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As your Alaska travel guide, I'll tell you about the various places you can go in Alaska, for some of the activities in your Alaska vacation planning.
YOUR ALASKA TRAVEL GUIDE FOR ALASKA PARKS.  The National and State Parks, Preserves, Forests, and Recreation Areas are where you’ll probably spend most of your time. Alaska has more and larger parks than any other state in the U.S.A. That’s because we have so much space, of course! So, you’ll find many choices in places to go for your vacation activities in Alaska.
Because Alaska is such a big place and there are so few roads, you will have to plan on other means of travel to reach many of its remote areas. There are many plane and boat rentals or charters in nearby towns as well as guided tours and trips from the local areas. You'll find these various services listed on my Alaska vacation guide page. Here’s a few of the most popular and accessible parks and preserves to visit: • In the Fairbanks Area – there are numerous State Parks near Delta Junction. North of Fairbanks – one million acre White Mountains National Recreation Area accessible from the Steese Highway. 
• On your way to Anchorage from Tok – Wrangell-St. Elias, the largest U.S National Park has NO fees, but there is plenty to do. You can enter the park on the Nabesna Road, or from the McCarthy Road if you are headed to Valdez. • Around the Anchorage area – 495 thousand acre Chugach State Park which is open all seasons, has endless possibilities. Can be accessed from the Glenn Highway north of Anchorage and the Seward Highway, south of Anchorage. There area also a number of State Marine Parks accessible by boat from Whittier. • To Seward on the Kenai Peninsula – The Kenai Fjords National Park has a road to Exit Glacier. The rest of the park does not have any roads through it and has NO entrance or camping fees. There are hiking trails and many camping areas reachable by boat. • Around Valdez – there is a small recreation site at Blueberry Lake as well as several State Marine Parks within an hour boat ride of the town Between Anchorage and Fairbanks on the Parks Highway – the six million acre Denali National Park and Preserve, the most famous of Alaskan parks. There is only one road access into the park and private vehicles are limited to the first few miles. Buses are provided. If you are looking for convenient, high-quality, private campgrounds, you’ll find many through the Alaska Campground Owners Association (ACOA). YOUR ALASKA TRAVEL GUIDE FOR ALASKA RIVERS, ALASKAN LAKES and other waterways: 
Are rivers going to play an important part in your vacation? If so, then you’ll want to find out more about which rivers to visit. Here are just a few: • Beaver Creek National Wild River north of Fairbanks– great for smooth rafting, from 7 days to a 3 week trip. • Kenai River and two lakes on Kenai Peninsula – great for rainbow trout and salmon fishing • Nenana River on the east border of Denali Park – great smooth to class IV whitewater rafting • Copper River – for great fishing and great rafting in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. • Clam Gulch to Ninilchik oceanfront on the Kenai Peninsula – great for – you guessed it – clam digging! YOUR ALASKA TRAVEL GUIDE FOR ALASKAN GLACIERS: Getting a close-up view of an Alaskan glacier is a "must" for any Alaskan vacation. Interestingly enough, most of the glaciers are in the central to southern part of Alaska. • Matanuska Glacier – accessible from the Glenn Highway at mile 102 from Anchorage • Exit Glacier – just before you get to Seward on the Kenai Peninsula • Worthington Glacier – just off the Richardson Highway before you get to Valdez • Alaska’s many other glaciers can be viewed on boat trips, cruises or by hiking into the glacial areas in many of the Alaska Parks. YOUR ALASKA TRAVEL GUIDE FOR ALASKA HOT SPRINGS: Alaska’s numerous hot springs can be found in many locations but mostly in remote areas: • Chena Hot Springs, Circle Hot Springs and Manley Hot Springs are all near Fairbanks and accessible by road. • Hot Springs and volcanic activity abounds in Katmai National Park but can only be reached by plane. YOUR ALASKA TRAVEL GUIDE FOR ALASKA TRAILS: If you’re planning on doing any hiking, biking, backpacking, horseback riding, skiing, snow-machining or other vigorous activities – and that IS the best way to get the most out of your Alaska vacation – then you’ll want to find out about a few of the Alaskan trails: • Quartz Creek Trail – A 16 mile trail in the White Mountains area north of Fairbanks. Is open to foot and motorized traffic • The Summit Trail – Runs from the Elliott Highway to Beaver Creek in the White Mountains area. Limited to activities on foot – no vehicles • Eklutna Lake Trail – Just a short ways north of Anchorage, this trail system which is a former road, is open all year long and allows a great variety of activities. Twelve miles of trails, one leading to Eklutna Glacier 
• Tony Knowles (named after a former State Governor) Coastal Trail – Eleven miles of easy coastline trail from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park. Any foot activity – no vehicles • North Resurrection Pass Trail – On the north end of Kenai Peninsula. Accessed from the Hope Road off the Sterling Highway. Nineteen miles of easy summer trails and moderate difficulty in winter. Some activities limited at certain times of the year • South Resurrection Pass Trail and Devil’s Pass Trail – start at the Russian River parking area, mile 52 of the Sterling Highway. Easy to moderate difficulty in winter. Total length is 28 miles. • Russian Lakes Trail – if you want a difficult trail, try this one, starting at the Exit Glacier Road just four miles north of Seward YOUR ALASKA TRAVEL GUIDE for Other Exploration: • Find dormant Alaska Volcanoes to explore. This is some real backwoods hiking - no marked trails. As an Alaska travel guide, there are a few other things that I think would be enjoyable for visitors to learn about. Alaska has some very old lighthouses that played a part in its history. And of course, the remnants of the gold rush days and other mining ventures, in old dilapidated mines and ghost towns, are quite interesting. Now, after you’ve done all these strenuous activities and you’re looking for more relaxing entertainment from your Alaska Travel Guide (in slightly less wild areas), check out some of our Alaska Attractions… Return to Top of Alaska Travel Guide Page Return to Tips For Backwoods Alaska Vacations Home Page
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