A LIST OF THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN ALASKA, FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!
Alaska is synonymous to huge – in its wilderness and natural beauty. It’s home to North America’s highest peaks, one-of-a-kind wildlife, the breathtaking Aurora borealis, and so much more!
But since the land is so big and there is so much to see, it’s a challenge deciding on what best places to visit in Alaska.
No worries, we put together our top picks for the coolest and the best places to visit in Alaska. Some of those are remote and not easily accessible. Some can be seen on Alaska road trip, while others are best visited on an Alaska cruise.
So let’s dive into it!
Table of Contents
Best Places to Visit in Alaska
1. Tracy Arm Fjord
2. Denali National Park
3. Kenai Fjords National Park
Best Places to Visit in Alaska
4. Alaska Highway
5. University of Alaska Museum of the North
6. Inside Passage
Best Places to Visit in Alaska
7. Dalton Highway
8. Alaska Native Heritage Center
9. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Best Places to Visit in Alaska
10. Iditarod National Historic Trail
11. Seward, Alaska
12. Totem Bight State Historical Park
PIN THIS FOR LATER!
12 Best Places To Visit In Alaska
1. Tracy Arm Fjord
Tracy Arm is a stunning fjord in Alaska near Juneau which was named after the Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Franklin Tracy.
Extending over 30 miles long, almost a quarter of its area is covered in ice.
It encompasses some of Alaska’s largest glaciers like the twin Sawyer glaciers.
During the summer, you can see icebergs float along the surface of the clear water from just a few inches up to three stories wide.
Protected within the Tongass National Forest, Tracy Arm Fjord is a sanctuary for wildlife. There you will spot black and brown bears, harbor seals, wolves, deer, mountain goats and a variety of seabirds.
As you glide through the fjord, you’ll first pass by a lush forest. Feast your eyes on the beauty of waterfalls cascading down.
Then you’ll be treated to views of snow-capped mountains and blue-tinged glaciers more breathtaking than you could ever imagine!
2. Denali National Park
Denali National Park named after the tallest peak in North America, known by locals as Denali, meaning “the high one” in the Athabaskan languages of Alaskan Native American tribes, is the largest National Park in the USA.
Formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park (the 1st national park established in 1917), it boasts more than 2.4 million hectares of tundra, mountains, and glaciers, which contrast the area’s vast wetlands and verdant spruce forests.
Most tourists visit Denali National Park to see the 6,200-meter-tall Mount McKinley.
One of the best ways to view this mountainous park is to take a fixed-wing or helicopter tour from Anchorage.
But on the ground, you’ll find a variety of other activities to enjoy:
- Go hiking, biking, fishing and camping in the warmer months
- Ski, snowshoe, and dogsled in the colder months
- Spend your time hiking the park’s rugged mountain trails during the summer.
- Get an amazing chance to view wildlife such as grizzly bears, bald eagles, wolves, and moose!
Address: Milepost 240, George Parks Hwy, Denali National Park, Alaska
3. Kenai Fjords National Park
In the wilderness area in southern Alaska, U.S. is this breathtaking Kenai Fjords National Park. It became a national park in 1980.
The park includes the 300-square-mile Harding Icefield and its outflowing glaciers.
Alpine vegetation is found at high elevations nearest the glaciers, and a narrow belt of hemlock and spruce forest occurs along the fjords between the glaciers and the sea.
Find sea lions, seals, sea otters, and tens of thousands of breeding birds, including puffins, murres, and auklets, living along the fjords.
The non-tide water Exit Glacier near Seward is accessible by road, and trails lead to it and the Harding Icefield to the southwest. The fjords can be reached by boat or floatplane.
Stunning Places To Visit In Alaska
4. Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway AKA Alaska-Canada Highway (Alcan Highway) runs from Dawson Creek in British Columbia (Canada) through the Yukon Territory to Delta Junction near Fairbanks.
During WWII in 1942, it was built for military purposes in the record time of only 8 months.
Since the end of the war, this route has been a favorite with recreational vehicle travelers, and the most important means of access by land to the Yukon Territory and southern Alaska.
Passing through Whitehorse, Canada, before crossing the international border into Alaska and ending in Delta Junction, there are motels, shops, and gas stations, lying at intervals of 30-50 miles.
5. University of Alaska Museum of the North
The only research and teaching museum in Alaska, The University of Alaska Museum of the North is a thriving tourist attraction.
It houses a collection of 2.2 million artifacts and specimens representing millions of years of biological diversity and thousands of years of cultural traditions in the North.
It is also the premier repository for artifacts and specimens collected on public lands in Alaska and a leader in northern natural and cultural history research.
Some of the museum’s highlights include:
- Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery– a 2,000-year spectrum of Alaska art, from ancient ivory carvings to contemporary paintings and sculpture
- Gallery of Alaska– the state’s largest public display of gold and Blue Babe, an almost 50,000-year-old mummified steppe bison
- The Place Where You Go to Listen– an ever-changing sound and light installation driven by the real-time positions of the sun and moon, seismic activity, and the Aurora
The museum offers special exhibits, events and lectures, and family programs on a variety of topics throughout the year.
Address: 1962 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, Alaska
6. Inside Passage
Another magnificent place you must see is The Inside Passage. It’s a water route that runs along the Pacific coast of Alaska and weaves its way through the islands that protect the boats.
For 500 miles, cruising The Inside Passage on foggy days will really make you feel as if you are at the end of the world.
Best Places To See In Alaska
7. Dalton Highway
Ready for the most extreme ride of your life? The Dalton highway is said to be one of the most isolated and loneliest roads on the planet. So, if you can drive this road you can pretty much drive anything.
The James W. Dalton Highway is a two-lane gravel road that stretches for 414 miles-666 km.
This road was initially built in 1974 as a supply route for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and is named after James Dalton, the Alaska-born engineer who directed and supervised its construction.
Oftentimes, anything up to 150 trucks in summer and 250 trucks in the winter navigate through this isolated and remote setting.
Make sure you pack plenty of supplies because there are only three villages along this 666 km road through the wilderness:
(1) Coldfoot at Mile 175 (2) Wiseman at Mile 188 (3) Deadhorse at the end of the highway at Mile 414.
The road itself is very primitive in places so they highly discourage small vehicle and motorcycle traffic. It’s the longest stretch of service less road in North America with no gas stations, restaurants, hotels, or any other basic services.
A popular reason to visit this northern latitude is the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, which appear on many nights from September to Mid-April.
8. Alaska Native Heritage Center
The Alaska Native Heritage Center provides hands-on interaction with people, music, and art.
It is located just outside Anchorage. It includes The Gathering Place for Alaska Native dancing and storytelling and the Hall of Cultures, filled with local vendors displaying handmade crafts and works of art.
Also on the grounds, traditional dwellings of Alaska Natives surround the scenic Lake Tiulana.
Address: 8800 Heritage Center Dr, Anchorage
9. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve is the largest national park in the United States.
Designated as a World Heritage Site with Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve and the Canadian neighbors Kluane National Park Reserve and Tatshenshini-Alsek National Park. (Making this the world’s largest international protected wilderness.)
Four major mountain ranges: Wrangell, St. Elias, Chugach, and the eastern part of the Alaskan Range.
Mt. St. Elias, at 18,008 feet, is the second-highest peak in the United States.
Nine of the 16 highest peaks in the United States.
Mt. Wrangell, at 14,163 feet, is one of the largest active volcanoes in North America.
The Nabesna Glacier, at approximately 80 miles, is the longest non-polar valley glacier.
The Malaspina Glacier, larger than the state of Rhode Island, is the largest non-polar piedmont glacier in North America.
The Hubbard Glacier is one of the largest and most active tidewater glaciers in North America.
These facts are not the end of the superlatives! Explore the park and discover others for yourself.
Beautiful Places To Visit In Alaska
10. Iditarod National Historic Trail
Alaska’s only National Scenic Trail, the Iditarod National Historic Trail consists of a network of trails totaling more than 2,300 miles between Nome, on the Bering Strait, and Seward, near Anchorage.
Ancient hunters and later gold prospectors originally used this trail. Today it is best known for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
Extensive landscapes surround the entire route, offering beautiful views of mountains, glaciers, and wildlife.
Although it is primarily a winter trail, hikers do use sections during the summer months including the popular Crow Pass Trail within Chugach State Park.
11. Seward, Alaska
Seward Alaska is an iconic Alaskan village nestled between Mount Marathon and the shores of Resurrection Bay. It’s a gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, where glaciers flow from Harding Icefield into coastal fjords that are bursting with wildlife.
So much natural beauty provides endless things to do in Seward Alaska. It’s no wonder that it’s one of the most popular destinations in Alaska.
With an estimated permanent population of 2,831 people as of 2017,[6]Seward is the fourth-largest city in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
The city is named for former U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward, who orchestrated the United States’ purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867 while serving in this position as part of President Andrew Johnson‘s administration.
12. Totem Bight State Historical Park
Totem Bight State Historical Park is a 33-acre (13 ha) state park in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located north of Ketchikan.
The park is located on the former site of a traditional Native campground known as Mud Village and Mud Bight Village. It contains a collection of totem poles and a replica of a traditional chieftain’s house. This wood-frame structure has a low oval entrance, leading into a square chamber with a central fire pit, decorated with carved “house posts”. A stylized raven adorns the main facade. The carvings on the house were executed by Charles Brown, a Native from Saxman.[2]
The United States Forest Service used Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) funds to hire skilled carvers from among the older Native Alaskans. They repaired or duplicated totem poles that were abandoned when the natives moved to communities to work.
The CCC project built the community house and placed 15 totem poles. Most of them are replicas of 19th-century poles.[2] At statehood in 1959, title to the land passed from the federal government to the State of Alaska.
The historic site, comprising 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) of the park, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 27, 1970.[1]
Looking for more places to explore? You better check these out!
1. 8 Things You Must Do In London Your First Time
2. Best Places to Visit in Iowa Today
Best Places to Visit in Alaska Now
There’s no doubt, Alaska offers some impressive sceneries, one of the wildest and stunning landscapes that are so easily available to travelers today.
We highly recommend a trip to Alaska, whether you’re visiting Fairbanks in winter or cruising the Inside Passage in summer.
Put Alaska on your next bucket list now!
Are you an experienced Alaska traveler? Anything else you would like to add to this list of the best places to visit in Alaska? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured Photo by McKayla Crump on Unsplash
If you find this article useful, please share it on Facebook or Pinterest. Thank you for visiting Sharp Aspirant!
Follow us on PINTEREST for more travel ideas!
