You Don’t want to Miss This!

OFFICIAL STATE VACATION PLANNER

IT'S WAITING, FOR YOU.

DISCOVER UNTAMED NATURE

EXPERIENCE LOCAL CULTURE

EXPLORE THE LAST FRONTIER

On the Cover: John River, Gates of the Arctic National Park

LETTER FROM THE GOVERNOR

Welcome to your Official State of Alaska Travel Planner. As Governor, and as an Alaskan, I'm thrilled that you're interested in exploring our state. We Alaskans are so proud of our home. It's an extraordinarily beautiful place, with unforgettable scenery, magnificent wildlife, and some flat-out wonderful people. Whether you're coming to see our glorious mountains, rivers and glaciers; to learn about our cultures and our history; or just to taste the best seafood on the planet, we know you'll make amazing lifelong memories here. We're sure that a trip to our state will live up to your wildest dreams. And we look forward to welcoming you to The Last Frontier. Warm regards,

Governor Michael J. Dunleavy

1 ? State of Alaska/Michael DeYoung

PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

INFORMATION

State Map

3

Seasons

5

Planning Your Trip

7

Getting Around

9

REGIONS

Southcentral

41

Interior

43

Arctic

45

Southwest

47

Inside Passage

49

FEATURES

Landscapes

11

TRAVEL DIRECTORY

Night's Lights

13

Index

53

Alaska's History

15

Statewide

54

Alaska Native Culture

17

Southcentral

67

Arts & Culture

19

Interior

83

Wildlife

21

Arctic

91

Road Trips

25

Southwest

93

Parks

29

Inside Passage

95

Community Information

103

ACTIVITIES

Find Your Adventure

33

Fishing

35

Hiking

36

Flightseeing

37

Water Activities

38

Shopping

39

Food & Drink

40

2

WELCOME TO THE

49TH STATE

Alaska is so large that it's sometimes hard to get our heads around it. Here are a few examples to help:

If you put a map of Alaska over a map of the lower 48 states, Alaska would stretch east to west from Savannah, Georgia to Los Angeles, and south to north from the Texas Panhandle to the top of North Dakota.

A flight between Juneau, our capital, and Anchorage, our largest city, is

N

1.5 hours. That's roughly the same time as it takes to fly from Denver to

Los Angeles (or from Chicago to New York).

Arctic Circle

ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND Gambell

Savoonga

The state is divided into five regions:

SOUTHCENTRAL

Southcentral Alaska is home to vividly diverse wilderness landscapes -- from beaches to mountaintops to fjords -- as well as half the state's population. Hub community: Anchorage

SOUTHWEST

Southwest Alaska's islands, river deltas and mountains, team with fish and wildlife. Hub communities: Kodiak, Bethel, Dillingham

INTERIOR

The Interior Region is a quintessentially Alaska landscape, bounded by high mountain ranges (it's home to Denali) and crisscrossed by glorious river vistas. Hub communities: Fairbanks, Tok

ARCTIC

Alaska's far north features the country's only Arctic ecosystem; northern lights dance above the snowy tundra in winter, while birds and caribou graze during the long summer days. Hub communities: Nome, Kotzebue, Utqiavik (Barrow)

INSIDE PASSAGE

The Inside Passage in the Southeast, home to breathtaking temperate rainforest, protected waterways and glaciers, reach into deep coastal fjords. Hub communities: Ketchikan, Juneau

3

ST. MATTHEW ISLAND

Scammon Bay Hooper Bay

BERING SEA

Mekoryuk

NUNIVAK ISLAND

PRIBILOF ISLANDS St. Paul Island

St. George Island

Goodnews Bay

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS

Dutch Harbor

4 Akutan

Unalaska

False Pass Cold Bay King Cove

Sand Point

Alaska & Lower 48 comparison

CHUKCHI SEA

Point Hope

Utqiavik (Barrow)

Wainwright

ARCTIC OCEAN

Umiat

Deadhorse

Prudhoe Bay

BEAUFORT SEA

Kaktovik

Little Diomede

Wales

Shishmaref

Teller

Taylor Pilgrim Hot Springs

Nome

Council White Mountain

Noatak

Gates of the Arctic Nat'l Park & Preserve

Kotzebue

Noorvik

Anaktuvuk Pass

Selawik

Wiseman

Koyuk u k

er Huslia

Bettles

Hughes

3

3 Coldfoot

Arctic Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

Arctic Village

NW TERRITORIES

Yukon Ri K uskokwim

R iv

U.S.A. ALASKA CANADA

Nulato

Stevens Village

Beaver Fort Yukon

Unalakleet

Rampart

Emmonak

St. Michael

Galena

Ruby

Tanana

Manley Hot Springs

3 Fox

Central Circle Chena Hot Springs

St. Mary's

ver

Denali Nat'l

FAIRBANKS

North Pole

Nenana

T

Yukon-Charley Rivers Nat'l Preserve

Holy Cross

River McGrath

Park & Preserve Kantishna

Denali

1

Salcha

Healy

an Delta Jicvte. r Chicken

Eagle Boundary

Cantwell

Dawson City

YUKON

Bethel

Aniak

1

Paxson

Tok

Yukon R

a R an

Trapper Creek Talkeetna

Quinhagak Togiak Nat'l

Wildlife Refuge

Dillingham

Lake Clark Nat'l Park & Preserve

Port Alsworth

Iliamna

Willow

Northway

Houston Big Lake

ANCHORAGE

Kenai Soldotna

Lake Louise

Wasilla Sutton 2

Gakona Jct.

Glennallen

Nabesna

2 Palmer

Copper Center

Girdwood Valdez

Whittier

2 Kenny Lake

Chitina

Kennicott

Beaver Creek iver

Carmacks

Naknek King Salmon

Ninilchik

Cooper Landing

1

Anchor Pt.

Chenega

Homer

Seward

Seldovia

Kenai Fjords

Prince William Sound

Tatitlek Cordova

McCarthy

Wrangell-St. Elias Nat'l Park & Preserve

Destruction Bay

Whitehorse

Katmai Nat'l

Nat'l Park

Kluane Nat'l Park

Haines Jct.

Aniakchak Nat'l

Park & Preserve

& Reserve

Monument & Preserve

Carcross

Ross River

Chignik

Port Lions

Kodiak Nat'l Wildlife Refuge

Ouzinkie

Kodiak

4 Old Harbor

KODIAK ISLAND

GULF OF ALASKA

PACIFIC OCEAN

Yakutat

BRITISH

Haines Skagway

COLUMBIA

Glacier Bay Nat'l

Auke

4 Park & Preserve

Bay

Gustavus

JUNEAU

Tracy Arm Fjord

Elfin Cove

Pelican

Hoonah/Icy Strait Point

Tenakee Springs

Angoon

Highway Pipeline

Ferry Railroad Limited Access

Check out these road trips on page 25. 1 Seward & George Parks Highways 2 Glenn & Richardson Highways 3 Elliott & Dalton Highways 4 Alaska Marine Highway System

Sitka

Kake Petersburg

PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND

Wrangell Hyder/ Stewart

Hollis

Misty Fjords Nat'l Monument

Ketchikan

Metlakatla

Prince Rupert

SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER

JUNEAU

5

? State of Alaska/Mark Kelley

WHEN TO VISIT

SEASONS

KODIAK

KENAI RIVER

FAIRBANKS

THOMAS BAY

GRANTED, WE'RE BIASED. WE THINK ANYTIME IS A GOOD TIME TO VISIT ALASKA!

Different seasons mean different activities and adventures.

SUMMER

FALL

WINTER

SPRING

This is a great time to be outdoors: hiking, fishing, boating, wildlife viewing and just having fun under the midnight sun.

Fall is harvest time. From fish and game to wild berries, Alaskans are celebrating nature's bounty.

Snowmachining, fat-tire biking, skiing and dog mushing are great winter activities.

Spring is migration time, and cruise lines are just starting their Alaska season.

PEAK SEASON May - September

SHOULDER SEASON WINTER SEASON SHOULDER SEASON

Late September

October - March

April - Early May

SEASONAL PERKS

The long days and warmer temperatures are perfect for outdoor activities.

Tour operators and businesses often have special rates during this time.

Dark skies at night mean stars and northern lights.

Businesses getting ready for summer offer early season discounts.

? State of Alaska/Michael DeYoung

? State of Alaska/Michael DeYoung

? State of Alaska/Matt Hage

? UnCruise Adventures

CLOTHING COMFORT GUIDE

ALASKA PRO TIP: dress in layers

short sleeves, shorts

SOUTHCENTRAL

long sleeves, pants

SOUTHWEST

INTERIOR

ARCTIC

INSIDE PASSAGE

SPRING SUMMER FALL

hat, gloves

WINTER

waterproof boots

insulated boots windbreaker, light jacket long underwear

winter jacket

6

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

GETTING HERE

GLACIER BAY

COMFORTS OF HOME

? Holland America Line - Ships Registry: The Netherlands

In cities and larger towns, we have conveniences, like ATMs, hospitals and coffee shops. Cell coverage and Wi-Fi are good in urban areas, but you might not have it in more remote locations.

TIME ZONES

We have two!

Get ready to set those watches!

AKST

1 HOUR 2 HOURS 3 HOURS 4 HOURS AHEAD AHEAD AHEAD AHEAD

We're on island time.

1 HOUR BEHIND

7

BY SEA

The most popular way to get here! To do it, you can hop aboard a cruise, a yacht (lucky you!) or take the Alaska Ferry. Cruises and ferries leave from Washington state and British Columbia. They sail the Inside Passage along Alaska's glorious coastline. Cruises generally operate April ? September.

BY ROAD

Travel at your own pace along the famed Alaska Highway. This spectacular, fully paved road was constructed in 1942 to connect Alaska to the Continental U.S. and Canada.

Get more driving tips and must-see sights here:

For the latest on Alaska road conditions: (t) 511 (w) 511.

BY AIR

The fastest and easiest way to get here. Major airlines have frequent service to gateway cities Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Ketchikan year-round. Don't forget: If you're traveling after October 2020, you'll need a Real ID to fly. Get more details at: real-id

Get more details here: GettingHere

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