15 Best Vacation Spots in Alaska

The huge Wrangell St. Elias National Park is the biggest national park in the United States. This magnificent mountain range is home to nine of the country's sixteen tallest peaks. Other distinguishing elements of this Canadian border park include glaciers, lakes, mountain streams, and a diverse range of species.

Wrangell-St. Elias is an excellent destination for climbers, hikers, and water sports lovers. For example, during the summer, visitors to the park can camp, trek, backpack, horseback ride, and cycle. In the winter, activities include skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobile trips!

Begin your journey at the Copper Center Visitor Center, then explore the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark to learn about the workings of a historic copper mine. Stroll the Root Glacier Trail or take a picturesque drive along McCarthy and Nabesna roads when you're ready for some fresh air.

Denali National Park is one of the most famous and popular tourist destinations in Alaska. Denali, North America's tallest peak, is located in the 6 million-acre Denali National Park and Preserve. The peak, once known as Mount McKinley, is an amazing 20,310 feet tall!

While meandering along the Savage River, savoring the peacefulness of Wonder Lake, or going through Polychrome Pass, look for bears, moose, wolves, and other wildlife. Hiking, whitewater rafting, and backcountry camping are popular ways to visit the national park, but bus excursions provide a climate-controlled and safer alternative. The Denali Visitor Center offers short, ranger-led trail hikes, as well as informational and educational exhibits.

Katmai National Park and Preserve, which covers 4,093,077 acres on Alaska's southern peninsula, is well-known. The park's environments are wild and picturesque, including woods, lakes, mountains, and stretches of tundra. It is also home to brown bears that hunt for fresh salmon from Brooks Falls, which you can see from Brooks Camp.

The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is a massive ash-flow leftover from the 1912 eruption of the Novarupta Volcano and sits in the park's core. Getting to the Katmai National Park is possible only by plane or boat. It is common for travelers to arrange an all-inclusive vacation package to enjoy the falls, although it is not essential. A number of aircraft firms also provide simple shuttle services to and from the park.

When you see the Kenai Fjords National Park, you feel like taking a trip back in time to the ice age. The park's panoramic scenery includes the several glaciers of the 700-square-mile Harding Icefield and undeveloped shoreline. You can readily witness migratory whales as well as birds swooping down to feast on the fish in the water.

You could hear the thunder of calving tidewater glaciers, the honking, and splashing of sea lions during a haul-out, or the uproar of a kittiwake rookery as you paddle. Plump harbor seals bob on glacial ice at Peterson Glacier, while breaching whales frequently perform at the mouth of Resurrection Bay.

Gray whales may be spotted traveling to the Gulf of Alaska throughout the spring. During the remainder of the year, you may join a cruise to witness 40 tons of beautiful humpback whales, killer whales, and other sea creatures.

Mendenhall Glacier, which spans 12 miles from the Juneau Icefield to Mendenhall Lake, is one of Alaska's most well-known tourist attractions. Its stunning blue hue is caused by the crystalline structure of the ice, which influences how light reflects off the ice.

Ice climbing and discovering ice caves are two of the most popular glacier-related activities. There are also a few well-kept hiking routes that lead up to the glacier. Visitors may float among the bergs by taking a rafting or kayaking tour. While exploring this magnificent blue terrain, it is usual to see wildlife such as black bears, porcupines, and beavers.

Between May through October, when the weather is more likely to be sunny, is arguably the ideal time to visit.

Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, despite the fact that it is not the state capital. It is nestled among the Kenai, Talkeetna, and Chugach mountains. It has all the amenities of a big American metropolis yet is only a 30-minute drive from the Alaskan wilderness. The magnificent Chugach State Park, which spans approximately 500,000 acres, is easily accessible from this city.

The city has a plethora of activities that will certainly astound everyone. For example, the largest Anchorage Museum, convenient access to Chugach State Park, fishing, whale watching, experiencing the midnight sun, and sampling local king crabs and salmon! If you travel in March, don't miss the annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which begins in downtown Anchorage.

The Alaska Highway, also known as the Alaska-Canada Highway, was erected for military purposes in 1942, during WWII, in an eight-month record time. When you travel along the Alaska Highway, you will pass through some of the most beautiful national parks in Canada and the United States.

The route runs through Whitehorse, Canada, before passing into Alaska and ends in Delta Junction. Motels, stores, and petrol stations are located every 30 to 50 miles. Traveling over the Alcan Highway is typically simple. However, commuters should prepare appropriately because much of the road passes through rural terrain.

The mountains get more magnificent as you travel north and west. You'll see bears, moose, wild sheep, and bison along the way. You may go fishing, pan for gold at the MacBride Museum in Whitehorse, and go across the trestle bridge in Pouce Coupe.

Hubbard Glacier is the biggest glacier in Alaska and one of the largest in the nation. It is massive – almost six miles wide where it joins the ocean – and continually active. Indeed, two surges in the last 30 years have converted the Russell fjord into a lake and nearly inundated Yakutat.

The ice layers have a maximum age of 400 years. During the summer, enormous parts of the glacier break off and fall into the lake, providing a magnificent show that people expressly come to see. It is one of the greatest sites to visit in Alaska.

Tracy Arm Fjord is a famous tourist attraction and a part of the Tongass National Forest and is 45 miles south of Juneau. Emerald water surrounds this fjord. During the summer, the fjord is filled with floating ice ranging in size from small chunks to three-story buildings. Many tourist boats visit the fjord and the two glaciers at its end, North Sawyer and South Sawyer.

The bathing of bears and animals is another magnificent sight you could catch a peek of. If you're an animal lover, dolphins in the fjord are accustomed to humans and frequently swim up to the ships, and wildlife sightings, ranging from brown bears and elk on land to whales and seals in these seas, are typical on trips.

The Tongass National Forest covers more than 75 percent of the Southeast. It's the world's biggest temperate rainforest, and the foggy, mossy, lushly green forests contribute much to the region's mystical ambiance. Hike or sled a glacier, wander along boardwalk pathways, learn about fisheries management, fish in streams or the ocean, or unwind in a lonely lodge. Juneau is the largest city in the area.

Tongass National Forest symbolizes truly wild Alaska, with opportunities to observe bears, eagles, and salmon, as well as to take a sled-dog ride across a glacier, wander along boardwalk paths, and fish in the ocean.

A trip to Fairbanks will undoubtedly take your breath away. Fairbanks is the largest city in Alaska's Interior area, and it is surrounded by spectacular scenery, including the Chena River. The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of Alaska Museum of the Northland, and a variety of other art and cultural centers, comfortable cafés, restaurants, and different local activities can all be found in Fairbanks' picturesque downtown.

The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are a fascinating curtain of swirling, flowing, ever-changing purple, yellow, green, and red lights that illuminate night skies. Fairbanks, Alaska, is one of the greatest spots on the planet to witness this spectacular natural phenomenon.

Kodiak Island (also known as the Emerald Isle) is Alaska's second-largest island, located less than 100 miles off the coast of Katmai National Park and Preserve. You'd be crazy to skip out on the bear-viewing and fishing opportunities, but make time to explore Kodiak's lesser-known attractions, such as WWII military installations, onion-domed Russian churches, and roughshod day walks on the edge of a mystical wilderness.

The island's varied landscapes are one of its most notable attractions. When you're not exploring Kodiak's abundant animals, take a scenic drive down the Chiniak Highway for stunning vistas of gravel beaches, salmon streams, and untamed Alaskan nature.

Chugach State Park dwarfs most other US state parks in size, spanning over 500,000 acres. The park, which is located in south-central Alaska, was established in 1970 and is home to the most beautiful nature in the United States.

Within the park, there are at least 28 recognized routes divided into three broad regions: the Hillside, Eagle River and Eklutna, and Turnagain Arm. The most diverse trail system is the Hillside trail system. It's also the most convenient for tourists visiting Anchorage.

The Chugach State Park features rest spots such as the McHugh Creek Picnic Site, and the Beluga Point overlook on the Seward Highway, in addition to trail networks. There are three campsites at Chugach State Park.

Lake Clark National Park is located roughly 100 miles southwest of Anchorage. It can only be visited by plane or boat. Although it isn't as well-known as Denali or the Kenai Fjords, this isolated sanctuary is great for anyone looking for a one-on-one encounter with nature.

Kontrashibuna Lake, Tanalian Mountain, Mount Neacola, Six Mile Lake, and many more notable sites may be found at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The park's fauna is extensive, and visitors may expect to encounter black and brown bears, as well as Mulchatna caribou and other species.

You can book a stay in one of the park's ancient log cabins for a memorable holiday. Kayaking, canoeing, wild animal viewing, backpacking, camping, fishing, hiking on the Tanalian Falls Trailhead, and many more activities are available in the park.

Skagway is a town famous for its historical area, which has over 100 gold rush-era structures. This is a fantastic Alaska location that should be on the bucket list of every visitor! Locals dressed in historical clothes, a historic area, and approximately 100 authentic gold rush-era structures await tourists.

The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and the Chilkoot Trails are two of Skagway's most well-known attractions. Today's gold rush comprises hundreds of visitors who arrive on cruise ships over the summer to experience a piece of history. Take a 45-minute tour of Skagway's historical area with a National Park Service ranger, or hike one of the city's many hiking trails to the frigid alpine lakes and waterfalls. Visit the Skagway Museum or the Mascot Saloon to learn about the Klondike Gold Rush.