United States of America's Alaska National Parks

Wild River

Alagnak

Location: Alaska's King Salmon

The wild waters of the Alagnak River begin in the nearby Katmai National Park and Preserve, where the Aleutian Range provides a particularly imposing backdrop. The Alagnak River, which meanders across the beautiful Alaska Peninsula on its way west toward Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea, offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the diverse landscapes, wildlife, and cultural traditions of southwest Alaska.

Governed Acreage in Alaska

Anchorage, AK

Alaska's protected areas, such as national forests and wildlife sanctuaries, are exceptionally diverse and well-maintained. The Alaska Public Lands Information Centers are there to ensure that people from all walks of life have positive, enriching, and enjoyable experiences on Alaska's public lands, while also encouraging them to protect the state's natural and cultural treasures. Visitors of all ages can take advantage of the center's assistance with trip preparation, interpretation, and informational programs.

Historic District Designation

During WWII, the Aleutian Islands were a key location for Allied forces.

Geographic Coordinates: Alaska; Unalaska/Dutch Harbor

Home to the Unangax (Aleut) for over 8,000 years, the remote Aleutian Islands became a hotly contested battleground in the Pacific during World War II. During World War II, this thousand-mile-long archipelago was the site of one of the deadliest battles in the Pacific Theater as Japanese forces invaded and occupied two islands, forcing the mass relocation of Unangax civilians.

Protected Area and National Monument

Aniakchak

Fishing Capital of the World: King Salmon, Alaska

Because of its extreme isolation and harsh climate, Aniakchak is one of the National Park Service's least frequented and wildest areas. An impressive six-mile (10 km) wide, 2,500 ft (762 m) deep caldera formed during a massive volcanic eruption 3,500 years ago, making this landscape a vivid reminder of Alaska's location on the volcanically active "Ring of Fire."

Sanctuary of National Significance

Connecting Asia and North America by Way of the Bering Strait

Nome, AK

The location of Bering Land Bridge National Preserve at the crossroads of two continents had a significant impact on the Pleistocene era distribution of life in the Western Hemisphere. Indigenous peoples still rely heavily on this land, as they have for hundreds of years. It's an unmatched wilderness that's also ecologically sound.

Historic Site

Krusenstern Cape

Location: Kotzebue, Alaska

Located 70 miles of Chukchi Sea coastline north of the Arctic Circle is marked by the monument. Over 114 beach ridges show signs of human habitation dating back at least 5,000 years. Currently, the Inupiat are still making use of it. Shorebirds from as far away as South America find refuge in the vast wetlands. Wildflowers carpet the ground, and qiviut fibers from muskoxen can be seen in the shrubs above as hikers and boaters explore the area.

The National Park and Preserve System

Denali

Park, Alaska, Denali

A single ribbon of road cuts through the middle of Denali's six million acres of wilderness. Tourists who venture along it get to witness the transition from the low-lying taiga forest to the high-lying alpine tundra and snow-capped mountains, capped off by Denali, North America's tallest peak at 20,310 feet. Large and small wild animals alike continue to live free in the wild, unrestrained by human interference. You will find peace and quiet in the wilderness.

Protected Area and National Park

Frontiers of the Arctic

A.K. Bettles

No roads or trails exist in this vast area. Intact ecosystems where people have coexisted with the land for thousands of years are something that visitors can find. Glacial valleys are carved by wild rivers, caribou follow ancient migration routes, and the summer sun gradually gives way to the winter's aurora-lit night. Outside of natural processes, it hasn't changed much.

Protected Area and National Park

Place of Glaciers

Alaska; Gustavus

Covering 3 Highlighting Alaska's Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park spans 3 million acres of rugged mountains, dynamic glaciers, temperate rainforest, wild coastlines, and deep sheltered fjords as part of a larger 25 million acre World Heritage Site. Glacier Bay is an endless source of wonder and adventure, from sea to summit.

Inuit Cultural Center

Alaska's Barrow

The Iupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska, is located on the Arctic Circle's highest point and tells the story of the Iupiat people. For thousands of years, these people have been able to survive in one of the harshest climates on Earth by hunting the bowhead, also known as "Agviq." Bowhead was highly sought after by commercial whalers from New England in the 19th century for its baleen and blubber.

A National Park and Preserve

Katmai

Alaska's Provincial Seat of King Salmon

Underneath our feet is a landscape teeming with wildlife that brings back memories of the wild. In 1918, Katmai was created to shield the area around Novarupta and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes from further volcanic destruction. Along with its important habitat for salmon and thousands of brown bears, Katmai National Park and Preserve today also safeguards 9,000 years of human history.

Theme Park

Fjords of Kenai

Seward, AK

You can still feel the effects of the ice age on the outskirts of the Kenai Peninsula. The Harding Icefield, the centerpiece of Kenai Fjords, is the source of nearly forty glaciers. Around this enormous sheet of ice, wildlife flourishes in the cold waters and verdant forests. The Sugpiaq used these to sustain a lifestyle intertwined with the ocean. Now more than ever, receding glaciers are a visible sign of the effects of our altering climate.

Theme Park

Location: Kobuk Valley1

Ktzebu, land Islands

In Kobuk Valley National Park, you can see caribou, sand dunes, the Kobuk River, and Onion Portage, to name a few of the park's features. The migration of 500,000 caribou leaves a maze of tracks in the sculpted sand dunes. The Kobuk River has served as a passageway for humans and other species for millennia. Onion Portage has been visited by humans for 9000 years for the purpose of swimming downstream to harvest caribou. This illustrious custom is still practiced today.

A National Park and Preserve

Lake Clark

Anchorage, Alaska: Port Alsworth

A place of breathtaking beauty, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Smoldering volcanoes, spawning salmon, foraging bears, and jagged mountains reflected in azure lakes. Land and water are still essential to the survival and culture of the locals. Go out into the park and merge with nature.

A protected area of national significance

Noatak

Located in Kotzebue, Alaska

The Noatak River and its surrounding areas are home to some of the Arctic's finest collections of flora and fauna because this region is one of the largest mountain-ringed river basins with an intact ecosystem in North America. We've designated this stretch of water as a national wild and scenic river. From the heart of the Brooks Range to the Chukchi Sea, it provides access to breathtaking wilderness float-trip opportunities.

National Monument or Park

Sitka

Sitka, AK

Sitka National Historical Park is located on a small island in the Gulf of Alaska. It was established to protect the site of a battle between invading Russian traders and native Kiks. Adi Tlingit The park's restored Russian Bishop's House is a rare reminder of Russia's colonial legacy in North America, and totem poles from the Tlingit and Haida areas line the park's scenic coastal trail.

Protected Area and National Park

Wrangel-St. Elias

Alaska, Copper Center

Wrangell-St Elias is a huge national park that reaches a peak elevation of 18,008 feet above sea level. At 13 The park's 2 million acres make it the same size as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and all of Switzerland put together. People have been making a living off the land in this area for centuries, and they have no plans to stop. The possibilities for exploration in this wild and beautiful land are endless.

State-Owned Nature Reserve

It's Charley Rivers in the Yukon.

Eagle, AK

Yukon-Charley Rivers, found in Alaska's interior, is a wilderness area ripe for exploration. Whether you choose to float down the majestic Yukon or paddle the whitewater of the Charley, you'll make memories that won't soon be forgotten. You will encounter geology, culture, remnants of the gold rush, wildlife, and expansive landscapes. However, being alone will be the most influential factor. There's an exciting journey in store for you.