For many, a trip to Alaska hasÌýthe same pull as a far-flung vacation. As weÌýanticipate the return of international travel, why not ease into things with a visit to the far reaches of our 49th state? Plus, CanadaÌýÌýpassenger shipsÌýin all its waters until 2022, cutting off the only route to Alaska by sea. That meansÌýit’s likely that many of the state’sÌýmost touristed parks, like Glacier Bay,Ìýwill see far fewerÌývisitors this summer.Ìý
While much of AlaskaÌýisÌýhard to reach and inhospitable, it has a whopping two dozen parks and preserves overseen byÌýthe National Park Service that are easy to navigate with enough preparation. We picked five sites that showcase the best of the stateÌýand includedÌýtips on what to do and where to post upÌýwhile you’re there. The best times to visit land between mid-June and September, soÌýit’s time to start planning.Ìý
Denali National Park
Arguably the most iconic of Alaska’s national parks, is home to North America’s highest peak, 20,310-foot Denali, and 6 million acres of high-alpine terrain. The park is aÌýtwo-hour drive from FairbanksÌýor four hours from AnchorageÌýandÌýhas just one 92-mileÌýroad that crosses it, whichÌýis closed to private cars most of the year. Ìýrents mountain and e-bikesÌýand hosts a shuttle for cyclists—orÌý to travel a stretch of the scenicÌýroadway.
During the summer months, there’sÌýalso the dailyÌý (from $174), which offers spectacular views of Denali’s best sights, including Indian River, Hurricane Gulch, and the park’sÌýnamesake peak. ItÌýdeparts fromÌýAnchorage and stops at Denali seven hours later en route to Fairbanks. Stay inÌýa remote corner of the parkÌýat one of 42 private cabins atÌý (from $575), where meals are prepared for you and, because there are only a few designated trails in Denali, guides will escort you off-trail into the surrounding wilderness.Ìý
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
The country’s largest national park,ÌýÌýstretches across 13.2 million acres, the equivalent of six . Everything feels bigger here, from the peaks—like 18,008-foot MountÌýSt. Elias, the second highest in the United States—to the icefields and the caribou herds. It’s a 4.5-hour drive from Anchorage to reach the park’s main visitorÌýcenter.ÌýÌýprovides van shuttles, which operate from May through September, with plenty of stopsÌýfrom Anchorage to Kennicott, an old copper mining village deep in the park, and McCarthy, the park’s barely populated town at the end of a gravel road. Stay a few nights in McCarthy at the historic 20-roomÌý (from $249), and hike the four-mile round-tripÌýÌýto Root Glacier to see a mile-high ice wall, or the nine-mile round-trip Ìýfor sweeping views of theÌýChugach Mountains, Mt. Blackburn, and Kennicott Glacier.
Glacier Bay National Park
Ìýis one of the most visited of Alaska’s national parks, due to the many cruise ships that pull upÌýtoÌýport here each day from May through September. But with Canada’s recent ban on vessels in all its waters until 2022,Ìýit’s likely that Glacier Bay will see far fewerÌývisitors this summer.ÌýThe only way to get here is by boat or plane, most of which departÌýfrom the town of Juneau—opt for aÌý from Bartlett Cove, or flyÌýinto the airport in Gustavus. With only a fewÌý, totaling about tenÌýmiles, the best way to see the region’s humpback whales, sea lions, and harbors seals is by paddling some of the 700 miles of shoreline in a kayak.ÌýÌýleads guided day trips (from $95).ÌýSpend the night atÌý (from $239), the only lodging inside the park.
Kenai Fjords National Park
It’s glacier paradise in , home to some 40 bergs, many of which are recedingÌýdue to warmingÌýtemperatures. Get to the park’s gateway town of Seward via a two-plus-hour drive from Anchorage, or a ride on theÌý. Once there, hike the stout 8.2-mile round-tripÌý, which climbsÌýthrough meadows, forests, and rocky outcroppings before topping out with views of its namesake icefield.
Or take to the water:Ìý has chartered boat rides and guided ski kayaking tours to spot sea otters and Pacific white-sided dolphins. Afterward, stop by theÌý in Seward for a dozen oysters andÌý for a pint of red ale. Take an hour-long boat ride from Seward to Fox Island in Resurrection Bay to reach your overnight accommodations at the eight-cabinÌý (from $1,506), or check out the new Ìý(from $150), which opens May 9, from the owners of the town’sÌý.
Kobuk Valley National Park
Yep, Alaska has sand dunes. You’ll find the Arctic’s largestÌýat the 25-square-mile Great Kobuk Sand Dunes area within . This remote, roadless, trailless park is accessible only via airplane—fly from Anchorage to Kotzebue or from Fairbanks to Bettles. Once in Kotzebue or Bettles, you have to fly into the park usingÌý. Watch out for migrating caribou—the Western Arctic caribou herd is the largest in Alaska,Ìýat 490,000 animals. With no lodging or developed campgrounds inside the park, staying here involves backcountry camping—theÌý can guide you on the best places to set up camp, or you can book a weeklongÌýguided trip using bush planes with (from $5,900).