The rugged beauty of the 49th state is about as vast as Alaska is big. Huge stretches of uninhabited wilderness are dotted infrequently by small cities, both commercial and quaint. Take, for instance, the state capital of Juneau – which cannot be accessed by road.
Alaska is a treasure trove for anyone with a taste for the great outdoors, and the natural wonders of the state offer so much to tourists who enjoy hiking, fishing, paddling, and marvelling at some of the biggest and most diverse national parks in the entire US.
Wherever it is that a tourist ends up in Alaska, the colossal scale of nature on display will never fail to catch your breath.
- Denali National Park
[Flickr/Denali National Park and Pr]
Located to the north of the Alaska Range, this park is one of the US’ most impressive, and is home to the tallest peak in the country, Mount McKinley. Denali was the mountain’s original name, and it is from this that the park takes its own – although some controversy remains in the locality over which one to use when talking about the peak.
Located halfway between Anchorage and Fairbanks, the park is home to grizzly bears, wolves, reindeer, and elk, while almost 170 species of bird have been spotted across the six million acres of river valleys, mountain ranges, and frozen tundra.
- Kenai Fjords
[Flickr/Nic McPhee]
Arguably some of the best of Alaska’s sightseeing can be done along the fjords of the Kenai Peninsula, which lies just south of Anchorage. The Harding Icefield’s glaciers makes for a stunning vista, and visitors are likely to spot the brown bears trying to catch the tasty wild salmon trying to get through the water to safety. The whole area has proven very popular with tourists and it is a perfect spot to get off and explore when taking the Alaska Railroad.
- The Alaska Highway
[Flickr/fdecomite]
For those on a road trip, this stretch of highway will take you all the way from Dawson Creek in Canada through the Yukon Territory to Fairbanks, which is in central Alaska. The road was laid to allow for military goods and machinery to be transported during WWII, taking only eight months to finish. Since then, it has become one of the most important pieces of Alaskan infrastructure, and hugely popular with tourists with a taste for the open road.
- Northern Lights
[Flickr/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center]
While Alaska’s long and freezing winters are not for the faint hearted, one highlight of those dark months is when the Northern Lights dance across the sky. Best seen from September through to April, the aurora borealis is at its best in and around the Fairbanks hinterland. The best time to try and catch a sight of the solar particles in the Earth’s magnetic field doing their thing is just after midnight, so while it is a stretch for young kids to stay up for, older ones will take it in their stride. The best way to see it is with a group of tourists, basked in enthusiasm, and sipping hot chocolate.
- The White Pass & Yukon Route Railway
[Flickr/Royce Bair]
This train scurries through and over mountain valleys, climbing its way up to the White Pass at a height of 2,865 feet. Located near the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, the journey takes in stunning mountains and lovingly restored building in the Skagway district. Anyone who gets itchy feet from sitting on the train can trek the 33-mile-long Chilkoot Trail, or those more historically inclined can pay a visit to the museum – and delightful gift shop.
On Tuesday evenings at 6pm, travel writer Manchán Magan takes George Hook around the world from the comfort of Newstalk's Dublin studios. You can listen back to the podcast of this week's segment below:
