Getting Here and Around

It's nearly impossible to travel to or around the Bush without taking an air taxi. Still, a few areas are accessible by car or boat. The Dalton Highway connects with the state's highway system and traverses the Arctic, but it only leads to the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay. In the Aleutians, the Alaska Marine Highway, the state's amazing ferry system, makes one trip a month between Kodiak and Dutch Harbor/Unalaska from April through October.

Alaska Airlines flies within the state to most major communities. Peninsula Airways serves the communities on the Alaskan Peninsula, the Aleutian and Pribilof islands, and parts of the Interior and northwest.

Bush-based carriers such as Bering Air also offer flightseeing tours and, weather and politics permitting, specially arranged charter flights to the Provideniya Airport in the Chukotka Region, on the Siberian coast across the Bering Strait. Currently, it is mandatory for Americans to obtain a visa, invitation, and permission to go to Russia (although at this writing both governments are negotiating changes to the situation, so check for the latest information). Frontier Flying Service serves the Interior and the Bering and Arctic coasts. Wright Air Service flies throughout the Interior and Arctic Alaska.

Information about certified air-taxi operations is available from the Federal Aviation Administration. Individual parks and Alaska Public Lands Information centers can also supply lists of reputable air-taxi services. Make your reservations in advance, and always plan for the unexpected; weather can delay a scheduled pickup for days.