Alaska
Discover Alaska
Alaska is by far the largest state of the United States by land area. Nicknamed "the last frontier", Alaska is sparsely populated with a harsh climate but incredible scenery. Separated from the "lower 48" by Canada, Alaska can be a challenging destination; most of the state is in the Arctic. Besides vast forests and frozen tundra, Alaska contains the ten highest mountain peaks in the United States, including Denali, the highest in all of North America. Unlike other American states, which are administratively divided into counties, Alaska's sub-divisions are known as boroughs.
Taste of Alaska...
Alaskans love their food, fresh or otherwise you need good feed to keep up with daily life here. The portions in this state are huge. Almost every little town will have a local diner where one can get a filling breakfast and lots of hot coffee. Try the reindeer sausage with your eggs and hash in the morning and you'll feel like a true Alaskan. Some foods indigenous to this area are fireweed honey (distinctive and quite uniquely delicious), and spruce tip syrup made from the Sitka spruce which grows very commonly throughout Alaska; and of course there is perhaps the most well known of all Alaskan produce: seafood. Alaska's fishing grounds are among some of the richest in the world and feature among other delicacies King and Snow crab which are exported the world over. Many local restaurants close to the shore serve fresh halibut and salmon daily, right off the boats. Fried halibut less than 24 hours out of the water is an experience like no other. The fish doesn't even need to be chewed it is so tender. Fresh salmon is usually best grilled or roasted . Crab is almost always pre-boiled at sea to preserve its freshness. Most coastal towns also have at least one place serving sushi made with local fish. Restaurant prices, like most other things in Alaska do tend to be rather high but the experience of eating truly fresh seafood is worth it.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsAnchorage, and to a lesser extent Fairbanks, are served by Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines year round from the lower 48, particularly from Seattle but also from other cities in the lower 48 (such as from Denver on United). Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Sitka, and Wrangell are also served by daily jet service through Alaska Airlines flights originating in Seattle and terminating in Anchorage, on a point to point routing system. Other airlines, such as Air Canada, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Sun Country, and other international carriers, offer service to Anchorage on a seasonal basis rather than all-year round. Other communities within the state are served by an extensive system of regional and local air services from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Ketchikan, the state's four largest urban areas (See "By Air" under "Getting Around" in below)....
Regions
Explore AreasUnlike other American states, which are administratively divided into counties, Alaska's sub-divisions are known as boroughs. In 1867 (two years after the end of the Civil War), the territory of Alask…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Most cities and villages in the state outside of the south-central region or southern interior are accessible only by sea or air. The Alaska Marine Highway System also serves the cities of Southeast and the Alaska Peninsula. Cities not served by road or sea can only be reached by air, accounting for Alaska's extremely well-developed bush air services—an Alaskan novelty. Although Anchorage is accessible via most major domestic carriers and some international carriers, Alaska Airlines has a virtual monopoly on jet air travel within the state, meaning prices are extremely high in comparison to comparable distances in the lower 48. The airline offers frequent jet service from Anchorage and Fairbanks to regional hubs like Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue, Dillingham, Kodiak, and other larger communities as well as to major Southeast and Alaska Peninsula communities. Smaller communities are served by the main regional jet and turboprop commuter airlines: Grant Aviation and Ravn Alaska.
Money & Budget
In Alaska cruise ports (especially Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway) the tourist shopping experience is dominated by jewelry, tee shirts, and trinkets that could be purchased at any major cruise port in the world (perhaps from the same chain shop). Yes, there are good buys occasionally (especially at the end of the season), but local products can be difficult to find. If you are on a cruiseship, don't be afraid to visit stores not listed on the "preferred business'" list provided by the cruiseline. Those businesses paid a premium to be listed and don't necessarily represent higher quality or better selection. Local Alaskan artists are found in co-op and locally owned galleries.
Language & Talk
Alaska, of course, speaks English, with about 84% of the population saying English is their primary language, but also many native languages are spoken, including Inupiat, Central Siberian Yupik, Central Alaskan Yup'ik, Alutiiq, Aleut, Dena'ina, Deg Xinag, Holikachuk, Koyukon, Upper Kuskokwim, Gwich'in, Lower Tanana, Upper Tanana, Tanacross, Hän, Ahtna, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Coast Tsimshian. Some Russian is also spoken. In the Nikolaevsk village in Kenai Peninsula, founded by Russian Old Believers in the 1960s, Russian is spoken more than English. There is a dialect spoken in the Last Frontier, but there isn't enough data on the English of Alaska to either include it within Western American English or assign it its own "separate status".
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Alaska enjoys a comparatively low crime rate and is generally a safe place to travel. Anchorage is a real "big city" and street crime is not uncommon. Some areas of Fairbanks have disturbingly high rates of drug and alcohol-related violence, prostitution, assaults and murders, and Fairbanks as a whole has a serious issue of property crime. Despite this, crime in Fairbanks and Alaska in general is almost always done by people who know each other and very rarely, if ever, targeted towards tourists. If you use common sense, chances are you won't run into any trouble. While Alaska is wild and beautiful, it does not tolerate fools easily. It is quite possible to get lost, cold, wet, and even die, all within sight of downtown Anchorage. The state's populace varies between extremely friendly to tourists and openly hostile.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Alaska
Late Night Dance
Auke Lake, Juneau, AK Taken By: Kathrine Coonjohn 2019
snow covered mountain reflections at daytime
river beside forest under bright sky
Three sea otters playing in Gulf of Alaska, North Pacific Ocean in Kenai Fjords, Alaska
Endless road - Mount Drum Alaska
Reflections are always special, especially when there are Alaskan mountains around.
New Lands
Taken in Summer 2019; Skagway; Alaska; USA
Auke Lake, Juneau, Alaska Taken By: Kathrine Coonjohn 2019
Late Night Dance
Auke Lake, Juneau, AK Taken By: Kathrine Coonjohn 2019
snow covered mountain reflections at daytime