farewell. Today, that date is still commemorated as Alaska Day.

What Remains Today

While none of the Russian structures have survived, interpretive signs and plaques outline where buildings once stood, and stone foundations can still be seen embedded in the grassy slope. The summit now features a flagpole, a viewing platform, and unobstructed vistas of Sitka Harbor, Mount Edgecumbe, and the surrounding archipelago. The wind off the water carries the tang of salt and rain, and the hill’s quiet presence feels both solemn and proud.

A Place of Reflection

Castle Hill is not large-you can walk its perimeter in minutes-but its historical gravity lingers. Standing atop it, you can imagine the layered voices of the past: the Tlingit lookout scanning the bay, the Russian officers in fur-lined coats, and the American soldiers saluting the new flag. The mix of cultures and claims that once converged here still shape Sitka’s identity today.

Legacy and Significance

Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962, Castle Hill remains a place of remembrance and perspective rather than grandeur. It marks the intersection of Native, Russian, and American histories in Alaska-a point where sovereignty shifted, but memory endured. Visitors who pause there often describe a simple but powerful sensation: standing on a small hill that once overlooked an entire turning point in the history of the North Pacific.