Alaska

Located in the northwest corner of the United States, bordering the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Yukon territory to the east, and sharing a maritime border with Russia across the Bering Strait, Alaska is one of the most breathtaking destinations on the planet. Originally inhabited by various indigenous people, then settled by the Russians in the 18th century, Alaska became a part of the United States when it was purchased from Russia in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars, or a paltry 133 million dollars in today’s currency. The state has five regions:

1. The Inside Passage – Shaped by the staggering force of massive glaciers millions of years ago, Alaska’s Inside Passage stretches 500 miles along the Pacific Ocean from the border with the Canadian province of British Columbia. Blessed with wildlife-filled fjords, Glacier Bay National Park, the Tongass National Forest, the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world, and spectacularly beautiful towns like Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Sitka, the Inside Passage is the most popular cruise destination for cruises departing from California, Seattle and Vancouver.

2. Southcentral – Home to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, the Kenai Fjords National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest national park in the United States, historical sights like the Copper River Valley and Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark, and beautiful coastal towns like Seward, Whittier, Valdez and Cordova, the Southcentral region offers abundant natural beauty, wildlife viewing opportunities and adventure activities.

3. Interior – The heartland of Alaska, and the original home of Alaska’s Athabascan people, the jewels of Interior Alaska are Denali National Park, home to the highest peak in North America, and the city of Fairbanks, rich in Alaska’s gold rush history. The region is accessible both by rail and road via the Alaska Railroad and the famous, scenic Parks, Richardson and Steese highways which intersect in Fairbanks.

4. Arctic – Located primarily above the Arctic circle, the Arctic region of Alaska is home to the Inupiat people, and vast, pristine national parks like the Gates of the Arctic, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, where the first humans passed from Asia into the Americas over 10,000 years ago. The majority of the region is accessible only by plane. One of the key roads in the region is the famous Dalton Highway, which runs 414 miles (666 km) from the north of Fairbanks all the way to Deadhorse and the Prudhoe Bay Oil Fields, near the Arctic Ocean at the northern tip of Alaska.

5. Southwest – Accessible only by air, Southwest Alaska is a remote, natural treasure. Some of the key sights include Katmai National Park with its landscape of volcanos, and abundance of brown bears, Bristol Bay, quaint towns like Kodiak, Bethel, Dillingham and Dutch Harbor and the windswept Aleutian Islands which stretch 1,200 miles towards Asia.

Destinations

Key sights to see

The Inside Passage

Stretching 500 miles along the Pacific Ocean, the Inside Passage is the most popular cruise destination for cruises departing from the West Coast of the United States and Canada. The region is blessed with an abundance of glaciers, high mountains crashing into finger-like fjords, a variety of wildlife from whales to eagles, and several quaint towns like Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway and Sitka which have a rich history with Alaskan native peoples, and the Gold Rush.

Anchorage, Southcentral Alaska

Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city, and an important commercial center. Located between the Chugach Mountains and the Cook Inlet, the city is known for its wild Alaskan beauty, cultural sites, including the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Alaska Native village of Eklutna, and a wide range of outdoor activities. It is also the gateway to other key sights in Southcentral Alaska like the Kenai Peninsula, Copper River Valley, Mat-Su Valley and Prince William Sound.

Kenai Peninsula, Southcentral Alaska

A short drive south from Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula is often called "Alaska's Playground," for the wide range of activities that it offers. Blessed with natural beauty, the Kenai Peninsula is home to Kenai Fjords National Park, where the 700 square mile Harding Icefield is located, the Kenai Wildlife Refuge, and several quaint towns like Seward, Hope, Ninilchik and Homer. It also has a rich history from Alaskan Natives, to Russian colonization, and the Gold Rush era.

Prince William Sound, Southcentral Alaska

Located to the east of the Kenai Peninsula, and encompassing 10,000 square miles of protected waterways, islands, fjords, and around 150 glaciers, Prince William Sound offers a habitat for diverse marine life, over 30 species of land animals, and over 220 species of resident and migratory birds. The towns of Cordova, Whittier and Valdez, offer a broad range of activities like kayaking, fishing, camping, and full and half-day boat tours to view wildlife and tidewater glaciers.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Southcentral Alaska

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, in the Copper River Valley of Southcentral Alaska, stretches from one of the tallest peaks in North America, Mount St. Elias, to the ocean on the Gulf of Alaska. Within the park's borders are nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the country. One of the most popular areas in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark, a historical copper mining town that operated from 1911 to 1938.

Talkeetna, Southcentral Alaska

Located 115 miles north of Anchorage in the Mat-Su Valley of Southcentral Alaska, the tiny hamlet of Talkeetna was once a riverboat steamer station supplying gold miners and fur trappers. Today, it is mainly the jumping off point for climbing expeditions and flightseeing tours of Denali and other peaks, and a year-round destination for the Alaska Railroad. The town itself is very quaint, with two blocks of historic buildings like Nagley's store, and the Talkeetna Roadhouse.

Denali National Park, Interior Alaska

Denali National Park in northern Alaska is home to Denali, the tallest peak in North America at a staggering 20,310 feet, multiple glaciers, Arctic tundra, deciduous boreal or snow forests, and Alaska's Big 5 animals: moose, caribou, wolf, Dall sheep and grizzly bears. There are several ways to experience the natural wonders of Denali including hiking, biking, camping, rafting, fishing, wildlife viewing, or flightseeing (flights depart from the park entrance or from Talkeetna).

Fairbanks, Interior Alaska

The second-largest population center in the state, Fairbanks is the Golden Heart of Alaska, and gateway to Denali National Park, and the Interior and Arctic regions. Located at a latitude of 65 degrees north, Fairbanks experiences 70 straight days of sunlight from April 22 to August 20. Similarly, in the winters, it experiences and extended period of darkness, making it one of the best places in Alaska to view the Northern Lights. Well connected by air, rail and road, Fairbanks is also an important transportation hub.

Nome, Arctic Alaska

Located on the Seward Peninsula along the Bering Sea coast in Arctic Alaska, Nome combines Alaska’s gold rush history with rich Inupiat culture, great fishing, and plentiful wildlife. The city is best known as the ending point for the 1,049 mile long Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which begins on the first Saturday in March in Anchorage. The first dog teams typically start arriving in Nome around 8 days after the start of the race. Given its remote location, Nome is only accessible by sea or air.

Gates of the Arctic National Park, Arctic Alaska

Located entirely north of the Arctic Circle, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is a vast wilderness area the size of Switzerland with no roads, campgrounds or designated hiking trails. Visitors must fly into one of the gateway communities of Bettles, Anaktuvuk Pass or Coldfoot, and then hike into the park. Most visitors are extremely experienced backcountry travelers who come here for backpacking treks, fishing for lake trout, or viewing the abundant wildlife in the park.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Alaska

Established in 1960, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), equal in size to South Carolina, is home to 42 fish species, 39 land mammals, 7 marine mammals and over 200 bird species. It is also one of the most important polar bear denning areas. There are no roads or facilities within the refuge. There are multi-day guided tours during the summer, as well as one-day flightseeing trips, and cruises along the Arctic coastline to spot polar bears.

Katmai National Park, Southwest Alaska

Approximately 260 miles southwest of Anchorage, Katmai National Park and Preserve is famous for the otherworldly volcanic landscape of the Valley of 10,000 Smokes, and the nearly 2,200 brown bears that inhabit the park, making it one of the best spots for bear viewing in Alaska. Inaccessible by road, visitors typically fly from Anchorage to the town of King Salmon, then fly further on a floatplane to Brooks Camp, the park's summer headquarters.

Kodiak Island and National Wildlife Refuge, Southwest Alaska

Kodiak Island, also known as the Emerald Isle, is Alaska's largest island and the second-largest island in the United States. Its main city Kodiak has several boat harbors along its waterfront where Alaska Marine Highway ferries, fishing boats and luxury yachts dock. Two-thirds of the island though is covered by the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to nearly 3,500 Kodiak brown bears, the largest land carnivore in the world.

Alaska

Destinations

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