Alaska Travel Guide

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Fodor's Alaska
Written by locals, Fodor's Alaska is the perfect guidebook for those looking for insider...

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Alaska is America's last frontier, with landscapes that stretch out seemingly to infinity. From the lush rain forests of Southeast to the vast, flat tundra in the north, you can stare in awe at the same things that take an Alaskan’s breath away: calving glaciers, volcanic valleys, jagged sea cliffs, the northern lights, and more. Here you can kayak to icebergs, fly over the highest peak in North America, stay out all night celebrating the midnight sun, and spot wildlife from eagles to whales. For lovers of nature, few places exhilarate like Alaska.

Fodor's Alaska
Written by locals, Fodor's Alaska is the perfect guidebook for those looking for insider...

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Sheldon Chalet Denali National Park, Alaska

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FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in the USA

Sheldon Chalet Denali National Park, Alaska

Find a Hotel

FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in the USA

Sheldon Chalet Denali National Park, Alaska

Top Destinations

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Anchorage

By far Alaska's largest and most sophisticated city, Anchorage is situated in a truly spectacular location. The permanently snow-covered peaks...

Juneau

Juneau, Alaska's capital and third-largest city, is on the North American mainland but can't be reached by road. Bounded by steep mountains...

Fairbanks

On a first drive around Fairbanks, the city appears to be a sprawling conglomeration of strip malls, chain stores, and other evidence of suburbia...

Sitka

It's hard not to like Sitka, with its eclectic blend of Alaska Native, Russian, and American history and its dramatic and beautiful open-ocean...

Ketchikan

Ketchikan is famous for its colorful totem poles, rainy skies, steep–as–San Francisco streets, and lush island setting. Some 13,500 people call...

Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve is Alaska's most visited attraction for many reasons. The most accessible of Alaska's national parks and one...

Homer

At the southern end of the Sterling Highway lies the city of Homer, at the base of a narrow spit that juts 4 miles into beautiful Kachemak Bay...

Haines

Haines encompasses an area that has been occupied by Tlingit peoples for centuries on the collar of the Chilkat Peninsula, a narrow strip of...

Seward

It is hard to believe that a place as beautiful as Seward exists. Surrounded on all sides by Kenai Fjords National Park, Chugach National Forest...

Petersburg

Getting to Petersburg is an experience, whether you take the "high road" by air or the "low road" by sea. Alaska Airlines claims one of the...

Wrangell

An unassuming timber and fishing community, Wrangell sits on the northern tip of Wrangell Island, near the mouth of the fast-flowing Stikine...

Skagway

Located at the northern terminus of the Inside Passage, Skagway is a one-hour ferry ride from Haines. By road, however, the distance is 359...

Nome

More than a century has passed since a great stampede for gold put a speck of wilderness now called Nome on the Alaska map, but gold mining...

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Encompassing 13.2 million acres (it's nearly the size of West Virginia), the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve stretches from one...

Cordova

A small town with the spectacular backdrop of snowy Mt. Eccles, Cordova is the gateway to the Copper River delta—one of the great birding areas...

Kodiak Island

Russian explorers discovered Kodiak Island in 1763, and the city of Kodiak served as the original headquarters of the Russian-America Company...

Valdez

Valdez (pronounced val- deez ) is the largest of the Prince William Sound communities. This year-round ice-free port was the entry point for...

Kodiak

Today, commercial fishing is king in Kodiak. Despite its small population—about 6,475 people scattered among the several islands in the Kodiak...

Unalaska/Dutch Harbor

On Unalaska Island and neighboring Amaknak Island, the city of Unalaska is by far the most popular destination in the Aleutian Islands. (Dutch...

Bethel

Spread out on the tundra along the Kuskokwim River, Bethel is a frontier town of about 6,000 year-round residents, originally established by...

Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna

Because of their proximity to each other, the towns of Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna are often mentioned together, and all three are within...

Barrow

The northernmost community in the United States, Barrow sits 1,300 miles south of the North Pole. The village is 10 miles south of the Beaufort...

Kotzebue

Kotzebue is Alaska's largest Eskimo community, home to more than 3,000 people. Most of the residents of this coastal village are Inupiaq, whose...

Talkeetna

Talkeetna lies at the end of a spur road near Mile 99 of the Parks Highway. The town maintains a Wild West vibe with a small, unpaved downtown...

Whittier

The entryway to Whittier is unlike any other: a 2½-mile drive atop railroad tracks through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, cut through the...

Prince of Wales Island

Prince of Wales Island stretches more than 130 miles from north to south, making it the largest island in Southeast Alaska. Only two other American...

Katmai National Park and Preserve

Katmai is the most famous of Alaska's remote parks for two simple reasons: bears and volcanoes. Although Katmai sees only a fraction of the...

Glacier Bay

The tiny town of Gustavus, adjacent to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, can be accessed from Juneau by fast ferry, floatplane, or jet...

Palmer

With mountain-ringed farms, Palmer is charming and photogenic. This is the place to search for 100-pound cabbages and fresh farm cheese. Historic...

Cooper Landing

Centrally located on the Kenai Peninsula, Cooper Landing is within striking distance of some of Alaska's most popular fishing locations. Here...

Chugach State Park

One of the four largest state parks in the United States, Chugach State Park covers approximately 495,000 acres. Located entirely in Southcentral...

Pribilof Islands

What the Bristol Bay region is to fly-fishing, the Pribilof Islands are to birding. Unfortunately, "the Pribs" are quite remote and visiting...

Hyder

Tiny, nondescript Hyder sits at the head of narrow Portland Canal, a 70-mile-long fjord northeast of Ketchikan. The fjord marks the border between...

Girdwood

A ski resort, summer vacation spot, and home to an eclectic collection of locals, the town of Girdwood sits in a deep valley and is surrounded...

The Dalton Highway

Plenty of hardy, adventurous visitors "do the Dalton," a 414-mile gravel highway that connects Interior Alaska to the oil fields at Prudhoe...

Tok

Loggers, miners, old sourdoughs (Alaskan for "colorful local curmudgeons"), and hunting guides who live and work along Tok's streams or in the...

Metlakatla

The village of Metlakatla—the name translates roughly as "saltwater passage"—is on Annette Island, a dozen miles by sea from busy Ketchikan...

Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park

Kachemak Bay is Alaska's first state park and only wilderness park. It protects roughly 400,000 acres of coast, mountains, glaciers, forests...

Denali State Park

Between the Talkeetna Mountains and the Alaska Range, Denali State Park combines wooded lowlands and forested foothills topped by alpine tundra. ...

Wasilla

Wasilla made national news in 2008 when Sarah Palin, the former governor of the state and former mayor of the town, was picked to be the Republican...

Chena Hot Springs

Nature is the star all along the road from Fairbanks that leads to the Chena Hot Springs Resort, and even there it remains center stage. Chena...

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Near the northern end of the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is one of America's most magnificent national parks. Visiting...

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

When the weather is good, an idyllic choice beyond the Mat-Su Valley is the huge Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, on the Alaska Peninsula...

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Enormous, even by Alaska standards, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR to locals) encompasses six different ecozones that support a vast...

Wood-Tikchik State Park

The size of Delaware and also Alaska’s largest state park, 1.6-million-acre Wood-Tikchik State Park is an angler’s dream come true. Five species...

Kenai Fjords National Park

On the southeast side of the Kenai Peninsula, along the Gulf of Alaska, nearly 670,000 acres were designated as the Kenai Fjords National Park...

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge, which encompasses nearly 2 million acres, was originally established to protect the Kenai moose, and it remains the finest moose...

Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve

Need to check "Visit active volcano" off your bucket list? A trip to Aniakchak will do the trick. The journey to this amazing natural landmark...

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

Boundless wildlands and wild waters define the enormous Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge that surrounds Bethel. Officially created in 1980...

Gustavus

For airborne visitors, Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The long, paved jet airport, built as a refueling...

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

The most northern national park in the country is a mountain-gazer and trekker’s dream. Even by Alaska standards of beauty, Gates of the Arctic...

Shuyak Island State Park

If you’re really looking to get off the grid during your time in Alaska, Shuyak Island is the place to go. While only 54 air miles from Kodiak...

Chicken

Chicken was, and still is, the heart of the southern Fortymile Mining District, and many of these works are visible along the highway. The second...

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

Certainly off the beaten path, time in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve will set any trip to Alaska apart. This expanse of historic...

Hope

The little gold-mining community of Hope sits just across Turnagain Arm from Anchorage. To visit, however, you must drive the 88 miles all the...

Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve

A dream landscape for adventurers who crave solitude, the preserve sits on the border of Canada and Alaska. The only ways in are by driving...

Seldovia

The town of Seldovia is another off-the-road-system settlement on the south side of Kachemak Bay that retains the charm of an earlier Alaska...

Glennallen

This community of a few more than 500 residents is a good spot to gas up before continuing on to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve...

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge

Many visitors to Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge come here to view Kodiak bears. Seeing these beautiful animals, which weigh a pound at birth...

Admirality Island

There's only one year-round community—Angoon—on this huge island; the rest is wilderness, home to healthy populations of bears, eagles, deer...

Prudhoe Bay

Most towns have museums that chronicle local history and achievements. Deadhorse is the town anchoring life along Prudhoe Bay, but it could...

Delta Junction

Delta is not only a handy stop on the Richardson Highway, it's the official western terminus of the Alaska Highway. In summer Delta, the largest...

Becharof and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges

In addition to Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, the enormous Becharof and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges are also prime...

Eagle

Eagle was once a seat of government and commerce for the Interior. An Army post, Ft. Egbert, operated here until 1911, and territorial judge...

North Pole and Salcha

North Pole, 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks, may be a featureless suburb, but you'd have to be a Scrooge not to admit that this town's year...

Manley Hot Springs

A colorful, close-knit, end-of-the-road type place, this town was a trading center for placer miners who worked the nearby creeks. Most of the...

Misty Fiords National Monument

Pristine wilderness areas can be accessed from Ketchikan, most notably Misty Fiords National Monument and Prince of Wales Island. Both are somewhat...

Cape Krusenstern National Monument

A must-do for archaeology buffs, this park includes an archaeological district comprising 114 beach ridges along the Chukchi Sea. First named...

Noatak National Preserve

For well-organized and self-reliant adventurers, Noatak National Preserve is an endless playground. Otherworldly opportunities for hiking, paddle...

Nenana

For a break from the buzz of the George Parks Highway, take a detour in Nenana (rhymes with "banana"), a town of approximately 380 people, on...

Kobuk Valley National Park

Anything is possible in Alaska’s wildlands, even deserts. Kobuk Valley National Park is home to three sets of sand dunes, remnants of retreating...

Tracy Arm

One of the most popular and rewarding day trips out of Juneau is a boat trip to Tracy Arm. The narrow fjord south of the city offers access...

Aleutian Islands

Separating the North Pacific Ocean from the Bering Sea, the Aleutian Islands are not a single sequence of islands. Actually, they're a superchain...

Anchorage

By far Alaska's largest and most sophisticated city, Anchorage is situated in a truly spectacular location. The permanently snow-covered peaks...

Juneau

Juneau, Alaska's capital and third-largest city, is on the North American mainland but can't be reached by road. Bounded by steep mountains...

Fairbanks

On a first drive around Fairbanks, the city appears to be a sprawling conglomeration of strip malls, chain stores, and other evidence of suburbia...

Sitka

It's hard not to like Sitka, with its eclectic blend of Alaska Native, Russian, and American history and its dramatic and beautiful open-ocean...

Ketchikan

Ketchikan is famous for its colorful totem poles, rainy skies, steep–as–San Francisco streets, and lush island setting. Some 13,500 people call...

Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve is Alaska's most visited attraction for many reasons. The most accessible of Alaska's national parks and one...

Homer

At the southern end of the Sterling Highway lies the city of Homer, at the base of a narrow spit that juts 4 miles into beautiful Kachemak Bay...

Haines

Haines encompasses an area that has been occupied by Tlingit peoples for centuries on the collar of the Chilkat Peninsula, a narrow strip of...

Seward

It is hard to believe that a place as beautiful as Seward exists. Surrounded on all sides by Kenai Fjords National Park, Chugach National Forest...

Petersburg

Getting to Petersburg is an experience, whether you take the "high road" by air or the "low road" by sea. Alaska Airlines claims one of the...

Wrangell

An unassuming timber and fishing community, Wrangell sits on the northern tip of Wrangell Island, near the mouth of the fast-flowing Stikine...

Skagway

Located at the northern terminus of the Inside Passage, Skagway is a one-hour ferry ride from Haines. By road, however, the distance is 359...

Nome

More than a century has passed since a great stampede for gold put a speck of wilderness now called Nome on the Alaska map, but gold mining...

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Encompassing 13.2 million acres (it's nearly the size of West Virginia), the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve stretches from one...

Cordova

A small town with the spectacular backdrop of snowy Mt. Eccles, Cordova is the gateway to the Copper River delta—one of the great birding areas...

Kodiak Island

Russian explorers discovered Kodiak Island in 1763, and the city of Kodiak served as the original headquarters of the Russian-America Company...

Valdez

Valdez (pronounced val- deez ) is the largest of the Prince William Sound communities. This year-round ice-free port was the entry point for...

Kodiak

Today, commercial fishing is king in Kodiak. Despite its small population—about 6,475 people scattered among the several islands in the Kodiak...

Unalaska/Dutch Harbor

On Unalaska Island and neighboring Amaknak Island, the city of Unalaska is by far the most popular destination in the Aleutian Islands. (Dutch...

Bethel

Spread out on the tundra along the Kuskokwim River, Bethel is a frontier town of about 6,000 year-round residents, originally established by...

Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna

Because of their proximity to each other, the towns of Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna are often mentioned together, and all three are within...

Barrow

The northernmost community in the United States, Barrow sits 1,300 miles south of the North Pole. The village is 10 miles south of the Beaufort...

Kotzebue

Kotzebue is Alaska's largest Eskimo community, home to more than 3,000 people. Most of the residents of this coastal village are Inupiaq, whose...

Talkeetna

Talkeetna lies at the end of a spur road near Mile 99 of the Parks Highway. The town maintains a Wild West vibe with a small, unpaved downtown...

Whittier

The entryway to Whittier is unlike any other: a 2½-mile drive atop railroad tracks through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, cut through the...

Prince of Wales Island

Prince of Wales Island stretches more than 130 miles from north to south, making it the largest island in Southeast Alaska. Only two other American...

Katmai National Park and Preserve

Katmai is the most famous of Alaska's remote parks for two simple reasons: bears and volcanoes. Although Katmai sees only a fraction of the...

Glacier Bay

The tiny town of Gustavus, adjacent to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, can be accessed from Juneau by fast ferry, floatplane, or jet...

Palmer

With mountain-ringed farms, Palmer is charming and photogenic. This is the place to search for 100-pound cabbages and fresh farm cheese. Historic...

Cooper Landing

Centrally located on the Kenai Peninsula, Cooper Landing is within striking distance of some of Alaska's most popular fishing locations. Here...

Chugach State Park

One of the four largest state parks in the United States, Chugach State Park covers approximately 495,000 acres. Located entirely in Southcentral...

Pribilof Islands

What the Bristol Bay region is to fly-fishing, the Pribilof Islands are to birding. Unfortunately, "the Pribs" are quite remote and visiting...

Hyder

Tiny, nondescript Hyder sits at the head of narrow Portland Canal, a 70-mile-long fjord northeast of Ketchikan. The fjord marks the border between...

Girdwood

A ski resort, summer vacation spot, and home to an eclectic collection of locals, the town of Girdwood sits in a deep valley and is surrounded...

The Dalton Highway

Plenty of hardy, adventurous visitors "do the Dalton," a 414-mile gravel highway that connects Interior Alaska to the oil fields at Prudhoe...

Tok

Loggers, miners, old sourdoughs (Alaskan for "colorful local curmudgeons"), and hunting guides who live and work along Tok's streams or in the...

Metlakatla

The village of Metlakatla—the name translates roughly as "saltwater passage"—is on Annette Island, a dozen miles by sea from busy Ketchikan...

Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park

Kachemak Bay is Alaska's first state park and only wilderness park. It protects roughly 400,000 acres of coast, mountains, glaciers, forests...

Denali State Park

Between the Talkeetna Mountains and the Alaska Range, Denali State Park combines wooded lowlands and forested foothills topped by alpine tundra. ...

Wasilla

Wasilla made national news in 2008 when Sarah Palin, the former governor of the state and former mayor of the town, was picked to be the Republican...

Chena Hot Springs

Nature is the star all along the road from Fairbanks that leads to the Chena Hot Springs Resort, and even there it remains center stage. Chena...

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Near the northern end of the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is one of America's most magnificent national parks. Visiting...

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

When the weather is good, an idyllic choice beyond the Mat-Su Valley is the huge Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, on the Alaska Peninsula...

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Enormous, even by Alaska standards, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR to locals) encompasses six different ecozones that support a vast...

Wood-Tikchik State Park

The size of Delaware and also Alaska’s largest state park, 1.6-million-acre Wood-Tikchik State Park is an angler’s dream come true. Five species...

Kenai Fjords National Park

On the southeast side of the Kenai Peninsula, along the Gulf of Alaska, nearly 670,000 acres were designated as the Kenai Fjords National Park...

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge, which encompasses nearly 2 million acres, was originally established to protect the Kenai moose, and it remains the finest moose...

Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve

Need to check "Visit active volcano" off your bucket list? A trip to Aniakchak will do the trick. The journey to this amazing natural landmark...

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

Boundless wildlands and wild waters define the enormous Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge that surrounds Bethel. Officially created in 1980...

Gustavus

For airborne visitors, Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The long, paved jet airport, built as a refueling...

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

The most northern national park in the country is a mountain-gazer and trekker’s dream. Even by Alaska standards of beauty, Gates of the Arctic...

Shuyak Island State Park

If you’re really looking to get off the grid during your time in Alaska, Shuyak Island is the place to go. While only 54 air miles from Kodiak...

Chicken

Chicken was, and still is, the heart of the southern Fortymile Mining District, and many of these works are visible along the highway. The second...

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

Certainly off the beaten path, time in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve will set any trip to Alaska apart. This expanse of historic...

Hope

The little gold-mining community of Hope sits just across Turnagain Arm from Anchorage. To visit, however, you must drive the 88 miles all the...

Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve

A dream landscape for adventurers who crave solitude, the preserve sits on the border of Canada and Alaska. The only ways in are by driving...

Seldovia

The town of Seldovia is another off-the-road-system settlement on the south side of Kachemak Bay that retains the charm of an earlier Alaska...

Glennallen

This community of a few more than 500 residents is a good spot to gas up before continuing on to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve...

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge

Many visitors to Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge come here to view Kodiak bears. Seeing these beautiful animals, which weigh a pound at birth...

Admirality Island

There's only one year-round community—Angoon—on this huge island; the rest is wilderness, home to healthy populations of bears, eagles, deer...

Prudhoe Bay

Most towns have museums that chronicle local history and achievements. Deadhorse is the town anchoring life along Prudhoe Bay, but it could...

Delta Junction

Delta is not only a handy stop on the Richardson Highway, it's the official western terminus of the Alaska Highway. In summer Delta, the largest...

Becharof and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges

In addition to Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, the enormous Becharof and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges are also prime...

Eagle

Eagle was once a seat of government and commerce for the Interior. An Army post, Ft. Egbert, operated here until 1911, and territorial judge...

North Pole and Salcha

North Pole, 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks, may be a featureless suburb, but you'd have to be a Scrooge not to admit that this town's year...

Manley Hot Springs

A colorful, close-knit, end-of-the-road type place, this town was a trading center for placer miners who worked the nearby creeks. Most of the...

Misty Fiords National Monument

Pristine wilderness areas can be accessed from Ketchikan, most notably Misty Fiords National Monument and Prince of Wales Island. Both are somewhat...

Cape Krusenstern National Monument

A must-do for archaeology buffs, this park includes an archaeological district comprising 114 beach ridges along the Chukchi Sea. First named...

Noatak National Preserve

For well-organized and self-reliant adventurers, Noatak National Preserve is an endless playground. Otherworldly opportunities for hiking, paddle...

Nenana

For a break from the buzz of the George Parks Highway, take a detour in Nenana (rhymes with "banana"), a town of approximately 380 people, on...

Kobuk Valley National Park

Anything is possible in Alaska’s wildlands, even deserts. Kobuk Valley National Park is home to three sets of sand dunes, remnants of retreating...

Tracy Arm

One of the most popular and rewarding day trips out of Juneau is a boat trip to Tracy Arm. The narrow fjord south of the city offers access...

Aleutian Islands

Separating the North Pacific Ocean from the Bering Sea, the Aleutian Islands are not a single sequence of islands. Actually, they're a superchain...

Anchorage

By far Alaska's largest and most sophisticated city, Anchorage is situated in a truly spectacular location. The permanently snow-covered peaks...

Juneau

Juneau, Alaska's capital and third-largest city, is on the North American mainland but can't be reached by road. Bounded by steep mountains...

Fairbanks

On a first drive around Fairbanks, the city appears to be a sprawling conglomeration of strip malls, chain stores, and other evidence of suburbia...

Sitka

It's hard not to like Sitka, with its eclectic blend of Alaska Native, Russian, and American history and its dramatic and beautiful open-ocean...

Ketchikan

Ketchikan is famous for its colorful totem poles, rainy skies, steep–as–San Francisco streets, and lush island setting. Some 13,500 people call...

Homer

At the southern end of the Sterling Highway lies the city of Homer, at the base of a narrow spit that juts 4 miles into beautiful Kachemak Bay...

Seward

It is hard to believe that a place as beautiful as Seward exists. Surrounded on all sides by Kenai Fjords National Park, Chugach National Forest...

Haines

Haines encompasses an area that has been occupied by Tlingit peoples for centuries on the collar of the Chilkat Peninsula, a narrow strip of...

Petersburg

Getting to Petersburg is an experience, whether you take the "high road" by air or the "low road" by sea. Alaska Airlines claims one of the...

Wrangell

An unassuming timber and fishing community, Wrangell sits on the northern tip of Wrangell Island, near the mouth of the fast-flowing Stikine...

Skagway

Located at the northern terminus of the Inside Passage, Skagway is a one-hour ferry ride from Haines. By road, however, the distance is 359...

Nome

More than a century has passed since a great stampede for gold put a speck of wilderness now called Nome on the Alaska map, but gold mining...

Cordova

A small town with the spectacular backdrop of snowy Mt. Eccles, Cordova is the gateway to the Copper River delta—one of the great birding areas...

Valdez

Valdez (pronounced val- deez ) is the largest of the Prince William Sound communities. This year-round ice-free port was the entry point for...

Kodiak

Today, commercial fishing is king in Kodiak. Despite its small population—about 6,475 people scattered among the several islands in the Kodiak...

Bethel

Spread out on the tundra along the Kuskokwim River, Bethel is a frontier town of about 6,000 year-round residents, originally established by...

Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna

Because of their proximity to each other, the towns of Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna are often mentioned together, and all three are within...

Kotzebue

Kotzebue is Alaska's largest Eskimo community, home to more than 3,000 people. Most of the residents of this coastal village are Inupiaq, whose...

Barrow

The northernmost community in the United States, Barrow sits 1,300 miles south of the North Pole. The village is 10 miles south of the Beaufort...

Whittier

The entryway to Whittier is unlike any other: a 2½-mile drive atop railroad tracks through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, cut through the...

Talkeetna

Talkeetna lies at the end of a spur road near Mile 99 of the Parks Highway. The town maintains a Wild West vibe with a small, unpaved downtown...

Palmer

With mountain-ringed farms, Palmer is charming and photogenic. This is the place to search for 100-pound cabbages and fresh farm cheese. Historic...

Cooper Landing

Centrally located on the Kenai Peninsula, Cooper Landing is within striking distance of some of Alaska's most popular fishing locations. Here...

Girdwood

A ski resort, summer vacation spot, and home to an eclectic collection of locals, the town of Girdwood sits in a deep valley and is surrounded...

Hyder

Tiny, nondescript Hyder sits at the head of narrow Portland Canal, a 70-mile-long fjord northeast of Ketchikan. The fjord marks the border between...

Tok

Loggers, miners, old sourdoughs (Alaskan for "colorful local curmudgeons"), and hunting guides who live and work along Tok's streams or in the...

The Dalton Highway

Plenty of hardy, adventurous visitors "do the Dalton," a 414-mile gravel highway that connects Interior Alaska to the oil fields at Prudhoe...

Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park

Kachemak Bay is Alaska's first state park and only wilderness park. It protects roughly 400,000 acres of coast, mountains, glaciers, forests...

Metlakatla

The village of Metlakatla—the name translates roughly as "saltwater passage"—is on Annette Island, a dozen miles by sea from busy Ketchikan...

Denali State Park

Between the Talkeetna Mountains and the Alaska Range, Denali State Park combines wooded lowlands and forested foothills topped by alpine tundra. ...

Chena Hot Springs

Nature is the star all along the road from Fairbanks that leads to the Chena Hot Springs Resort, and even there it remains center stage. Chena...

Wasilla

Wasilla made national news in 2008 when Sarah Palin, the former governor of the state and former mayor of the town, was picked to be the Republican...

Gustavus

For airborne visitors, Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The long, paved jet airport, built as a refueling...

Chicken

Chicken was, and still is, the heart of the southern Fortymile Mining District, and many of these works are visible along the highway. The second...

Hope

The little gold-mining community of Hope sits just across Turnagain Arm from Anchorage. To visit, however, you must drive the 88 miles all the...

Seldovia

The town of Seldovia is another off-the-road-system settlement on the south side of Kachemak Bay that retains the charm of an earlier Alaska...

Delta Junction

Delta is not only a handy stop on the Richardson Highway, it's the official western terminus of the Alaska Highway. In summer Delta, the largest...

Prudhoe Bay

Most towns have museums that chronicle local history and achievements. Deadhorse is the town anchoring life along Prudhoe Bay, but it could...

Glennallen

This community of a few more than 500 residents is a good spot to gas up before continuing on to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve...

Eagle

Eagle was once a seat of government and commerce for the Interior. An Army post, Ft. Egbert, operated here until 1911, and territorial judge...

North Pole and Salcha

North Pole, 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks, may be a featureless suburb, but you'd have to be a Scrooge not to admit that this town's year...

Manley Hot Springs

A colorful, close-knit, end-of-the-road type place, this town was a trading center for placer miners who worked the nearby creeks. Most of the...

Nenana

For a break from the buzz of the George Parks Highway, take a detour in Nenana (rhymes with "banana"), a town of approximately 380 people, on...

Tracy Arm

One of the most popular and rewarding day trips out of Juneau is a boat trip to Tracy Arm. The narrow fjord south of the city offers access...

Anchorage

By far Alaska's largest and most sophisticated city, Anchorage is situated in a truly spectacular location. The permanently snow-covered peaks...

Juneau

Juneau, Alaska's capital and third-largest city, is on the North American mainland but can't be reached by road. Bounded by steep mountains...

Fairbanks

On a first drive around Fairbanks, the city appears to be a sprawling conglomeration of strip malls, chain stores, and other evidence of suburbia...

Sitka

It's hard not to like Sitka, with its eclectic blend of Alaska Native, Russian, and American history and its dramatic and beautiful open-ocean...

Ketchikan

Ketchikan is famous for its colorful totem poles, rainy skies, steep–as–San Francisco streets, and lush island setting. Some 13,500 people call...

Homer

At the southern end of the Sterling Highway lies the city of Homer, at the base of a narrow spit that juts 4 miles into beautiful Kachemak Bay...

Seward

It is hard to believe that a place as beautiful as Seward exists. Surrounded on all sides by Kenai Fjords National Park, Chugach National Forest...

Haines

Haines encompasses an area that has been occupied by Tlingit peoples for centuries on the collar of the Chilkat Peninsula, a narrow strip of...

Petersburg

Getting to Petersburg is an experience, whether you take the "high road" by air or the "low road" by sea. Alaska Airlines claims one of the...

Wrangell

An unassuming timber and fishing community, Wrangell sits on the northern tip of Wrangell Island, near the mouth of the fast-flowing Stikine...

Skagway

Located at the northern terminus of the Inside Passage, Skagway is a one-hour ferry ride from Haines. By road, however, the distance is 359...

Nome

More than a century has passed since a great stampede for gold put a speck of wilderness now called Nome on the Alaska map, but gold mining...

Cordova

A small town with the spectacular backdrop of snowy Mt. Eccles, Cordova is the gateway to the Copper River delta—one of the great birding areas...

Valdez

Valdez (pronounced val- deez ) is the largest of the Prince William Sound communities. This year-round ice-free port was the entry point for...

Kodiak

Today, commercial fishing is king in Kodiak. Despite its small population—about 6,475 people scattered among the several islands in the Kodiak...

Bethel

Spread out on the tundra along the Kuskokwim River, Bethel is a frontier town of about 6,000 year-round residents, originally established by...

Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna

Because of their proximity to each other, the towns of Kenai, Sterling, and Soldotna are often mentioned together, and all three are within...

Kotzebue

Kotzebue is Alaska's largest Eskimo community, home to more than 3,000 people. Most of the residents of this coastal village are Inupiaq, whose...

Barrow

The northernmost community in the United States, Barrow sits 1,300 miles south of the North Pole. The village is 10 miles south of the Beaufort...

Whittier

The entryway to Whittier is unlike any other: a 2½-mile drive atop railroad tracks through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, cut through the...

Talkeetna

Talkeetna lies at the end of a spur road near Mile 99 of the Parks Highway. The town maintains a Wild West vibe with a small, unpaved downtown...

Palmer

With mountain-ringed farms, Palmer is charming and photogenic. This is the place to search for 100-pound cabbages and fresh farm cheese. Historic...

Cooper Landing

Centrally located on the Kenai Peninsula, Cooper Landing is within striking distance of some of Alaska's most popular fishing locations. Here...

Girdwood

A ski resort, summer vacation spot, and home to an eclectic collection of locals, the town of Girdwood sits in a deep valley and is surrounded...

Hyder

Tiny, nondescript Hyder sits at the head of narrow Portland Canal, a 70-mile-long fjord northeast of Ketchikan. The fjord marks the border between...

Tok

Loggers, miners, old sourdoughs (Alaskan for "colorful local curmudgeons"), and hunting guides who live and work along Tok's streams or in the...

The Dalton Highway

Plenty of hardy, adventurous visitors "do the Dalton," a 414-mile gravel highway that connects Interior Alaska to the oil fields at Prudhoe...

Kachemak Bay State Park and State Wilderness Park

Kachemak Bay is Alaska's first state park and only wilderness park. It protects roughly 400,000 acres of coast, mountains, glaciers, forests...

Metlakatla

The village of Metlakatla—the name translates roughly as "saltwater passage"—is on Annette Island, a dozen miles by sea from busy Ketchikan...

Denali State Park

Between the Talkeetna Mountains and the Alaska Range, Denali State Park combines wooded lowlands and forested foothills topped by alpine tundra. ...

Chena Hot Springs

Nature is the star all along the road from Fairbanks that leads to the Chena Hot Springs Resort, and even there it remains center stage. Chena...

Wasilla

Wasilla made national news in 2008 when Sarah Palin, the former governor of the state and former mayor of the town, was picked to be the Republican...

Gustavus

For airborne visitors, Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The long, paved jet airport, built as a refueling...

Chicken

Chicken was, and still is, the heart of the southern Fortymile Mining District, and many of these works are visible along the highway. The second...

Hope

The little gold-mining community of Hope sits just across Turnagain Arm from Anchorage. To visit, however, you must drive the 88 miles all the...

Seldovia

The town of Seldovia is another off-the-road-system settlement on the south side of Kachemak Bay that retains the charm of an earlier Alaska...

Delta Junction

Delta is not only a handy stop on the Richardson Highway, it's the official western terminus of the Alaska Highway. In summer Delta, the largest...

Prudhoe Bay

Most towns have museums that chronicle local history and achievements. Deadhorse is the town anchoring life along Prudhoe Bay, but it could...

Glennallen

This community of a few more than 500 residents is a good spot to gas up before continuing on to Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve...

Eagle

Eagle was once a seat of government and commerce for the Interior. An Army post, Ft. Egbert, operated here until 1911, and territorial judge...

North Pole and Salcha

North Pole, 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks, may be a featureless suburb, but you'd have to be a Scrooge not to admit that this town's year...

Manley Hot Springs

A colorful, close-knit, end-of-the-road type place, this town was a trading center for placer miners who worked the nearby creeks. Most of the...

Nenana

For a break from the buzz of the George Parks Highway, take a detour in Nenana (rhymes with "banana"), a town of approximately 380 people, on...

Tracy Arm

One of the most popular and rewarding day trips out of Juneau is a boat trip to Tracy Arm. The narrow fjord south of the city offers access...

Juneau, the Inside Passage, and Southeast Alaska

The communities of Southeast Alaska occupy a small fraction of this dramatic landscape, dotting mountainsides and natural harbors every hundred...

The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska

Few places in the United States offer as diverse an array of natural beauty as Southcentral Alaska. From grizzly bears to migrating whales,...

The Bush

Often when an Alaskan talks about going out to the Bush, they mean anywhere off the grid, which is most of Alaska. However, it also refers to...

Fairbanks, the Yukon, and the Interior

Alaska's Interior remains the last frontier, even for the Last Frontier state. The northern lights sparkle above a vast, mostly uninhabited...

Prince William Sound

Tucked into the east side of the Kenai Peninsula, the sound is a peaceful escape from the throngs of people congesting the towns and highways...

Kenai Peninsula

The Kenai Peninsula, thrusting into the Gulf of Alaska south of Anchorage, is Southcentral's playground, offering salmon and halibut fishing...

Mat-Su Valley and Beyond

Giant homegrown vegetables and the headquarters of the best-known dogsled race in the world are among the most prominent attractions of the...

Northwest and the Arctic

This is a largely roadless region of long, dark, sunless winters and short, bright summers, when the sun provides nearly three months of perpetual...

Southwest

The Southwest region, below the Arctic Circle, encompasses some of Alaska's most remote, inaccessible, and rugged land- and seascapes. Reaching...

Aleutian Islands, Alaska Peninsula, and Pribilof Islands

From the Alaska Peninsula down through the Aleutian chain, this area also includes many islands within the Bering Sea, among them the Pribilof...

Side Trips From Ketchikan

...

North of Fairbanks

When you drive north of Fairbanks you enter territory where people are few and far between. Away from the thin line of the highways spread hundreds...

Fortymile Country

A trip through the Fortymile Country up the Taylor Highway will take you back in time more than a century—when gold was the lure that drew travelers...

Side Trips from Homer

...

Portage Glacier

Until recently Portage Glacier was the most visited site in Alaska. The glacier has receded dramatically in the past decade, and these days...

Steese and White Mountains

The Steese and White Mountains are readily accessible, just a quick jaunt up the Elliott Highway. Once you’re here, you'll have a few hundred...

Side Trips from Juneau

About an hour outside this ever-expanding city are some great day trips. Tracy Arm requires a daylong boat trip to visit but is well worth the...

Central and Circle

Though small, both of these communities on the Steese Highway loom large for those interested in history and nature. Central got its start in...

Chugach National Forest

...

Juneau, the Inside Passage, and Southeast Alaska

The communities of Southeast Alaska occupy a small fraction of this dramatic landscape, dotting mountainsides and natural harbors every hundred...

The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska

Few places in the United States offer as diverse an array of natural beauty as Southcentral Alaska. From grizzly bears to migrating whales,...

The Bush

Often when an Alaskan talks about going out to the Bush, they mean anywhere off the grid, which is most of Alaska. However, it also refers to...

Fairbanks, the Yukon, and the Interior

Alaska's Interior remains the last frontier, even for the Last Frontier state. The northern lights sparkle above a vast, mostly uninhabited...

Prince William Sound

Tucked into the east side of the Kenai Peninsula, the sound is a peaceful escape from the throngs of people congesting the towns and highways...

Kenai Peninsula

The Kenai Peninsula, thrusting into the Gulf of Alaska south of Anchorage, is Southcentral's playground, offering salmon and halibut fishing...

Mat-Su Valley and Beyond

Giant homegrown vegetables and the headquarters of the best-known dogsled race in the world are among the most prominent attractions of the...

Northwest and the Arctic

This is a largely roadless region of long, dark, sunless winters and short, bright summers, when the sun provides nearly three months of perpetual...

Southwest

The Southwest region, below the Arctic Circle, encompasses some of Alaska's most remote, inaccessible, and rugged land- and seascapes. Reaching...

Aleutian Islands, Alaska Peninsula, and Pribilof Islands

From the Alaska Peninsula down through the Aleutian chain, this area also includes many islands within the Bering Sea, among them the Pribilof...

Side Trips From Ketchikan

...

North of Fairbanks

When you drive north of Fairbanks you enter territory where people are few and far between. Away from the thin line of the highways spread hundreds...

Fortymile Country

A trip through the Fortymile Country up the Taylor Highway will take you back in time more than a century—when gold was the lure that drew travelers...

Side Trips from Homer

...

Portage Glacier

Until recently Portage Glacier was the most visited site in Alaska. The glacier has receded dramatically in the past decade, and these days...

Steese and White Mountains

The Steese and White Mountains are readily accessible, just a quick jaunt up the Elliott Highway. Once you’re here, you'll have a few hundred...

Side Trips from Juneau

About an hour outside this ever-expanding city are some great day trips. Tracy Arm requires a daylong boat trip to visit but is well worth the...

Central and Circle

Though small, both of these communities on the Steese Highway loom large for those interested in history and nature. Central got its start in...

Chugach National Forest

...

Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve is Alaska's most visited attraction for many reasons. The most accessible of Alaska's national parks and one...

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Encompassing 13.2 million acres (it's nearly the size of West Virginia), the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve stretches from one...

Katmai National Park and Preserve

Katmai is the most famous of Alaska's remote parks for two simple reasons: bears and volcanoes. Although Katmai sees only a fraction of the...

Glacier Bay

The tiny town of Gustavus, adjacent to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, can be accessed from Juneau by fast ferry, floatplane, or jet...

Chugach State Park

One of the four largest state parks in the United States, Chugach State Park covers approximately 495,000 acres. Located entirely in Southcentral...

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Near the northern end of the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is one of America's most magnificent national parks. Visiting...

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

When the weather is good, an idyllic choice beyond the Mat-Su Valley is the huge Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, on the Alaska Peninsula...

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Enormous, even by Alaska standards, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR to locals) encompasses six different ecozones that support a vast...

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge, which encompasses nearly 2 million acres, was originally established to protect the Kenai moose, and it remains the finest moose...

Kenai Fjords National Park

On the southeast side of the Kenai Peninsula, along the Gulf of Alaska, nearly 670,000 acres were designated as the Kenai Fjords National Park...

Wood-Tikchik State Park

The size of Delaware and also Alaska’s largest state park, 1.6-million-acre Wood-Tikchik State Park is an angler’s dream come true. Five species...

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

Boundless wildlands and wild waters define the enormous Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge that surrounds Bethel. Officially created in 1980...

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

The most northern national park in the country is a mountain-gazer and trekker’s dream. Even by Alaska standards of beauty, Gates of the Arctic...

Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve

Need to check "Visit active volcano" off your bucket list? A trip to Aniakchak will do the trick. The journey to this amazing natural landmark...

Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve

A dream landscape for adventurers who crave solitude, the preserve sits on the border of Canada and Alaska. The only ways in are by driving...

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

Certainly off the beaten path, time in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve will set any trip to Alaska apart. This expanse of historic...

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge

Many visitors to Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge come here to view Kodiak bears. Seeing these beautiful animals, which weigh a pound at birth...

Becharof and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges

In addition to Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, the enormous Becharof and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges are also prime...

Misty Fiords National Monument

Pristine wilderness areas can be accessed from Ketchikan, most notably Misty Fiords National Monument and Prince of Wales Island. Both are somewhat...

Cape Krusenstern National Monument

A must-do for archaeology buffs, this park includes an archaeological district comprising 114 beach ridges along the Chukchi Sea. First named...

Kobuk Valley National Park

Anything is possible in Alaska’s wildlands, even deserts. Kobuk Valley National Park is home to three sets of sand dunes, remnants of retreating...

Noatak National Preserve

For well-organized and self-reliant adventurers, Noatak National Preserve is an endless playground. Otherworldly opportunities for hiking, paddle...

Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve is Alaska's most visited attraction for many reasons. The most accessible of Alaska's national parks and one...

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve

Encompassing 13.2 million acres (it's nearly the size of West Virginia), the Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve stretches from one...

Katmai National Park and Preserve

Katmai is the most famous of Alaska's remote parks for two simple reasons: bears and volcanoes. Although Katmai sees only a fraction of the...

Glacier Bay

The tiny town of Gustavus, adjacent to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, can be accessed from Juneau by fast ferry, floatplane, or jet...

Chugach State Park

One of the four largest state parks in the United States, Chugach State Park covers approximately 495,000 acres. Located entirely in Southcentral...

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Near the northern end of the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is one of America's most magnificent national parks. Visiting...

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

When the weather is good, an idyllic choice beyond the Mat-Su Valley is the huge Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, on the Alaska Peninsula...

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Enormous, even by Alaska standards, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR to locals) encompasses six different ecozones that support a vast...

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge, which encompasses nearly 2 million acres, was originally established to protect the Kenai moose, and it remains the finest moose...

Kenai Fjords National Park

On the southeast side of the Kenai Peninsula, along the Gulf of Alaska, nearly 670,000 acres were designated as the Kenai Fjords National Park...

Wood-Tikchik State Park

The size of Delaware and also Alaska’s largest state park, 1.6-million-acre Wood-Tikchik State Park is an angler’s dream come true. Five species...

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

Boundless wildlands and wild waters define the enormous Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge that surrounds Bethel. Officially created in 1980...

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

The most northern national park in the country is a mountain-gazer and trekker’s dream. Even by Alaska standards of beauty, Gates of the Arctic...

Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve

Need to check "Visit active volcano" off your bucket list? A trip to Aniakchak will do the trick. The journey to this amazing natural landmark...

Yukon–Charley Rivers National Preserve

A dream landscape for adventurers who crave solitude, the preserve sits on the border of Canada and Alaska. The only ways in are by driving...

Bering Land Bridge National Preserve

Certainly off the beaten path, time in the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve will set any trip to Alaska apart. This expanse of historic...

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge

Many visitors to Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge come here to view Kodiak bears. Seeing these beautiful animals, which weigh a pound at birth...

Becharof and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges

In addition to Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, the enormous Becharof and Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuges are also prime...

Misty Fiords National Monument

Pristine wilderness areas can be accessed from Ketchikan, most notably Misty Fiords National Monument and Prince of Wales Island. Both are somewhat...

Cape Krusenstern National Monument

A must-do for archaeology buffs, this park includes an archaeological district comprising 114 beach ridges along the Chukchi Sea. First named...

Kobuk Valley National Park

Anything is possible in Alaska’s wildlands, even deserts. Kobuk Valley National Park is home to three sets of sand dunes, remnants of retreating...

Noatak National Preserve

For well-organized and self-reliant adventurers, Noatak National Preserve is an endless playground. Otherworldly opportunities for hiking, paddle...

Kodiak Island

Russian explorers discovered Kodiak Island in 1763, and the city of Kodiak served as the original headquarters of the Russian-America Company...

Unalaska/Dutch Harbor

On Unalaska Island and neighboring Amaknak Island, the city of Unalaska is by far the most popular destination in the Aleutian Islands. (Dutch...

Prince of Wales Island

Prince of Wales Island stretches more than 130 miles from north to south, making it the largest island in Southeast Alaska. Only two other American...

Pribilof Islands

What the Bristol Bay region is to fly-fishing, the Pribilof Islands are to birding. Unfortunately, "the Pribs" are quite remote and visiting...

Shuyak Island State Park

If you’re really looking to get off the grid during your time in Alaska, Shuyak Island is the place to go. While only 54 air miles from Kodiak...

Admirality Island

There's only one year-round community—Angoon—on this huge island; the rest is wilderness, home to healthy populations of bears, eagles, deer...

Aleutian Islands

Separating the North Pacific Ocean from the Bering Sea, the Aleutian Islands are not a single sequence of islands. Actually, they're a superchain...

Kodiak Island

Russian explorers discovered Kodiak Island in 1763, and the city of Kodiak served as the original headquarters of the Russian-America Company...

Unalaska/Dutch Harbor

On Unalaska Island and neighboring Amaknak Island, the city of Unalaska is by far the most popular destination in the Aleutian Islands. (Dutch...

Prince of Wales Island

Prince of Wales Island stretches more than 130 miles from north to south, making it the largest island in Southeast Alaska. Only two other American...