It is often said that Alaska is too big to see and experience in one lifetime, let alone a single vacation. Activities and adventures, such as fishing for salmon, landing on a glacier or kayaking across a tranquil bay surrounded by snow-capped peaks, will enhance your vacation and let you experience Alaska firsthand.
Alaska is the angler's dream come true with some of the most incredible fishing in the world. Alaska's oceans, rivers, and lakes are teeming with huge runs of record breaking Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char, Halibut and many other challenging sport fish. Alaska, home to five species of Pacific Salmon, holds the world record for the much sought after King Salmon. All of this awaits you in the most spectacular setting on earth.
Fishing in Alaska can be as easy as buying a license and heading for a stream or lake -- or it can be a daylong boat charter in Prince William Sound or a week's worth of fly-in remote backcountry action where anglers watch for fish and for bears.
Alaska flightseeing -- or sightseeing from the air -- gives visitors an extraordinary view of one of the world's most breathtaking landscapes. Small planes and helicopters take passengers through gorges and passes to fly over Alaska's mountains, lakes and glaciers. Sometimes the flights even land on the glaciers. Flightseeing is most popular around these destinations:
A number of glaciers are within viewing distance of Alaska's highways, and you can even walk up to (and on) some of them. Want a souvenir? Pick up a piece of ice that washes downstream from the glacier's snout -- but don't get close enough that ice can fall on you.
Cruise liners pull close to the "rivers of ice" in Glacier Bay National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Prince William Sound. In addition, smaller boats carry sightseers on day trips to the blue ice of Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords National Park. These trips are readily available in Valdez, Whittier and Seward. Cruises and day trips are the way to go if you want to hear the legendary thunder of calving glaciers and see huge faces of blue ice.
Sightseeing trips aboard small planes and helicopters provide both an overreaching view and sometimes a glacier landing. Flightseeing companies that land on the ice provide cold-weather gear and guide you on a safe area of the glacier.
Whale watching is a favorite Alaska pastime. Humpback and killer whales are present in large numbers. Sea lions, and seals are abundant and sea otters are occasionally seen. Eagles are everywhere as are a multitude of sea birds. Generally calm waters make this an ideal setting for viewing and photographing wildlife and scenery. There is a high probablility of a close encounter with humpback whales, eagles, seals and sea lions.
Alaska is home to over 98 percent of our countrys brown bear population so it is no wonder that Alaska bear viewing is a popular visitor attraction. Bears are found in nearly every corner of Alaska. Viewing a bear in the wilds of Alaska is a truly awesome experience, and often one of the highlights of a trip to Alaska.There are a number of Alaska bear viewing opportunities available to visitors. Denali National Park is one of the most popular areas in Alaska to view bears in their natural habitat. Each year tens of thousands of Alaska visitors board buses to travel all or part of the 90 mile road that travels deep into Denali Park.
The daredevil rivers of Alaska's mountain country lure raft riders and kayakers from around the world. And other rivers -- placid but full bodied -- sweep past caribou and bears grazing on open arctic tundra. Thousands of visitors to Denali National Park get their white-water thrills on the Nenana River, part of which boasts Class IV rapids. A raft or kayak trip can be part of any traveler's itinerary. Many companies offer the trips. Although some long trips, such as those in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, may require a flight on a small plane to remote waters, many adventures are available along the state's highway system.
Dog sledding, more popularly called mushing, traces its roots back to the Eskimos of the 15th century. It remained a primary mode of winter transportation in Alaska's bush country until pilots began flying air routes in the 1920's.
Alaskans have been racing dogs since the early 1900's. The All Alaska Sweepstakes race began in 1908 traveling between Nome and Candle. Today, the most famous race in the sport, the Iditarod, takes place every March. It begins in Anchorage and ands Nome, following an old supply route. It is said to have been inspired in part, by the famous Serum Run of 1925.
Befitting the nation's largest state, Alaska has dozens of museums spread from Ketchikan to Kotzebue and from Unalaska to Anchorage. Some feature art; others celebrate Native culture; still others honor airplanes and trains. Many museums are on cruise-line routes along the Inside Passage. Starting from Anchorage, the museum fan can reach two dozen institutions within a half-day's drive. Almost all the museums and cultural centers are free or charge a token entrance fee.
The Alaska Railroad stretches 470 miles from Seward on the south-central Kenai Peninsula, to the northern "golden heart" city of Fairbanks. Along the way, the train travels through some of the most scenic and rugged territory in Alaska, including Denali National Park, Denali State Park, and Chugach National Forest. The Alaska Railroad runs two primary passenger services during the summer season. On the rail north of Anchorage, the Denali Star operates daily between Fairbanks, Denali, Talkeetna and Anchorage. To the south, the Coastal Classic operates daily between Anchorage and Seward.
Alaska is full of outdoor adventures; Alaska hiking, climbing and biking offers breathtaking views, and a chance to see Alaska in its natural form. From the towering peaks of central Alaska to the glaciers along the Gulf of Alaska. With over 1400 miles from north to south to over 2300 miles from west to east, Alaska has some of the most incredible scenery to be found in the United States. In order to enjoy all Alaska has to offer, visitors should get out and experience it for themselves. Alaska has amazing trail systems for all abilities from accessible nature paths to mountain hikes that are physically challenging. There are plenty of trails for hikers and bikers of all skill levels. Alaska hiking and hiking can vary from short, guided hikes to rugged, backcountry treks - catering to both novices and experts.
The northern lights are just about the only thing that could get Alaskans to stand outside without a coat in January. But there the lights are, flipping and waving through the sky in shades of green, purple and red. And there are Alaskans, calling neighbors outside for a look and putting cameras on tripods in the middle of the night. Usually the aurora borealis appears to the north of the viewer, but occasionally it seems to be directly overhead even as far south as Anchorage, which sits just north of 61 degrees north latitude.
It's not suprising that in the land that has the biggest bears in the world, the largest salmon, the greatest gathering of bald eagles and more than half the world's humpback whale population, you'd find this kind of spectacular wilderness. View with your own eyes the most dramatic scenery and the most abundant marine life and wildlife in the world on your Alaska cruise.
Befitting the nation's largest state, Alaska has dozens of museums spread from Ketchikan to Kotzebue and from Unalaska to Anchorage. Some feature art; others celebrate Native culture; still others honor airplanes and trains. Many museums are on cruise-line routes along the Inside Passage. Starting from Anchorage, the museum fan can reach two dozen institutions within a half-day's drive. Almost all the museums and cultural centers are free or charge a token entrance fee.
No visit to Alaska would be complete without a souvenir to remember it by. From T-shirts to salmon-skin wallets, from picture books to diamond-willow walking sticks, a shopper in Alaska can come back with the goods.
A bonus of shopping in Alaska is finding works produced by Native artisans in such materials as walrus ivory, baleen and fur. These are available in stores at many destinations and ports. Alaska is home to exceptional artists in a variety of media. Many gift shops downtown carry carved ivory, whale bone or moose antlers. All the artists have unique styles and often stories behind their work.