Alaska contains more than half of America’s national parks. With 17 national park units and 16 national wildlife refuges, you are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to natural wonders and wildlife. Due to the layout of the state, Anchorage is a central point that allows relatively easy access to a range of parks. Without too much travel, you can easily go from the most populated area in the state to awe-inspiring glaciers, an abundance of nature and a huge list of possible activities to do.
To cover just a few places and possibilities:
Kenai Fjords National Park – get introduced to the magnificent creatures that call this glacier-filled park home. See whales and otters go about their lives in their natural habitat.
Denali National Park – home to North America’s tallest peak so head up for a breath-taking hike amongst the mountains. You can also visit the working sled dog kennel, home to the sled team that patrol the park during the winter season.
Lake Clark National Park – providing an excellent opportunity for hiking, lake kayaking and rafting. You can also take a small plane tour of this park.
Katmai National Park – attend the famed bear viewing opportunities, during their ferocious salmon eating period, as well as possibly doing a spot of your own fishing (ideally far away from the bears).
Wrangell-Saint Elias – witness glaciers that are larger than Rhode Island as this is the largest national park in the US. The park provides ice-climbing activities for all skill-levels but that’s just one of many innumerable things to do within the 13 million acres of land.