Going to geographical extremes in the U.S.

Interested in going to the far corners of the United States?

South Point, or Ka Lae, on the Big Island of the Hawaii, is the southernmost point of the 50 states. It's easy to drive to — once you've flown to the island.

Florida sometimes boasts that it has the southernmost point of the U.S. near Key West. Sorry; it can claim that distinction only within the contiguous 48 states (excluding Hawaii and Alaska).

The other extreme points of the 50 states are:

• Northernmost: Point Barrow, Alaska. There are commercial flights to the small town of Barrow; the actual Point Barrow is about 10 miles northeast and accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicles. Some Barrow companies offer half-day tours. Alaska tourism information: www.travelalaska.com/ or 800-862-5275.

Information

Endpoints: If you want to get technical, both the easternmost and the westernmost points in the United States are in Alaska, since some of the Aleutian Islands are in the Eastern Hemisphere. However, most of us think of the U.S. as a west-east span from Alaska to Maine; hence the bestowing of the easternmost point on Maine.

Source: National Atlas of the United States/U.S. Geological Survey:

www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/mapping
/a_general.html

• Easternmost: West Quoddy Head, Maine. An 1858 lighthouse stands on the headland, which juts into the Atlantic near the town of Lubec. West Quoddy Head is usually designated as the easternmost point of the U.S. (although some assert it's the tiny Sail Rock a few hundred yards offshore). You can drive to the lighthouse within Quoddy Head State Park. More information: www.westquoddy.com/; www.quoddyloop.com/; or Maine Office of Tourism, 800-533-9595.

• Westernmost: Cape Wrangell on Attu Island, one of Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Attu is very remote and visited only rarely by birdwatching and nature tours. The island has a Coast Guard base (military clearance is required to use its air strip), is a National Historic Landmark (commemorating World War II battles with Japanese invaders on Attu) and is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Information: Wildlife refuge: http://alaskamaritime.fws.gov; historic landmark, www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/att.htm; Alaska tourism, www.travelalaska.com/ or 800-862-5275.

(A local endpoint: If you're wondering about Washington's Cape Alava on the Olympic Peninsula, it's the westernmost point in the Lower 48.)

Kristin Jackson: kjackson@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2271