The wonders of Alaska are evident at nearly every turn along the admittedly limited highway system connecting some of Alaska’s major cities to each other. There is little necessity to visit National Parks or wildlife preserves to see the beauty of this awe inspiring state.

On the other hand, it would be a real shame to come to Alaska and not experience the spectacular vistas, trails, scenery and wildlife abounding in the largest and most diverse National Park system in the world. Some of our parks and preserves are well known and heavily frequented, such as Denali National Park located along a major road connecting Anchorage and Fairbanks. Others are less well known and much more difficult to get to … but they are well worth the effort and will send you away with memories of a lifetime!

Alaska is home to a total of eight National Parks, two National Monuments, ten National Preserves, two National Historical Parks and two National Forests – all in a state so vast as to be unimaginable to those who have not been here.

Some of Alaska’s parks can be accessed by car, some by train and others only by air (sometimes a small charter plane is the only option). A few are along regular cruise ship routes while others may only be accessible by poorly marked roads, even unmarked trails or perhaps by paddling a kayak!

This is a short synopsis of a few of the more popular National Parks and Preserves found in Alaska. Each one is unique and ALL are worthy of visiting not once but over and over, beginning with the undisputed favorite, Denali National Park.

Denali, the “Great One”, is the Athabaskan name given to the towering peak that has always been considered the crowning glory of the 600 mile long Alaska Range. Formerly dubbed Mount McKinley National Park, the name was officially changed in 1980. This six million acre national park offers mountaineering, back-country hiking and camping, RV parks and lodging, fishing, shuttle-bus tours, snowmobiling and cross country skiing during winter months and much more. The vast majority of the park remains a pristine and remarkably unspoiled wilderness.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is most often seen from the deck of a cruise ship or charter boat. It stretches 65 miles from the forests of Bartlett Cove to the tidewater glaciers and every inch of shoreline is spectacular. The park is surrounded by snow-capped mountains rising over 15,000 awe-inspiring feet above sea level.

Katmai National Park and Preserve is 6,400 square miles in size and home to some of the largest brown bear populations in the world. Katmai includes some of Alaska’s most active salmon spawning rivers and streams, making it popular for wildlife viewing.

Kenai Fjords National Park is located on the southeastern Kenai Peninsula. This popular tourist destination is a lovely, rugged stretch of land supporting sea and land bird rookeries, a rugged shoreline and abundant wildlife in virtually unaltered natural ecosystems. Summer boat tours take tourists on regular trips to view spectacular sea and shore life. Whale watching is a favorite activity.

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the single largest National Park in the United States of America. To put this in perspective, it is six times the size of Yellowstone National Park. If you trace any one of the many rivers within the park upstream to its source, you will find a glacier. This stunningly beautiful park also holds nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the United States – the ice fields, which remain snow-covered year round, seem to stretch forever.

The sheer number of mountains (four mountain ranges meet up within its boundaries), serious lack of roads and fairly primitive facilities do give tourists pause. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is on many people’s “wish list” to see, but some opt for a flight-seeing experience rather than attempting one of only two lengthy gravel roads into the park. Only the most determined and adventurous tourists choose to experience the back-country hiking, skiing and snowmobiling this park can offer. The trip though, whether by plane or land vehicle, is considered to be well worth the effort.