State & National Parks of Alaska

1. Afognak Island State Park

Afognak Island State Park was established as one of the country’s first conservation areas in 1892. Afognak Island State Park today includes over 75,000 acres, which represent a large part of the east and north sides of the island. Most of the park is undeveloped and wild, and only the area south of Seal Bay was logged in the 1990s. The park has scenic, rugged topography that includes a forest of Sitka spruce, and it is also known as a salmon spawning habitat. The park is home to Kodiak brown bears, Roosevelt elk, Sitka black-tailed deer, and the endangered marbled murrelet. Visitors come to hunt, fish, hike, or enjoy the spectacular nature. There are two restored U.S. Forest Service cabins in the park available for public use, and they are located on the south shore of Pillar Lake and at Laura Lake.

Afognak Island State Park, Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska

2. Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve

The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve was created to protect the largest concentration of Bald Eagles in the world and their habitat. The preserve also protects natural salmon runs, allowing traditional uses as long as such uses do not damage preserve resources. The preserve includes 48,000 acres of the river bottoms of the Chilkat, Kleheni, and Tsirku Rivers. The boundaries of the preserve include only the habitat areas eagles use at some time during the year. The best area for viewing eagles is along the Haines Highway between miles 18 and 24 because spawned-out salmon and open waters attract the birds in fall and winter. The Chilkat Valley provides permanent home for almost 400 eagles. More than 80 eagle nests have been spotted in the preserve. During the Fall Congregations, more than 3,000 bald eagles have been spotted in the preserve.

Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, Haines Ranger Station, P.O. Box 430, Haines, AK 99827, Phone: 907-766-2292

3. Baranof Castle Hill State Historic Site

Castle Hill is a 60-foot tall scenic rock on the edge of Sitka Harbor with beautiful views of the city. The hill, now part of the state park and a National Historic Landmark, also serves as the location of the Tlingit and Russian forts. Tlingit natives, who originally lived in this area, built a strategic fortification on the hill, which Russians occupied between 1804-1867. The hill is also the location where Russian Alaska was handed over to the United States in 1867 and where in 1959 the United States flag was flown when Alaska became a state. There is a trail with interpretive panels that runs to the summit. There are also stairs for those who want a bit more exercise while visiting the Baranof Castle Hill State Historic Site.

Baranof Castle Hill State Historic Site, Sitka, AK 99835

4. Big Delta State Historical Parks

Big Delta State Historical Parks, located about eight miles from Delta Junction, is a 10-acre historical park on the Tanana River created to preserve Rika's Roadhouse and Landing. From 1909 to 1947 the area was an important crossroad for miners, travelers, and soldiers on the Valdez-Fairbanks Trail. The main attraction is Rika's Roadhouse, which, with the adjacent outbuildings, has been preserved to tell the story about the time in history and surrounding community. The museum complex today includes the WAMCATS station, a sod-roofed cabin filled with pioneer artifacts, and a Swedish-style barn. Many artifacts, period furniture, and accessories have been donated by local residents. In season, there are guided tours through the complex.

Big Delta State Historical Parks, Milepost 275 Richardson Highway, Delta Junction, AK

5. Birch Lake State Recreation Site

Birch Lake State Recreation Site is located about 60 miles from Fairbanks on the shores of Birch Lake on the Richardson Highway. The 48-acre state park has a boat launch, small campground, and swimming and picnic areas. Next to the park is the Air Force military recreation site. The lake is a popular fishing spot rich with Arctic char, Chinook salmon, Arctic grayling, coho salmon, and rainbow trout. In the winter, it becomes a fun and popular ice fishing spot with fishing huts available for rent. In the summer, the lake is covered in lily pads and surrounded by forested wetlands. There are five camping sites as well as tables, benches, and fireplaces for day use. The boat launch does not allow long term docking. The park has a drinking water well, public bathrooms, and a public use cabin.

Birch Lake State Recreation Site, Birch Lake Pull Off, Salcha, AK 99714, Phone: 907-269-8400

6. Chilkat State Park

Chilkat State Park is a 9,837-acre park located south of Haines, Alaska near the southern end of Chilkat Peninsula. The park has a beach access, a boat ramp, hiking trails, and spectacular views of glacier-covered peaks. There are magnificent waterfalls, and a narrow bay is home to water birds, seals, and whales. The information centers offers fantastic views of Chilkat Inlet, Rainbow, and Davidson glaciers and has wildlife spotting scopes. There are three trails that run through the mixed forest of evergreens and deciduous trees on the Chilkat Inlet. The seven-mile long Seduction Pint Trail offers an easy hike from the campground, running between the woods and the beach. The boat launch offers easy access to the inlet and, in early June, the run of king salmon.

Chilkat State Park, Haines, AK 99827, Phone: 800-458-3579

7. Chugach State Park

Chugach State Park, located just outside Anchorage, is the fourth-largest state park in the States. More than 200 coastal miles long, it stretches from Anchorage to Canada. Incredibly rich in wildlife, it includes nine unique ecosystems. The park is known for having easy access to all sorts of activities for adventurers and athletes. Visitors in the park have the opportunity to go through hemlock-spruce forests, alpine tundra, muskeg, coastal wetlands the riparian habitat of rivers and lakes, and even marine waters. The park is home to over 45 species of mammals – brown bears, moose, black bears, Dall sheep, one wolf pack, lynx, beavers, fox, river otters, and mountain goats. The Chugach has 16 trailheads and 110 trails covering almost 280 miles. The park is a popular destination for hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, camping, kayaking, glacier-viewing, gold-panning, horseback riding, ATV riding, berry picking, snowmobiling, and much more.

Chugach State Park , Mile 115 Seward Highway, Girdwood, Anchorage, AK 99587

8. Denali State Park

The 324,240-acre Denali State Park is the fourth largest state park in Alaska. It borders Denali National Park at its southern end, located 147 miles from Anchorage, between the Talkeetna Mountains and the Alaska Range. The park does not have the developed infrastructure of Denali National Park, but it has a number of great campgrounds and offers fantastic hiking, plenty of wildlife, and some of the best views of Denali. The park’s environment ranges from heavily forested areas, streams, and river valleys to the alpine tundra. Denali State Park is home to brown and black bears, moose, marmots, muskrats, beavers, red foxes, and many others. The Susitna and Chulitna Rivers are home to Arctic grayling, Dolly Varden, rainbow trout and five species of Pacific salmon. Denali State Park has excellent vantage points to view both Denali's north summit and south summit, which rises to 20,310 feet. Besides admiring Denali, visitors engage in hiking, fishing, rafting, camping, and wilderness exploration.

Denali State Park, George Parks Highway, Trapper Creek, AK 99683

9. Denali National Park

Denali National Park is vast with six million acres of wilderness crossed by one ribbon of road only. Travelers along the road can see the low-elevation taiga forest change to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, finally ending in North America's tallest mountain peak, 20,310-foot tall Denali. Boasting incredibly scenic views, Denali Park Road is 92 miles long and made mostly of dirt and gravel. In the summer, private vehicles are allowed to drive the first 15 miles of the road up to Savage River. Beyond Savage River visitors have to use the park’s narrated and non-narrated buses. Most of the park’s six million acres are undeveloped, with a number of trails that lead off the park road into the wilderness. There are six campgrounds but no lodge or hotel.

Denali National Park, PO Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755, Phone: 907-683-9532

10. Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park

Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park on the eastern shore of Kodiak Island, Alaska includes 182 acres of land at the end of Miller Point. The park was established in 1969 to protect the historical World War II fortifications built in 1941 as well as the magnificent scenery with spruce forests, bluffs overlooking the ocean, and wildflower-covered meadows. The fortifications’ surviving parts include remnants of the building foundation, gun emplacements, and underground magazines. The fortification did not see any action and was abandoned after the war. The park has a campground best for tent camping, a picnic area, a group camping area, and a network of hiking trails.

Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park, Miller Point, Kodiak, AK 99615

If you are interested in Alaskan adventure, watch this unique video about collecting glacier ice.