Southwest

The Southwest region, below the Arctic Circle, encompasses some of Alaska's most remote, inaccessible, and rugged land- and seascapes. Reaching from the Kodiak Archipelago to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, this area contains the world's densest brown bear population and the world's greatest salmon runs. Given all this richness, it's no surprise to learn that Southwest Alaska has some of Alaska's premier parklands and refuges, from Katmai National Park to Aniakchak National Monument and the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Here, too, are dozens of rural communities, most of them small Native villages whose residents continue to engage in a subsistence lifestyle augmented by modern conveniences and, frequently, satellite- and computer-delivered schools.