Alaska

None of Alaska’s eight national parks are easy to get to, but Kenai Fjords National Park is one of only three national parks in the state that can be accessed (partly) by road. It’s also the closest national park to Anchorage, which makes this an easier jaunt from the capital. While this park is ...

Lower Dewey Lake is located in the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park near Skagway Alaska. The hike to the lake has a few steep switchbacks and you should plan on it taking about 1-2 hours. There are trails to extend your hike if you want to walk around the lake, to hike to Upper Dewey L...

From the trailhead, you’ll travel along a cascading creek ascending through gravel, rocks steps and a couple boardwalks within a dense hemlock, spruce and yellow cedar forest. The first part of the trail is by far the most difficult, with a couple steep areas and tight rock passageways. In total,...

The Chilkoot Trail follows the access route from the Alaskan coast to the Yukon goldfields used during the Klondike gold rush. You can get to Skagway via road (from Whitehorse), flight, or ferry (from Juneau). Whale spotting on a ferry from Juneau is a great way to start the trip! There are 9 of...

The absolute most important part of planning a trip to Gates Of The Arctic is accepting the fact that you’ll be improvising for the majority of the experience. The park is larger than several US states, so remote that not a single road or hiking trail exists within the park, and the vast majority...

This journey begins at the northern terminus of the historic Kennecott Mines, following the Root Glacier trail to the north. Follow this trail between 1-2 miles until you reach a split in the trail. Follow the split to the southeast and continue along this trail until you reach another split. If ...

There are many options to go about your adventure in Kenai Fjords National Park. Once you've finally decided on this spot, you'll be glad you chose it! First step on how to get here is by making a reservation with a company to get out there. Most people start from Seward or Homer, as it's the clo...

Depending on how you arrive to Gustavus, (which may or may not be the most difficult part of this adventure) you'll want to head to the Visitor Information Center at Bartlett Cove within the park to grab a free camping permit if you are there during the summer season and to sit through an orienta...

The trail is a quick and scenic 1.6 miles, with wonderful wild flowers and ample opportunities to see wildlife (along with the surrounding river valley and Alaska Range). The Taiga trail is best used from April to August. This trail also serves the purpose of connecting the visitor's center with ...

The Granite Tors Loop Trailhead is located at Milepost 39 on Chena River Road east of Fairbanks. It starts at about 700ft above sea level and climbs to about 3200ft, peaking around the 8 mile mark. The climb is slow and continuous adding to the difficulty of the hike.The Chena River State Recreat...

This stretch of highway is just as beautiful (if not more!) as the famous Pacific Coast Highway on the west coast. You truly couldn’t ask for more.  Beautiful mountains, glaciers, and water provide the scenery here.   There are dozens of pull off opportunities. The highway is marked with mile mar...

We began our trek at the Kennecott Mines, which is a short van ride from the town of McCarthy, which is (semi) road accessible.  I say semi because to get there you must drive 60 miles on a dirt road and park nearby the town, which is not road accessible, and cross a foot bridge.  Once you've hau...

At a shop in Juneau, I saw a photo of from the top of a mountain that blew me away. I began searching and soon found that it was taken atop Mount McGinnis, one of Juneau's Big Five Summits.  Juneau's Big Five are a list of front range summits that are Walk Up summits. Which, in other terms, mean...

This beautiful lake is fed by Eklutna Glacier.   There is so much to do here:  Rent bikes or kayaks (bring your own too).  Info about renting is here.   Walk or bike along the trail that wraps around the lake Hike Twin Peaks TrailIf you want a more difficult hike, do Pepper Peak. This hike incorp...

You'll see tons of animals including bald eagles, bears, moose, muskox, lynx, reindeer, and wolves!  It's a conservation center so they have a great mission.  It is located in Portage Valley and is surrounded by the Chugach Mountain Range and the Turnagain Arm Inlet.   Open 7 days a week, 10 am t...

From downtown Kodiak drive southeast on W Rezanof Dr, turn onto Anton Larson Bay Rd north towards Buskin Lake. Follow Anton Larson Rd over the Red Cloud River Bridge and there will be a small turnout to park on just after the bridge. Look to your left and you will see a trail cutting through the ...