8 Best Attractions To Visit In Alaska

It is hard not to associate Alaska with its own distinct frigid wilderness, rugged beauty, and seemingly endless wildlife. However, though this expansive and untamed land can seem daunting from the outside perspective, Alaska is a state unique in both its location and the opportunities that it provides. Maybe you want to discover more about the Mendenhall Glacier, or maybe it is the Kenai Fjords that sounds of interest to you. No matter what, Alaska deserves to be high on your travel list, and in this wild state with so much to see and so many different directions to go, one thing remains a certainty: if you travel there, you will not regret it.

Aurora Borealis

One of nature's most spectacular sights, and rarely seen, is the northern lights, which are at their most spectacular and visible in the Alaskan regions of Fairbanks and the Interior. The University of Alaska tracks the likelihood of seeing the lights and says the best time to go is between August and April. If you stay in Fairbanks for three nights, it is highly likely that you will get to experience this incredible and natural light show. Even if you travel to Alaska just for the aurora, your journey will be well worth it, and you will return home with an unforgettable experience.

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

More than a century has passed since 100,000 hopeful miners descended upon Alaska. With their sights set on fabulous wealth just on the other side of the pickaxe, excavations began. But while millions of dollars worth of gold were removed from the Klondike area, most of those who travelled there left poorer than they had arrived. Today, the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park is a testament to that late-19th-century madness, and visitors can enjoy hiking trails, interactive exhibits, and restored buildings that show the area's history, as well as tour the Jeff. Smiths Parlor Museum. There are family-oriented trails and playgrounds, ensuring that a trip to Klondike, while maybe not filled with the gold of yore, will still be rich in opportunity for all who travel there.

Alaska Native Heritage Center

Located in Anchorage, the Alaska Native Heritage Center offers an in-depth look at the Indigenous history of Alaska. With different options presented in the summer and winter, visitors to the Center can enjoy guided tours, dance performances, Alaska native games demonstrations, and a beautiful lake. Important to discover the roots of local and national history, the Heritage Center is a perfect mix of educational and enjoyable, with all-day activities for all ages. They even have life-sized villages for customers to explore at their own pace. If you find yourself in the Anchorage area, travel back in time and see what life was like for the country's first inhabitants.

Inside Passage

Stretching 500 miles along the Pacific Ocean, Alaska's Inside Passage “boasts wildlife-filled fjords, tidewater glaciers, and lush island scenery.” The Tongass National Forest, the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world, covers the majority of the Inside Passage. But how accessible is it? The answer: very. The Inside Passage is a popular destination for cruise ships of all sizes, as well as the state ferry, which travels along the Alaska Marine Highway System. Cruisers and independent travellers alike can enjoy the lush beauty of the Passage, and from there can embark on excursions in the hopes of spotting bears or whales. If that were not enough, it is also possible to view the glaciers along this stretch of land, making a trip to the Inside Passage one of the most versatile and packed with adventure someone could wish for.

Kenai Fjords National Park

Advertised as the “place where mountains, ice, and ocean meet,” nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, right in the heart of the Kenai Fjords. While in today's world the glaciers are shrinking, these giants of the Ice Age are still indomitable, imposing, and impressive.

Wildlife swims in the icy waters of the fjord and thrives in the lush forests around; visitors can experience this preserved and active piece of nature with ranger-led programs, boat tours, and even flights that give an aerial view of this edge of the world, where mountains, ice, and ocean all collide. Book your stay now, because there are no shortage of things to do in Kenai Fjords National Park.

Denali National Park and Preserve

Every bit as impressive as the Kenai Fjords, Denali has six million acres of wild land with varying elevations and wildlife. Not to mention its crowning jewel, Mount McKinley: North America's tallest mountain. A visit to Denali National Park promises untouched nature, every bit the same now as it has been for ages.

Part of its preservation is thanks to the fact that there is only one road running through the entire area. 92 miles long, the road begins in a low, forested area, and rises from there through mountain passes before eventually levelling out again. Come to see the continent's largest peak; stay for the abundance of wildlife and rugged landscapes.

For those wanting a longer visit, there are six campgrounds in Denali.

Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier is a popular tourist destination because of its accessibility. In particular, the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center provides information and viewing platforms for those arriving at this ancient piece of the planet, and at just 13 miles from downtown Juneau, it is a must-see destination. Half a mile wide and 1,800 feet deep, this massive glacier is just a sample size of the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Icefield as a whole.

A short trek from the Visitor Center, the Photo Point Trail leads you to a lookout platform which offers an unobstructed view of the glacier's face, and provides a great family photo opportunity. If you find yourself in the Juneau area, a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier is a must.

Totem Bight State Historical Park

A striking monument of the past, the Totem Bight State Historical Park is a fantastic representation of American history. Located between Port Higgins and Ward Cove, along the Gulf, the Park is filled with looming cedar totem poles. These giants of another era are more than worth a visit; if you go, you will learn an appreciation for both the towering poles themselves and the craftsmanship that went into their creation. Now overgrown but still standing, the totem poles left behind by Indigenous peoples more than a hundred years ago have been preserved in large part thanks to the U.S. Forest Service, which has aimed to salvage and reconstruct these wooden wonders.

The State Department of Natural Resources has continued the historic preservation treatment of the totem poles, ensuring that for those who want to step into the past, you may walk amongst the giants of a foregone time.

A Place Unlike Any Other

Wholly unique and secluded, Alaska is a state teeming with opportunities you would not have access to anywhere else in the world, much less in America. Pack a jacket and some warm socks, because a stay in this cold but majestic rolling wilderness will transport you back in time, to a land where giants roamed and ice spread for miles. See the wild ocean and its cold-blooded inhabitants, or enjoy a day with the family in the Native Heritage Center. In Alaska, the rugged land around you will be every bit as beautiful as the aurora borealis stretching vast across the sky.