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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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 -
Valdez, Alaska
Paddle Valdez Lake to Valdez Glacier
The end of the Airport Road just North of Valdez brings you to the side of the lake. Begin your adventure here, or just come check out the view and watch the icebergs float among the lake while you picnic in the parking area. Should you choose to approach the glacier, paddle Northwest. It to...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 -
Healy, Alaska
Camp at Teklanika River Campground
Teklanika campground offers a place to camp where you really get to experience Denali with very few people around. The campground sits right along the Teklanika River with incredible hikes and views of the park. Vehicles are not allowed past Mile 15 at the Savage River point, but if you are campi...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 -
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 -
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 -
Cooper Landing, Alaska
Hike to the top of Slaughter Gulch
5 mi / 2600 ft gainSlaughter Gulch Trail is a leg-busting 2600' ascent up Slaughter Mountain in Cooper Landing, Alaska. Covering only a few miles, the trail is steep and quite rocky in some places, requiring the use of trekking poles, all fours, or impeccable balance. Start off early at the small parking lot near t...Read more -
Nondalton, Alaska
Camp at Woodward Priest Rock
Someone in my group was lucky enough to find this very cabin available to stay at in the national park, while we all were doing our research for camping spots in our big Alaska National Parks' Trip. We were stoked to be able to stay at such a historic and beautiful place. Getting there was defini...Read more -
Chitina, Alaska
Hike the Root Glacier to the Donoho Lakes
5 mi / 500 ft gainTraversing the glacier can be a whole day experience in and of itself. Make sure to set aside enough time to explore. I'd plan on at least 3-4 hours total travel time round trip on the glacier alone. The Donoho Lakes are a series of lakes that exist on a narrow strip of flat land between two glac...Read more -
Healy, Alaska
Savage Alpine Trail
4.54 mi / 1417 ft gainSavage Alpine Trail is a point-to-point trail that takes you by a river located near Denali National Park, Alaska.Read more -
Kodiak, Alaska
Hike Spruce Cape
1.4 miThis hike is 1.4 mile out and back hike that leads to great island views and a fun beach to explore. This is one of the easiest hikes on Kodiak Island. Accessible in all seasons with a well groomed trail, minimal gear is needed, making it more of a nice walk that can be accomplished at all times ...Read more -
Homer, Alaska
Soak in the views along Skyline Drive
This is an easy drive with nice views. On a clear day you can see across Kachemak Bay, showing off glaciers, mountains and Mount Augustine Volcano, a stratovolcano. Start at either West Hill Rd. or East Hill Rd. Then turn left or right onto Skyline Dr. Other recommendations in the area: We had...Read more -
Fairbanks, Alaska
Backpack Granite Tors
5.015 miWe split this 15-mile loop into an overnight backpacking trip and had an amazing time. Our route started up the eastern side of the loop and took us past the trail shelter. Once we reached the tors, we settled in and set up camp. It was stunning and we actually wished we would have left a day bet...Read more -
Cooper Landing, Alaska
Paddle on Kenai Lake
I set off down the road towards “the lake I saw on the way in that was really blue”. From Seward, AK I knew that Kenai Lake was along State Highway 9, our only road out of town. It was deceiving to see the south end of the lake about 10 miles outside of Seward- but I found that the most accessibl...Read more -
Ketchikan, Alaska
Explore Historic Creek Street
Creek Street is a historic boardwalk that is on the bank of Ketchikan Creek. You can take a stroll along the boardwalk and venture over to the Salmon Ladder Vista, to see loads of salmon working hard to go upstream. If you are luck, you might be able to see the creek swarming with salmon trying...Read more
