5 Best Natural Wonders To Visit In Alaska This Year

Alaska is a land where wilderness feels limitless, and its landscapes are nothing short of awe-inspiring. Beyond its famed peaks, the state reveals canyons with thundering waterfalls, tidewater glaciers spilling into icy fjords, and remote tundra where caribou still migrate as they have for centuries. Whether kayaking the Inside Passage, hiking to Nugget Falls near Juneau, or marveling at Keystone Canyon’s towering cliffs, here are five natural wonders to add to your bucket list this year.

Keystone Canyon & Bridal Veil / Horsetail Falls

Keystone Canyon, just northeast of Valdez in the Chugach Mountains, is a dramatic three-mile passage carved by the Lowe River. Sheer slate walls rise more than 600 feet, framing a corridor rich in history and natural beauty. Named in 1898 by Captain William R. Abercrombie after Pennsylvania, the “Keystone State,” the canyon became the route for the Richardson Highway, Alaska’s first major inland road. Early railroad ambitions left behind a hand-cut tunnel and the legacy of a fierce 1907 dispute that ended in a shootout, halting construction but adding to the canyon’s lore.

Nature dominates the experience here. Bridal Veil Falls, soaring 600 feet, is the tallest roadside waterfall in Alaska, while Horsetail Falls tumbles 328 feet in shimmering strands nearby. Scenic turnouts along the highway provide easy viewing, but adventure seekers also come for rafting the Lowe River, hiking the Valdez Goat Trail, or scaling frozen waterfalls in winter. Late May through mid-July offers the fullest flow and easiest access before snow and cold tighten things up.

Nugget Falls And Mendenhall Lake

Nugget Falls, also called Nugget Creek Falls, thunders 377 feet down Bullard Mountain into Mendenhall Lake, just south of Juneau’s famed Mendenhall Glacier. Fed by meltwater from Nugget Glacier, the waterfall spills in two dramatic tiers—first 99 feet, then another 278—before crashing onto a sandbar at the lake’s edge. In earlier decades, before the glacier’s steady retreat, the falls spilled directly onto the ice, a striking reminder of how the landscape continues to shift with time.

Today, Nugget Falls is a highlight of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. Visitors can enjoy glacier views, floating blue icebergs, and exhibits inside the modern visitor center, while trails wind through lush rainforest to the water’s edge. The one-mile hike to the base of the falls is family-friendly and ends with a sand-and-gravel shoreline that delivers close-up views of the spray and thunder. The best time to visit is from June to August, when the trails are clear and access is easiest.

Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound, a glacier-carved inlet on Alaska’s southern coast, is a landscape of towering fjords, rugged islands, and the icy expanse of the Chugach Mountains. Bordered by Montague, Hinchinbrook, and Hawkins Islands, the sound is home to communities such as Valdez, Cordova, and Whittier, as well as Native villages like Chenega and Tatitlek. Its waters teem with wildlife—sea otters, puffins—while tidewater glaciers calve thunderously into sheltered bays. The region’s history stretches back to James Cook’s 1778 voyage, Spanish exploration, and Russian settlement, each leaving names and stories that still endure.

The sound also carries tales of resilience and tragedy. The 1964 Good Friday earthquake triggered deadly tsunamis that reshaped coastal settlements, while the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill left lasting scars on its fragile ecosystem. Today, much of the surrounding land lies within Chugach National Forest, offering pristine wilderness for kayaking, fishing, and glacier viewing. Summer is the best season to explore its waters and rugged shores.

Gates Of The Arctic National Park And Preserve

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve spans more than 8.4 million acres of Alaska’s central Brooks Range, making it the second-largest national park in the United States and the northernmost, lying entirely above the Arctic Circle. First declared a monument in 1978 and redesignated in 1980, the park safeguards remote mountains, tundra, and six Wild and Scenic Rivers. Nearly the entire area is designated wilderness, adjoining the Noatak Wilderness to form the largest contiguous protected landscape in the nation. Wildlife such as caribou, Dall sheep, muskoxen, brown bears, wolves, and bald eagles thrive across the rugged terrain.

There are no roads, trails, or facilities, making entry possible only by bush plane or long overland travel from the Dalton Highway. The park contains landmarks like the Arrigetch Peaks, Mount Igikpak, and glacial valleys carved over millennia. Anaktuvuk Pass, an Iñupiat settlement, lies within its boundaries, with surrounding villages depending on subsistence hunting. Despite its vast size and cultural heritage, it remains the least visited national park in the U.S., drawing only a few thousand adventurers each year. The best time to visit is mid-June through early September, when snow recedes, rivers are more accessible, and conditions are most favorable for backcountry travel.

Inside Passage

The Inside Passage is a scenic maritime route stretching from Olympia, Washington, through British Columbia, to Alaska’s Lynn Canal. This protected waterway weaves through thousands of islands, fjords, coves, and bays, offering refuge from the harsh Pacific Ocean. Its Alaska section alone spans 500 miles and encompasses the vast Alexander Archipelago. Historically, it served as a lifeline during the Klondike Gold Rush, carrying prospectors northward, and today it remains vital for commerce, ferries, fishing vessels, and the Alaska Marine Highway.

Cruising is the most popular way to explore the Passage, with over two million travelers drawn each year to its wildlife, glaciers, and coastal towns like Juneau, Skagway, and Wrangell. Opportunities abound for whale watching, bear viewing at Pack Creek and Anan Creek, kayaking, and hiking along rugged shorelines. Smaller expedition cruises also focus on intimate encounters with nature. The best time to visit is May through September, when the weather and wildlife viewing are at their peak.

Wrapping Up

Alaska’s natural wonders are as varied as they are unforgettable—thundering waterfalls, glacier-fed lakes, winding fjords, remote wilderness, and wildlife-rich waterways. From the roaring cascades of Keystone Canyon to the icy drama of Prince William Sound and the vast silence of Gates of the Arctic, each place offers a glimpse into the state’s untamed spirit. Whether by trail, water, or air, these landscapes promise awe at every turn. This year, let Alaska’s wild beauty write itself into your memory.