Photo: Laura Plaks
South Central encapsulates nearly all that the state has to offer: great fishing, hiking, rafting, and wildlife viewing. Using Anchorage as a base, you could spend several vacations in this region and still be left wanting more. Seek out the towns of Seward and Homer on the Kenai Peninsula. Kodiak, 100 mi offshore in the gulf of Alaska, is known as the Emerald Island for its green-carpeted mountains. The biggest terrestrial carnivore on Earth, the Kodiak brown bear, makes its home here. Even areas not readily reachable by road are within a short, easy flight by small plane, and dozens of charter outfits compete for your business. Although the summer crowds can be daunting in the most popular spots, a little research and effort will take you to areas of true wilderness solitude.
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