Things to do in  Alaska

Encompassing more than 1,000 square miles (2,700 square kilometers), Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park is named after its numerous glacial-carved fjords—beautiful ice valleys unlike anywhere in the Lower 48. The fjords run down the mountains into the iconic Harding Icefield, where some 30 active tidewater glaciers flow. The fabulous landscape is also a wildlife watcher's dream, thanks to its abundant marine animals, birds, and other native wildlife.

It takes some travelers to Alaska several days to check bears, bald eagles, and wood bison off their wildlife-viewing list—but you can see all three in just one visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Not far from Anchorage, this 200-acre (81-hectare) animal sanctuary cares for more than a dozen different species, from moose to lynx, and educates visitors about its conservation projects.

Encompassing some 17 million acres (70,000 square kilometers of Southeast Alaska, the Tongass National Forest is the largest forest in the US and the world’s largest temperate rain forest. Named after the Tongass clan of the Tlingit Indians, the park is home to the Alaskan capital (Juneau as well as the Mendenhall Glacier.

Just 55 miles (89 kilometers) outside of Anchorage, the famous Portage Glacier is often the first glacier travelers see on a trip to Southcentral Alaska. The natural phenomenon towers 10 stories over the pristine, iceberg-studded Portage Lake, and it is the focal point of Portage Valley, known for stellar wildlife watching, a variety of water activities, and scenic hiking trails overlooking glaciers and mountains.

The Yukon is the smallest, westernmost, and perhaps wildest of Canada’s northern territories. Its remote mountain landscapes, untamed rivers, and glacier-fed lakes attract casual sightseers and hardcore adventurers alike. Visitors can witness the Northern Lights, hike, snowshoe, or fish in the wilderness, and explore Canada’s First Nations traditions at cultural centers and festivals across the Yukon.

The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park preserves the history of Skagway’s gold rush days. During the boom of the 1890s gold rush, Skagway’s population swelled from just a handful of residents to over 10,000 lured by the possibility of gold. Visitors can follow in the footsteps of these prospectors by visiting historic buildings, trails, mines, and even saloons built during the boom.

Originating within the Chugach Mountain Range, the Matanuska Glacier is a 27-mile-long (43-kilometer-long) river of ice and Alaska's largest roadside glacier. A popular day trip from Anchorage, the glacier draws tourists year-round to gaze at the impressive ice formations and go ice climbing among crevasses and glacial water in brilliant meltwater pools.

Resurrection Bay on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula—dotted with glistening glaciers, majestic fjords, and secluded coves set against a backdrop of snowy mountains and dramatic fog—is a haven for those who enjoy striking landscapes. Not only is this pristine wilderness beautiful, it’s also filled with opportunities for outdoors recreation.

About an hour’s drive from Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs Resort is renowned for its natural hot-springs lake, year-round ice museum, lodge and cabins, and northern lights viewing opportunities. Discovered more than a hundred years ago by gold miners who saw steam rising from the Chena River Valley, the curative waters have been soothing weary travelers ever since. It’s become a serious Alaskan destination.

The 8.5 million acres (3.4 hectares) of land that are protected by Gates of the Arctic National Park lie north of the Arctic Circle. This massive, mountainous swath of land is larger than the entirety of Belgium, yet scarcely more than 10,000 people visit this remote park each year. Caribou, grizzly bear, and moose roam free across hundreds of miles.

The tallest peak in North America at 20,310 feet (6,190 meters), Denali/Mt. McKinley is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve in south-central Alaska, an enormous area covering 6 million acres (2.5 million hectares). Founded in 1917, the park protects the native animals who roam free in its remote alpine tundra wilderness.

Saxman Native Village celebrates all things Alaskan and Tlingit—totem poles, folklore and dance, lumberjack exploits, and woodcarvers. The village introduces visitors to the customs and culture of Alaska’s Indigenous population, and features the largest collection of totems you’re likely to see.

Just beyond the edge of Alaska’s largest city and stretching 200 coastal miles (322 kilometers) from Anchorage to Canada, Chugach State Park encompasses nine distinct ecosystems including spruce forests, alpine tundra, and coastal wetlands. Nowhere on Earth is there so much biodiversity so close to a major city.

Rising 1,800 feet (550 meters) above sea level from the Juneau waterfront, the Mt. Roberts Tramway—aka the Goldbelt Tram—is a favorite for those visiting the Alaska state capital. The ride itself provides views of the Chilkat Range, the Gastineau Channel, downtown Juneau, and Douglas Island, while the summit area features outdoorsy and cultural things to do.

No visit to Juneau is complete without a close-up look at the Mendenhall Glacier, one of Alaska’s most popular attractions. The 13-mile-long (19-kilometer-long) glacier ends at Mendenhall Lake and is easily viewed from the historic Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. The glacier is beautiful on sunny days, but arguably even more impressive on cloudy, drizzly afternoons when the ice takes on a deeper shade of blue.