It’s known as “The Last Frontier,” as well as “the Land of the Midnight Sun.” It was the 49^th state admitted to the union in 1959, after being purchased by Russia in 1867. This is Alaska….and it’s enormous! It’s the largest state in the United States. In fact, in total land area, it’s bigger than Texas, Montana and California combined! And here’s a few more impressive (and a bit unusual), fun facts:

• Alaska has the longest coastline (6,640 miles) than all the other states combined
• Alaska’s name comes from the native Aleut word, Alyeska, which roughly means “great land”
• Alaska has 17 of the tallest mountains in North America, including Denali at 20,320 feet
• Alaska has more than 130 volcanoes, although there have only been two eruptions in the last century
• Alaska is home to the annual Iditarod-a 1,000 mile +/- dog sled race
• Alaska has 1 bear for every 21 citizens
• Alaska and Russia are very close. At its nearest point, mainland Alaska is only 55 miles from mainland Russia
• Alaska has more than 100,000 glaciers-more than any other area on the planet
• Alaska has more than 220 native tribes that speak 20 distinct indigenous languages
• Alaska is so big it technically lies in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres
• Alaska is the only state in the U.S. of which all the letters in its name can be typed on the same row of a computer keyboard (go ahead, try!)
• Alaska has the only state capital (Juneau) that cannot be reached by road
• Alaska has more than 3 million lakes and more than 12,000 rivers

After cancelling our plans for two years due to covid, our long-awaited family vacation to Alaska finally started in Anchorage, on a chilly, rainy day in late August……and it met all of our expectations!

I started planning this trip in the fall of 2019. I had previously visited Alaska with my dad several years ago on birding trips. But I really wanted to return with my family for an outdoor adventure to experience some of the awesome natural and cultural treasures Alaska had to offer. The map below shows the locations of where we visited.

Our plan was to rent a car, break the trip into two main regions, and cram as many activities and sights into the 8 days we had set aside. From Anchorage, we first drove 4 hours north to get a sampling of Alaska’s interior, focusing on Denali National Park and Preserve, home to “Denali” (formerly called Mt McKinley), the highest mountain in North America at 20,320 feet. Denali is part of the Alaska Range, a rather unsual mountain range since it runs east to west, compared to most mountain ranges that run north to south. After spending a few days gazing at towering, snow-covered mountains that stretched in every direction, taiga (boreal) forests and alpine tundra that went on for miles, we turned around and headed back south. The second part of our vacation was spent visiting the Kenai Peninsula, with stops in Whittier (Prince William Sound) and Seward (Kenai Fjords National Park). In both areas, we were hoping to see lots of wildlife, breathtaking landscapes and learn about the cultural diversity.

NORTH TO DENALI

Denali is more than just a mountain. Its six million acres of wild land, protected and preserved for wildlife and people alike. It’s a vast ecosystem that offers scientists, adventurers, hunters, writers and artists the opportunity to discover and enjoy natural resources found nowhere else. Although millions of people visit each year, most of it still remains a mystery and unexplored. The name change, from Mt McKinley National Park to Denali National Park and Preserve, did not come easily, however. After 100 years of debate, the National Park Service officially changed the name in 2016, to celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of the NPS, and finally recognize the native name, “Denali,” which means “The Great One.”

Unfortunately, most visitors to the park never get to see the mighty mountain because clouds and fog keep it hidden many days of the year. On this day, however, we got a little lucky, as the clouds lifted for just a little while, revealing the top of the enormous, snow-covered north face. We were all fascinated by the size of it, as it seemed to touch the sky. Now, you have to put things into perspective. For the first couple days we snapped photo after photo of big, beautiful mountains all around us, many of which were 8, 10 and 12 thousand footers. They were amazing. But then we caught our first glimpse of Denali. Wow, just Wow! Like the mythical village of Brigadoon rising out of the mist, Denali emerged from the clouds. It stood there, massive and majestic, towering over everything around it. Simply put, you could tell you were looking at the tallest mountain in North America! Nothing else compared!

There is only one road in Denali National Park and Preserve. It goes for about 90 miles toward the center of the park, from the eastern border. It is strictly controlled by the NPS that limits the public from driving their vehicles past the 15-mile mark. However, it does run bus tours along this scenic route, that allows visitors to get closer views of the giant mountain and search for some of the park’s famous wildlife species. It also drops off backcountry hikers/campers. That is, until late summer of 2021, when the Pretty Rocks landslide completely destroyed the road near the 43-mile mark. Now, vehicles, including bus tours, can only access the park to this point, where they must turn around. The NPS is still deciding what to do about this dilemma. They’re either looking to possibly reroute the road or build a bridge over this very unstable area. Although we were looking forward to traveling the entire 90 miles, we decided to keep our long-standing reservation on the Tundra Wilderness Tour…. and glad we did!

During this 5-hour trip, we saw lots of wildlife, but you had to look closely. Because the landscape was so wide, it was sometimes difficult to spot some of the critters. Along our route, we had great views of Caribou, Moose, Dall Sheep and 4 different Grizzly Bears, including one napping on a rock only 50 feet from the road! It was fantastic, and maybe a once in a lifetime encounter! The interior land mammals of Alaska did not disappoint-from the magnificent Grizzlies right down to the cute little Arctic Ground Squirrels.

This is a very special place. With millions of acres of mountains and rivers, boreal forests and alpine tundra, and home to some of the most beautiful wildlife in nature , Denali National Park and Preserve represents one of America’s most treasured ecosystems! All this, as “The Great One” boldly stands guard in the backdrop! As we said good-bye to Denali, we drove the 4 hours back to Anchorage to spend the night, stopping to stretch our legs at Chugach State Park. We took a short hike to view the 200-foot Thunderbird Falls, which cascades down through the Eklutna River canyon. As we travelled south, I was constantly amazed how lush the forest vegetation was in many areas we visited, which I had learned were coastal temperate rain forests! Ecological diversity at its best!