Alaska Travel Guide

Alaska is by far the largest state of the United States of America by land area. Nicknamed "the last frontier", Alaska is sparsely populated; the state was purchased by the United States for $7,200,000 from the Russian Empire in 1867, and gained statehood in 1959 as the 49th state. Separated from the "lower 48" by Canada, Alaska can be a challenging destination; most of the state is in the Arctic. Except vast forests and frozen tundra, Alaska contains the ten highest mountain peaks in the United States. West of Alaska is the Bering Strait, and the eastern tip of Russia. Alaska is huge. It actually spans what once were five time zones! So big in fact you probably won't scratch the surface of what it has to offer in terms of geography, wildlife, local flavor, or Alaska native culture. You might visit a couple of the regions of the state during your visit. It is quite possible to experience the ancient rainforest of Southeast Alaska, camp in Denali National Park, and kayak among icebergs in Prince William Sound on the same trip. Another option is to focus on a smaller (still huge) region of the state and spend enough time for a better look and then plan a return trip to explore a different region. Alaska does not have to be a once in a lifetime destination. Three weeks in the Inside Passage, traveling from town to town by ferry, is likely to leave you wanting more time if you enjoy hiking, sea kayaking, fishing, wildlife watching, scenery, Native culture, biking. The Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage, is another region worthy of an extended stay and is easily accessed from Anchorage. Plenty of public campgrounds make this an extremely affordable do-it-yourself destination if you have a few folks to share the cost of a rental car. An Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Valdez driving loop also offers plenty to see and do for two weeks or more and can be quite affordable with camping and a shared rental car.