Places to Visit in Alaska

1. Denali National Park

Denali National Park is located in central Alaska with the Denali Mountain at its heart. Denali, one of the top Alaska destinations, is part of the Alaska Range, and, with its highest peak at 20,310 feet, it is the highest mountain in North America. The upper part of the mountain is always covered with snow and glaciers, and the temperatures can reach minus 75 degrees Fahrenheit. In spite of the extreme cold, the mountain and the park are home to many animals, among them 39 species of mammals and 169 species of birds.

Denali National Park’s flora varies depending on the altitude, from taiga and mixed forests at the lower slopes, to tundra below the snowline. In the summer, the slopes of the mountain are covered with some 650 species of flowering plants. According to archeologists, Athabascan people have been living in the park area for thousands of years. Denali National Park is one of the most famous places to visit in Alaska and about 400,000 people come to visit the park every year.

2. Ketchikan

Ketchikan is located on Revillagigedo Island in the Tongass National Forest, a 17-acre rainforest full of Sitka spruce, cedar, waterfalls, and diverse wildlife. Ketchikan is the southernmost Alaskan city backed by forested slopes of Deer Mountain and facing Tongass Narrows waterway, which is buzzing with fishing boats, floatplanes, ferries and barges.

The city hugs the bluffs along the shoreline for 31 miles, and many businesses are located over the water and can be reached via suspended walkways. Native Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian arts are visible everywhere throughout Ketchikan, in museums, and in totem parks. Ketchikan, one of the best towns to visit in Alaska, is famous for its salmon fishing and known as the salmon capital of the world. Check out the
- Blueberry Arts Festival in August.

3. Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier stretches 12 miles from the Juneau Icefield towards Mendenhall Lake and is one of the most famous Alaska tourist attractions. It is about half a mile wide, and the ice is between 300 and 1,800 feet deep. The glacier has retreated two and half miles since the mid-1700s. Its magnificent blue color of the Mendenhall Glacier comes from its crystalline structure, which affects how light reflects off the ice.

The best way to see the glacier is by kayaking up to its face or from a helicopter. Among many popular glacier-related activities are ice climbing and exploring ice caves. There are also a few well-maintained hiking trails leading up to the glacier.

4. Glacier Bay National Park

Glacier Bay National Park is part of a 25-million acre World Heritage Site, and it is one of the largest protected areas in the world. It is located where the North American and Pacific tectonic plates collide and the coastal mountains, three miles high, are still rising.

Glacier Bay covers more than three million acres of mountains, glaciers, rainforest, rugged coastlines, and deep fjords, and is one of the best things to do in Alaska. The landscape is constantly changing; glaciers continue to advance and retreat, dramatically affecting the landscape.

The Alaska Marine Highway offers easy access to the park from Juneau. Bartlett Cove, close to the park headquarters, is located in a lush coastal temperate rainforest. It is a great place for biking, hiking, boating, and fishing. You can also take one of the daily boat trips to see the glaciers.

5. Hubbard Glacier

Hubbard Glacier is located about 200 miles northwest of Juneau off the coast of Yakutat in Wrangell St. Elias National Park, and is one of the best places to visit in Alaska.

It is enormous – about six miles wide at the point where it meets the ocean - and is constantly active, In fact, its two surges in the last 30 years turned the Russell fjord into a lake and almost flooded Yakutat. Hubbard Glacier’s frequent calving is dramatic, and its face, which can be observed from many visiting cruise ships, is about 400 feet tall.

6. Talkeetna

Snuggled at the base of Denali or Mt. McKinley, the tallest mountain in the country, Talkeetna is a historic town that is an excellent starting point from which to experience true Alaska. Just taking photos of the towering Alaska Range is a treat. Near Talkeetna, you can go fishing, hiking, skiing, mushing, and mountain climbing, take a ziplining tour, or visit great art galleries, excellent restaurants, and local craft breweries. Talkeetna is a frontier town like none other.

Where else can you still find people panning for gold or old log cabins built by gold miners more than hundred years ago that are still standing strong? Take Alaska Railroad to Talkeetna and experience a piece of history.

7. Skagway

You can almost feel the frenzy of the gold rush in Skagway. Wooden sidewalks, old saloons and shops, and people dressed in clothing from the end of 19th century greet visitors today just as they did during the town’s heyday when over 40,000 people descended on Skagway on the way to Yukon in the hopes of getting rich quickly.

Today, it is all part of the grand natural museum that is Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Today’s gold rush consists of thousands of tourists who arrive during the summer on many cruise ships to experience a piece of history. Take a 45-minute tour of the Skagway historic district with one of the National Park Service rangers or take one of many hiking trails to the cold alpine lakes and waterfalls around the city. You can also take the popular Chilkoot Trail for an exciting three- to four-day hike that follows the route of the gold rush stampeders on the way to the Klondike Gold Fields.

8. Sitka

Sitka is little Alaskan treasure of an island rich in nature, culture, and history. Located on the picturesque Baranof Island in the Alexander Archipelago, Sitka is surrounded by snow-covered mountains hidden by old pine forests growing to the waters’ edge and myriads of little islands in the archipelago that greet thousands of tourists every summer.

It is the town where Americans came to buy Alaska from Russians, an event that is celebrated with much gusto every year. The culture of Sitka’s native original inhabitants provides much of the city’s vibrance. The spectacular surrounding nature is ideal for outdoor exploring. Hike through the spruce and hemlock rainforest to see the American bald eagle, black-tailed deer, or brown bears at the Fortress of the Bear. Alternatively, you can take a boat trip to see humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, and thousands of birds. Check out the Sitka WhaleFest November 1st-3rd, 2024.

9. Homer

Homer is a quirky, charming little town on the shores of Kachemak Bay on the southern Kenai Peninsula in South Central Alaska. Homer is quite a long drive from Anchorage. It is famous for its great fishing (the town is known as the halibut world capital), spectacular nature, and excellent art and culinary scene. Most of the life in Homer revolves around the Spit, the 4.5-mile long road on the sand bar that leads straight into the beautiful blue bay.

Shops and restaurants line this popular road. The Kenai Mountains to the east and north not only provide magnificent backdrop but also protect the town from the cold, creating an exceptionally mild climate. Almost any road out of town ends as a hiking or biking trail, taking you into the picturesque wilderness. Go fishing, like everyone else in town, explore the natural landscapes, or take a boat tour to see the rich marine life.

10. Northern Lights in Fairbanks

The mysterious curtain of swirling, flowing, ever changing purple, yellow, green, and red lights that brighten the night skies is known as the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis. Offering a wealth of things to see and do, Fairbanks, Alaska, is also one of the best places on Earth to watch this magical spectacle of nature. The town has two things going for it: it is located in the area around North Pole called Auroral Oval, and its continental climate allows for more clear nights than other places on the coast. In this area, the lights appear more often and are more vivid and mesmerizing than almost anywhere else. The best time to experience it is late at night or early in the morning. Take a dog sled or a horse-drawn sleigh to enjoy northern lights in comfort. You can also ask your hotel staff to wake you up when the show starts.

Fairbanks events:
- Midnight Sun Festival - Fairbanks, Every June
- Tanana Valley State Fair - Every July
- Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival - Every July
- Golden Days - Third week of July
- World Eskimo-Indian Olympics - Mid July