10 Things to do Adventurous in Alaska That You Shouldn't Miss

January 23, 2022 Yuk Petri

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. Columbia Glacier

Valdez, AK
Excellent
84%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 242 reviews

Columbia Glacier

The largest tidewater glacier in Alaska.

Reviewed By wsultemeier - Oklahoma City, United States

A remarkable day! Views, animals, kayaking, glacier, glacier ice and great guide. The equipment was exceptional as well.

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. Hatcher Pass

+1 907-745-3975 http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/hatcherpass/hatcherpass.htm
Excellent
86%
Good
10%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
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!

4. 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
0%
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.

5. Brooks Falls

Katmai National Park and Preserve, AK +1 907-243-1595 http://www.flyrusts.com
Excellent
92%
Good
6%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 309 reviews

Brooks Falls

Area on the Brooks River where a large number of brown bears spend their summer due to salmon migration.

Reviewed By 907blaked - Tampa, United States

We made a special trip to Katmai National Park from Anchorage to view the grizzly bears, and we were not disappointed. We looked at a couple of different private transportation services to get there, including Rust's and Katmailand. We ultimately settled on Katmailand, and we were not disappointed, even though the price was steep at $895 per person. Our trip started at a private hanger near the Anchorage airport, where we loaded into a nine passenger jet for the one hour and 15 minute flight to King Salmon. The flight left at around 7 AM, arriving in King Salmon at 8:15 AM. King Salmon is the main hub for getting to Brooks Camp, and it seemed like little float planes to and from Brooks Camp were constantly taking off and landing, whether with passengers, supplies, or both. Our flight on a 10 passenger float plane ultimately left at around 9:45 AM and landed at Brooks Camp on Naknek Lake at 10:05 AM. Immediately upon arrival we went to the visitor center for a briefing on bear safety. There was a 10 minute film, followed by a 10 minute life talk from the Ranger. After that, we were allowed to explore the entirety of Brooks Camp on our own. We immediately headed for Brooks Falls, knowing that that was the best place to view the grizzlies. We walked across the brand new bridge that was opened for the 2019 season, which was fantastic (no bear jams!). Several platforms off the bridge allowed you to stop and watch the grizzlies if there were any, and there definitely were each time we crossed it. The walk to Brooks Falls was ultimately around 20 minutes from the visitor center. The upper Falls viewing platform holds only 40 people at a time, and so they have a system for managing the tourists: When you arrive to the upper Falls location, you are given a buzzer similar to what you get at a restaurant by the host when you’re waiting for your table. You are than invited to go to the lower Falls platform viewing area to watch the grizzlies down stream while you wait for your buzzer to ring. Once your buzzer rings, you are permitted to go to the upper Falls for one hour. On the day we were there, the lower downstream area was actually better viewing for the bears then the upper Falls area. This was by far the highlight of our trip to Katmai, and probably even to Alaska overall. As part of our tour reservation through Katmailand, we were provided access to the buffet lunch at the dining lodge. I was not expecting much, but it actually was very good. There was a full salad bar, plus 4 or 5 hot dishes, including beef, chicken fried rice, sticky rice, and beef barley soup. There were also two desserts to choose from, chocolate brownies and pecan bars. There was plenty to eat for the vegan member in our group. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 4 PM, and we were told to check in back at the office near the visitor center and hour in advance. The fact that we had to check in a full hour early was a little disappointing, because once you come back down to the office and visitor center area from the Falls area, it is difficult to get back up to the Falls area for viewing, and so you are essentially "stuck" around the office area for the entire hour before your flight (although they do allow you to hang out on the new bridge, where we could still view some bears). Our flight eventually left around 3:50 PM, and we were headed back to King Salmon and then eventually to Anchorage. Viewing grizzlies at Brooks Falls is something everyone should do if you have the interest and ability! We went on July 12, and we probably saw 35 bears in total, with the maximum at any one time of around 10 or 11.

6. Hubbard Glacier

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

7. Davidson Glacier

Skagway, AK +1 907-983-4444 http://www.alaskaexcursions.com/glacier-safari-2
Excellent
88%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 435 reviews

Davidson Glacier

See the Davidson Glacier up close, from the vantage point of our 30-foot Voyager Canoes. The Glacier Point Wilderness Safari brings you into the Alaskan Wilderness and gives you a taste of the “True Alaska”.Your adventure begins at your cruise ship where we’ll board a high-speed vessel made for wildlife viewing en route to an Alaskan paradise. We’ll ply the waters of the deepest Fjord in North America with a naturalist guide, watching for whales, sea lions, porpoise, and many other species of marine wildlife. We land at Glacier Point and board our Safari Buses for a short drive over the terminal moraines. Our award-winning guides share with you the wonders of this Glacial Wilderness. A quarter mile hike will lead us to the iceberg-studded lake where we’ll paddle our canoes to the face of the glacier. This is an ideal family adventure and one you won’t soon forget!

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. Kroschel Films Wildlife Center

1.8 Mile Mosquito Lake Road, Haines, AK 99827-9704 +1 907-767-5464 [email protected] http://www.kroschelfilms.com
Excellent
91%
Good
5%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 492 reviews

Kroschel Films Wildlife Center

Reviewed By 927annmariel

If you love animals then you will love this place, it's truly amazing animals safe and well cared for, staff and owner wonderful people, so knowledgeable and have animals welfare at heart, truly a brilliant trip, would definitely do again if it was possible

10. Running Reindeer Ranch

1470 Ivans Aly, Fairbanks, AK 99709-6161 +1 907-455-4998 [email protected] http://www.runningreindeer.com
Excellent
91%
Good
7%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,244 reviews

Running Reindeer Ranch

By reservation, Running Reindeer Ranch offers guided walking natural history tours of the boreal forest with our reindeer friends. Get to know our reindeer in this 2.5 hour unique, immersive, educational tour. Enjoy a walk through the magical birch forest, observing reindeer games and learning the adaptations that make reindeer ideal for Arctic living. While visiting our family-owned farm, there is plenty of time for pictures and reindeer hugs. After the reindeer walk, we’ll head inside to learn a bit more about reindeer while enjoying homemade cookies and drinks. We operate in any weather, all year, so appropriate clothing is a must. Reservation Required, book a walk on our website! With Covid19 protocols we are very serious about health. We provide touch less options, sanitize before and after each visit, stay outside the entire tour and all persons must wear a mask while visiting our ranch.

Reviewed By davym608 - Aliso Viejo, United States

Truly enjoyed our time...family of reindeer loved by Jane, Doug, and Alex. Hard to decide best part: Walking with the fall leaves, petting the reindeer, learning all 11 of their names, or the yummy cookies at the end. A must see when in Fairbanks!

ThingsTodoPost © 2018 - 2024 All rights reserved.