Alaska
The untamed last frontier. While visiting Denali National Park is on many traveler's bucket list, and while it's well worth the trip there's no reason to stop there. Alaska is chock full of hiking, backpacking, packrafting, kayaking, rafting and more. It's truly difficult to put into words the scale and magnificence of an untamed Alaskan landscape -- you'll just have to see for yourself.
Top Spots in and near Alaska
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Seward, Alaska
Explore Kenai Fjords National Park
5.08.2 mi / 3000 ft gainNone of Alaska’s eight national parks are easy to get to, but Kenai Fjords National Park is one of only three national parks in the state that can be accessed (partly) by road. It’s also the closest national park to Anchorage, which makes this an easier jaunt from the capital. While this park is ...Read more -
Seward, Alaska
Hike Alpine Trail, Caines Head State Recreation Area
3.03 miThe Alpine Trail is only accessible via the Caines Head Trail System, located at Lowell Point. (Distance and elevation listed are for the Alpine trail itself, not for the coastal trail leading up to it. More info on those can be found here: http://dnr.alaska.gov/Assets/u... )From parking at Lowel...Read more -
Anchorage, Alaska
Mountain Bike at Kincaid Park
5.0Kincaid Park is a 1500 acre park in Anchorage that offers 25 miles of singletrack and a variety of trails. I'd recommend starting at the Raspberry trailhead to complete a big loop of the park. The trails are mostly super flowy, without any serious elevation gain. All-in-all a great place to ride ...Read more -
Seward, Alaska
Camp and Kayak at Holgate Glacier's Beach
4.0There are many options to go about your adventure in Kenai Fjords National Park. Once you've finally decided on this spot, you'll be glad you chose it! First step on how to get here is by making a reservation with a company to get out there. Most people start from Seward or Homer, as it's the clo...Read more -
Juneau, Alaska
Mount McGinnis
10.73 mi / 4226 ft gainAt a shop in Juneau, I saw a photo of from the top of a mountain that blew me away. I began searching and soon found that it was taken atop Mount McGinnis, one of Juneau's Big Five Summits. Juneau's Big Five are a list of front range summits that are Walk Up summits. Which, in other terms, mean...Read more -
Palmer, Alaska
Hike Lazy Mountain
5.6 mi / 3000 ft gainMy sister and I with her dog did this great adventure after completing a Star Wars marathon and being pretty lazy on the couch. We wanted to get up and move our bodies, so we decided to check out this summit hike that ironically was named Lazy Mountain. This is a great hike for those that want a ...Read more -
Skagway, Alaska
Lower Dewey Lake Loop
4.03.42 mi / 764 ft gainLower Dewey Lake is located in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park near Skagway Alaska. The hike to the lake has a few steep switchbacks and you should plan on it taking about 1-2 hours. There are trails to extend your hike if you want to walk around the lake, to hike to Upper Dewey L...Read more -
Chitina, Alaska
Explore Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Kennecott Mines
1 mi / 100 ft gainIf you have already stepped foot into Wrangell-St. Elias, you probably arrived via bush plane or by heroically navigating the relentlessly brutal, pothole smothered McCarthy Road. Once across the Kennecott River footbridge, you must take the shuttle from the river's edge to Kennecott (NB: the shu...Read more -
Ketchikan, Alaska
Snorkle Ketchikan's Tongass Narrows
If you find yourself in the quaint town of Ketchikan, Alaska you HAVE to check out this awesome outdoor adventure. Alaska is known for it's breathtaking scenery and wildlife, but what many people don't see is what lies beneath it's beautiful bodies of glacial water!The best excursion agency to o...Read more -
Kodiak, Alaska
Hike to the Summit of Sharatin Mountain
5.07 mi / 3000 ft gainFrom downtown Kodiak drive southeast on W Rezanof Dr, turn onto Anton Larson Bay Rd north towards Buskin Lake. Follow Anton Larson Rd over the Red Cloud River Bridge and there will be a small turnout to park on just after the bridge. Look to your left and you will see a trail cutting through the ...Read more -
Skagway, Alaska
Upper Dewey Lake Trail
5.05.5 mi / 3169 ft gainThe Dewey Lake trail system leads visitors to Skagway on adventures to multiple remarkable destinations, including Lower Dewey Lake, Sturgill's Landing, Icy Lake, Upper Reid Falls, Upper Dewey Lake and Devil's Punch Bowl. Each trail extends from a single trail head located closest to the cruise ...Read more -
Juneau, Alaska
Camp at Boy Scout Beach in Juneau
1.5 miFar from where the tourists venture, this is an incredible hang out and camping spot in Juneau. The trailhead is at the 25 mile marker on Glacier Hwy. There are a couple of roads when you exit the highway, but stick to the right and you will end up in an obvious parking lot. From here, there is o...Read more -
Chitina, Alaska
Hike to the Bonanza Mine in the Wrangell St-Elias National Park
9 mi / 3800 ft gainThis 9 mile strenuous hike will reward the intrepid hiker with a serene setting and in-tact mining ruins for any and all to explore at will. Literally at will as there will be no park personnel telling you where you can and cannot go - it is really at your own risk! The mining ruins are halfway i...Read more -
Port Alsworth, Alaska
Photograph Brown Bears in Lake Clark National Park
1 mi / 0 ft gainNinety-Five percent of US brown bears live in Alaska, and Lake Clark National Park famously hosts the highest-density population of anywhere in the world. As many as 219 brown bears have been counted within a 54-square mile section of the coast, and it's not uncommon to see as many as 30 bears in...Read more -
Seward, Alaska
Kayak Aialik Glacier
If you're visiting Alaska, you're probably there to see glaciers, and Aialik Glacier is worth the money and time to see. Imagine a towering 1.5 mile wide glacier surrounded by rugged peaks and a thick green forest rising from the blue water. The chance to spot whales, puffins, sea lions, porpoise...Read more -
Seward, Alaska
Sea Kayak at Fox Island
In order to get to Fox Island, you’ll need to hop a boat from the beautiful town of Seward. We went with Kenai Fjords Tours who ferried us out to the island. The great thing about going with a tour company is that they’ll stop whenever they see wildlife. Only ten minutes after departing, we pause...Read more
