6 Things You Absolutely Have to Do in Alaska

Alaska boasts a vast wilderness area in addition to several small and charming cities that offer a diverse array of recreational activities and tourist attractions. It is the largest state in the US by a substantial margin — more than twice the size of Texas — and features some of the country’s largest state and national parks. While its climate is vastly different from mainland US states, Alaska is a premier destination for adventurous travelers.

Visit Denali National Park

One of the most popular destinations in the state is Denali National Park, which is located along the northern section of the Alaska Range and is named for its most prominent natural feature: Denali, the highest peak in North America. Originally known as Mount McKinley but officially renamed by the US Department of the Interior in 2015, Denali reaches 20,320 feet in elevation. However, it’s just one of the natural wonders located in the park. In addition to other glacier-covered mountains, Denali National Park features six million acres of high alpine ranges, tundra, and wide river valleys, as well as 169 different species of birds and 39 species of mammals, including grizzly bears, wolves, and elk.

Accessed via George Parks Highway midway between Fairbanks and Anchorage, Denali National Park offers incredible views from along the highway on clear days, but visitors can explore much of the park’s interior on park-approved buses, which are the only vehicles permitted to go beyond Savage River. Roughly 400,000 people visit the park per year.

Take a Boat Tour Along Tracy Arm Fjord

Just south of Juneau is Tracy Arm, a fjord with surrounding glaciers that has become a popular boat tour and cruise ship destination. Small icebergs are also often present as a result of glacial calving via waterfall activity. The head of the fjord features the twin Sawyer Glaciers, while the nearby Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness of the Tongass National Forest provides a beautiful scenic backdrop for tourists. Those who take a boat tour through the fjord can expect to spot wildlife like moose and bears on land, as well as seals and whales in the water.

Go to Alaska’s Southernmost City

While Alaska’s vast wilderness and wildlife are among the state’s main attractions, that isn’t to say there aren’t cities worth exploring. One of its most unique and picturesque towns is Ketchikan. This southernmost Alaskan city extends across 31 miles of shoreline on Revillagigedo Island in the 17-acre Tongass National Forest. The town is sandwiched between Deer Mountain’s forested slopes and the Tongass Narrows, the latter of which is busy with fishing and boating activity. In fact, the city is regarded as the salmon capital of the world.

Other attractions to visit in Ketchikan include Misty Fjords National Monument, the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary, Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, and Totem Bight State Historical Park. Experienced hikers can also try their hand at completing the difficult, 2.75-mile Deer Mountain Trail.

Visit Glacier Bay National Park

One of the other must-visit national parks in Alaska is Glacier Bay National Park. One of the world’s largest protected areas and part of a 25-million-acre World Heritage Site, Glacier Bay National Park is surrounded by three-mile-high coastal mountains and encompasses three million acres of mountains, rainforest, glaciers, deep fjords, and rugged coastlines. It is easily accessible from Juneau via the Alaska Marine Highway. Beyond exploring and sightseeing, the park offers opportunities for biking, hiking, fishing, and boating, primarily at Bartlett Cove, which can be found near the park’s headquarters. Daily boat trips are also offered to get up-close views of the glaciers.

Watch the Northern Lights in Fairbanks

Due to its continental climate and its location near the North Pole region known as the Auroral Oval, Fairbanks, Alaska, has more clear nights than any other nearby city. This makes it one of the world’s best destinations to see the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis. The curtain of swirling and constantly changing red, yellow, green, and purple lights that illuminate the sky is more mesmerizing and vivid in Fairbanks than nearly anywhere else. The phenomenon is best experienced early in the morning or late at night during the middle of winter. However, it can be seen anytime between September and mid-April.

While the Northern Lights are best viewed in Fairbanks, its beauty can also be marveled upon from Denali National Park, Barrow, Coldfoot, and Bettles Lodge. Guided tours are also offered through companies such as Go Alaska Tours, Alaska Aurora Adventures, and Globerouter.

See the Mendenhall Glacier

There’s an abundance of glaciers in Alaska, but few are as big and magnificent as the Mendenhall Glacier, which is 12 miles northwest of Juneau and reaches the shores of a nearby lake. Visitors can view the glacier and other icebergs at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center or get a closer view by hiking along trails near Nugget Falls. More adventurous tourists can even float among the icebergs on kayak and raft tours. Expect to also see wildlife such as porcupines, beavers, and black bears.