Alaska

Alaska is the United States at its most wild and uncompromising. It is twice the size of Texas with a population smaller than most mid sized American cities. The landscapes operate at a scale that makes the rest of the country feel miniature: glaciers the size of small states, mountains that dwarf anything in the lower 48, rivers filled with more salmon than you can count, and a wilderness that stretches unbroken for hundreds of miles in every direction.

For travelers who love the outdoors, Alaska is the ultimate American destination. Grizzly bears fishing for salmon in crystalline rivers. Humpback whales breaching in glacier fed fjords. Bald eagles circling overhead in numbers that seem impossible. Calving glaciers dropping house sized chunks of ice into the sea with a crack that echoes off the mountainsides. It is nature at full volume, and it never stops being awe inspiring.

Where to Go

Denali National Park is the crown jewel of Alaska’s interior. The park covers six million acres of wilderness centered around Denali (formerly Mount McKinley), the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet. A bus tour along the park’s single road offers sightings of grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and wolves against a backdrop of tundra and mountains. On clear days, the mountain itself emerges from the clouds in a display that makes hardened travelers gasp.

The Inside Passage is the cruise corridor that runs along Alaska’s southeastern coast from Seattle or Vancouver to Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Bay. It passes through a landscape of forested islands, narrow channels, and tidewater glaciers. Glacier Bay National Park, accessible primarily by cruise ship, is the highlight, with massive glaciers flowing directly into the sea.

Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is the only state capital inaccessible by road. It sits at the base of towering mountains with the Mendenhall Glacier just 12 miles from downtown. Whale watching tours from Juneau have some of the highest success rates in the world for humpback sightings.

The Kenai Peninsula, a few hours south of Anchorage, is the most accessible wilderness in Alaska. Kenai Fjords National Park has tidewater glaciers, puffin colonies, and marine wildlife. The town of Seward is the departure point for glacier and wildlife cruises. The Kenai River is famous for its salmon fishing.

Katmai National Park, accessible by bush plane from Anchorage, is the premier bear viewing destination in the world. The iconic image of brown bears standing in a waterfall catching leaping salmon comes from Brooks Falls in Katmai. It is a bucket list wildlife experience.

Where to Stay

Sheldon Chalet is a remote luxury lodge accessible only by helicopter, sitting on a glacier in Denali National Park with views of the summit. It is the most exclusive accommodation in Alaska. Tutka Bay Lodge on the Kenai Peninsula offers waterfront wilderness luxury with excellent food. The Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, about 40 minutes from Anchorage, is a ski resort in winter and a hiking and glacier base in summer. For cruises, Holland America, Princess, and Silversea all operate well regarded Inside Passage itineraries.

Let Us Plan Your Alaska Trip

Alaska trips require advance planning, especially for summer season lodges, bear viewing permits, and cruise cabins that book up months ahead. The state is vast, and getting between regions often requires small plane flights. We will build an itinerary that gives you the wildlife, glaciers, and wilderness you came for without the logistical headaches of navigating America’s last frontier on your own.