Alaska may be best known for its scenic beauty, icy winters and untouched wilderness –all of which it possesses in good measure — but the U.S.’s largest state has much more to offer. After all, the more than 1.5 million tourists that visit Alaska each year can’t be wrong.
Perhaps the hardest part of planning an Alaskan vacation is deciding exactly where to go. This northernmost state encompasses more than 586,400 square miles – more than double the size of the next largest state, Texas. However, most of that area is not easily accessible, except by float plane.
Whether you enjoy getting back to nature, fishing for the mighty king salmon, learning about indigenous cultures or shopping for souvenirs, Alaska can provide the setting. From the art galleries, cafes and museums along Anchorage’s downtown avenues to the icy expanses that surround Barrow, Alaska offers a range of unforgettable experiences for visitors.
Anchorage
Start your trip in Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage. This bustling metropolis is home to a range of cultural and historic attractions. Visit the residents of the Alaska Zoo, a collection of Arctic and sub-Arctic species from polar bears to moose, seals to bald eagles. Learn about the state’s natural history at the Alaska Museum of Natural History, which houses exhibits, interactive displays and artifacts documents 100 million years of time. Marvel at the indigenous art in the Alaska Native Arts Gallery, a non-profit downtown institution that exhibits and displays artworks by native Alaskan artisans.
Denali National Park
Hop on the glass-topped, double-decker cars of the Alaska Railroad and head north to Denali National Park. Take one of the daily bus tours offered during the summer; keep your eyes peeled and your camera at the ready for the grizzly bears, moose, Dall sheep, wolves, caribou and ptarmigans — the state bird — that roam freely through the park. If it’s not too cloudy, you might even catch a glimpse of the top of Mt. McKinley or Denali, the tallest mountain on the continent at 20,030 feet.
Fairbanks
After a few days spent exploring the wilderness of Denali, head north to the end of the road: Fairbanks. The second-largest city in the state, Fairbanks boomed in the late 1800s as part of the gold rush and then again in the 1970s when the Trans-Alaska pipeline was constructed. Today, this central Alaskan city is home to a number of attractions, from the Georgeson Botanical Garden on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus to the Riverboat Discovery, a three-hour tour along the historic Chena River that takes visitors to a native Athabascan fishing encampment, kennels owned by an Iditarod winner and a Chena native village.
Barrow
Keep going north — this time, by airplane only — to North America’s northernmost community: Barrow. Though the area has been home to the native Inupiat for centuries, in the 1880s the U.S. Army built a weather station in Barrow, followed by a community centered on maritime trade and whaling. Visitors to this northern town can learn about its rich culture and history at the Inupiat Heritage Center, which houses exhibits of indigenous art as well as a research library and a gift shop.
Alaska Zoo
Alaska Museum of Natural History
Alaska Native Arts Gallery
Alaska Railroad
Denali National Park
Georgeson Botanical Garden
Riverboat Discovery
Inupiat Heritage Center