Things to do in Alaska, United States: The Best Nature & Parks

September 17, 2021 Giuseppe Pratt

Alaska is divided into five regions: far north, interior, southwest, south central, and inside passage. Although it takes a long time to see the entire state, you can travel through the regions by boat, car, bus, or plane. Hike through the mountains, or venture out on a deep sea fishing or whale watching excursion. Get in touch with nature by camping in the wilderness, or experience your preferred degree of class and luxury in the beautiful, active cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks. 
Restaurants in Alaska

1. Resurrection Bay

Seward, AK +1 877-777-4051 http://www.kenaifjords.com
Excellent
86%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 920 reviews

Resurrection Bay

This area provides birders with views of fulmars, petrels, puffins, murres, kittiwakes and auklets.

Reviewed By IowaTravelFan - Johnston, United States

This is one of those places you should take the time to slow down and enjoy the town of Seward, the friendly residents, good restaurants and beautiful scenery. The walk along the bay goes from the port to the Sea Life Center. Near the port their are restaurants and shops. Further down are campgrounds. There are rest rooms and a park with playground equipment. Watching the techniques of the fishermen and women is interesting with salmon jumping all about. Beautiful blue waters, mountains and today a rainbow! A place we won’t ever forget.

2. Prince William Sound

AK +1 800-324-7602 http://www.discoveryvoyages.com
Excellent
86%
Good
12%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 475 reviews

Prince William Sound

Soak in the breathtaking scenery of fjords, glaciers, waterfalls and bays whether kayaking, sailing or cruising through the calm waters. Wildlife abounds in the form of whales, seals, sea lions, eagles, bears and deer.

Reviewed By 798sanghamitrar - Minneapolis, United States

We took a cruise to witness the beauty of prince William sound. It was cloudy but the vistas were picturesque. We got lucky spotted a couple of otters. The glaciers and the waterfalls along them were beautiful. Must visit !

3. Kachemak Bay State Park

Homer, AK 99603 +1 907-262-5581 http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/kbay/kbayl.htm
Excellent
90%
Good
8%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
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5.0 based on 183 reviews

Kachemak Bay State Park

This enormous state park, largely unexplored wilderness, includes glaciers, rivers and waterfalls and offers a 10-mile coastline strip that is excellent for fishing and kayaking. Wildlife sightings include puffins, eagles, sea otters, seals, porpoises and whales.

Reviewed By RobinC789 - Falls Church, United States

This is a stunningly gorgeous park with a fantastically maintained and marked trail to a chilly glacier lake.

4. Tongass National Forest

Ketchikan, AK https://www.fs.usda.gov/tongass/
Excellent
79%
Good
19%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
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5.0 based on 140 reviews

Tongass National Forest

The nation's largest national forest.

Reviewed By scuba-chuck - Moorpark, United States

Went fishing, and flew over only a small part of the forest. Beautiful area. Highly recommended to get away from it all.

5. Hatcher Pass

+1 907-745-3975 http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/hatcherpass/hatcherpass.htm
Excellent
86%
Good
10%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 174 reviews

Hatcher Pass

Several hiking trails are located in this area.

Reviewed By alianns

Hatcher's Pass is a beautiful hiking place in the summer and has snow both early and late for sledding or cross country skiing. Brave souls will snow machine or skin up and ski down. Views are unparalleled on a clear day! It is a great and scenic drive even if you don't plan to do any outdoor activities there. There are cabins to rent for an overnight and a rustic restaurant to eat at too. It is the site of a former gold mine. The buildings are still visible and it is interesting to walk around. A true Alaskan gem!

6. Denali

Denali National Park and Preserve, AK +1 800-622-7275 http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm
Excellent
85%
Good
11%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 2,832 reviews

Denali

America's tallest peak, this 20,320-foot mountain is the most famous part of this national park.

Reviewed By KeithH911 - Boones Mill, United States

Nothing I can say about Denali will be worth the experience. Alaska was a ' bucket list' experience, and Denali was the crown jewel of the experience. Neither disappointed. Alaska was fantastic, Denali was amazing and awe inspiring, and I would do it again, sooner instead of later. Go, and prepare to be wowed by your experience.

7. Hubbard Glacier

Yakutat Bay, AK http://www.alaska.org/detail/hubbard-glacier
Excellent
93%
Good
6%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 661 reviews

Hubbard Glacier

First mapped in 1895, Hubbard is considered the largest tidewater glacier in North America.

Reviewed By Zeituni - Jerusalem, Israel

Visiting this glacier is most impressive. When the ship slowly turns to let everybody on board see the glacier, you hear thunder-like sounds of falling to the ocean icebergs

8. College Fjord

AK
Excellent
88%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 65 reviews

College Fjord

9. Tracy Arm Fjord

Tongass National Forest, Juneau, AK
Excellent
88%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 2,879 reviews

Tracy Arm Fjord

Reviewed By clippers2018 - Maidenhead, United Kingdom

I spent the whole of June ‘19 travelling across Canada for 3 weeks followed by an 8 day Alaskan inside passage Cruise. I witnessed and experienced some amazing things including a flight over Niagara Falls and Dog Sledding on a Rockies Glacier. However, clear top (and that’s saying something !) amongst the numerous highlights was the Tracy Arm Fjord Cruise. The Cruise lasted 6.5 hours. It started with a switch from cruise ship to a smaller vessel (100 people ?) at 9am with a return to Juneau at 3:30pm. It was spectacular throughout. We cleared early fog to find ourselves on mill pond like water surrounded by magnificent snow capped mountains, valleys and tree lined rock faces, numerous waterfalls, mind boggling ice floes and jaw dropping glaciers. And then there was the wildlife ! As we travelled through the area every turn delivered yet another incredible view. So good was the spectacle any food time outs were very brief affairs ! There were early sightings of bald eagles, basking seals, brown bears at the waters edge and whales ! As we headed towards Juneau we came across a humpback whale crashing it’s fins on the water before submerging and a few seconds later performing a full breach right in front of us. Quite the spectacular finish to the cruise ! Researching this excursion pre cruise it looked fantastic, but exceeded those expectations considerably. I was advised to pre book and was so glad I did as it had sold out when I boarded. If you are doing one excursion make this the one if you possibly can. Truly magnificent.

10. Husky Homestead

Mile 238.7 Parks Hwy, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99755 +1 907-683-2904 [email protected] http://www.huskyhomestead.com/
Excellent
89%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
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5.0 based on 1,859 reviews

Husky Homestead

Enjoy a warm welcome and experience a true Alaskan lifestyle at Husky Homestead—home of Iditarod Champion, Jeff King. Husky Homestead is widely heralded as an authentic look into rural lifestyles based on 40+ years of Alaskan adventures: from freight hauling on Denali to crossing the finish line in Nome, Alaska with a champion Iditarod team. See puppies upon arrival and share an intimate view of the Alaskan Husky as the team explodes from the dog yard and witness their beauty in motion as they run on our treadmill before hitting the trail for a training run. Get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into creating a championship team and carving a life in Alaska's Interior. Hear compelling stories from the trail and see actual racing sleds, arctic survival gear and equipment used to traverse 1100 miles of Alaska's most rugged terrain. Dress in extra layers, wear comfortable shoes, bring bug repellent - and your camera! Our 2021 season will run from June 1 - August 31.

Reviewed By Carolinecoolcat - Charlotte, United States

There were many favorites with this excursion! Jeff was amazing....he comes alive during his presentation of his Iditarod racing experiences! He allowed us to handle the 12 week old puppies, he gave us a personal tour of his training grounds during the summer season which included a ride (with him) on the ATV with his racing dogs leading. The dogs were mesmerizing. The whole experience was unforgettable. I highly recommend visiting Husky Homestead!!!

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