Alaska’s mountains and reliable winter snowpack make it a serious, if under-the-radar, ski destination — ranging from a major destination resort to small community-run hills. Here’s a rundown of the state’s main ski areas. Alyeska Resort (Girdwood) Alyeska is Alaska’s largest and best-known ski resort, about 40 miles south of Anchorage in Girdwood. It has […]
Alaska is one of the most reliable places in the world to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, thanks to its position directly beneath the auroral oval, a ring-shaped zone of high geomagnetic activity that circles the far north. How the Northern Lights Work The aurora is caused by charged particles from the sun
Alaska’s icebergs form when glaciers reach the sea or a lake and calve, breaking off chunks of ice that can range from small floating fragments to house-sized blocks. Seeing them up close is one of the state’s signature experiences, and a few spots make it especially easy. Where to See Icebergs Glacier Bay National Park,
Misty Fiords National Monument covers over 2 million acres of steep granite cliffs, waterfalls, and deep fjords in the Tongass National Forest, near Ketchikan in far southeast Alaska. Much of it looks like a smaller-scale Yosemite dropped into a rainforest and flooded with seawater. Getting There There’s no road access. Nearly all visitors go from
The Chugach Mountains stretch roughly 250 miles across south-central Alaska, forming the rugged backdrop immediately east of Anchorage. Unlike Alaska’s more remote ranges, a large chunk of the Chugach is genuinely easy to reach for a day trip or afternoon hike. Getting There Chugach State Park, one of the largest state parks in the U.S.
