A Haida dancer in Ketchikan. Image: Daniel Volland, Brand USA
The Northern Lights shine above Bear Lake. Image: Senior Airman Joshua Strang, US Air Force / public domain
A seaplane coast on the waters near Talkeetna. Image: Pixabay
A humpback whale breaching in Kenai Fjords National Park. Image: Pixabay
Dog sled is such a legitimate form of transport in Alaska. Image: Skeeze / Pixabay
Views on the Alaska Railroad. Image: Alaska Railroad / Facebook
On an Alaskan snowmobile tour with Rod’s Alaskan Guide Service, departing from a town called North Pole (yes, really). Image: Rod’s Alaskan Guide Service
Totems and meeting hall in Totem Bight State Historical Park. Image: Daniel Volland, Brand USA
A glacier calves into the ocean. Image: Pixabay
A view in Totem Bight State Historical Park. Image: Daniel Volland, Brand USA
An Alpine Air Alaska scenic helicopter taking in the view of glaciers. Image: Alpine Air Alaska / Facebook
Creek Street in Ketchikan. Image: Daniel Volland, Brand USA
A mother bear teaches her cubs to swim on the edge of Naknek Lake, in Katmai National Park. Image: Paxson Woelber / Unsplash
Skating in a small ice cave below Byron Glacier, in the Chugach National Forest. Image: Paxson Woelber / Unsplash
Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan. Image: Daniel Volland, Brand USA
The University of Alaska, Museum of the North houses collections of items relating to the “natural, artistic, and cultural heritage of Alaska and the Circumpolar North”. Image: University of Alaska, Museum of the North / Facebook
Alaska is a big place, but its roads serve it well. Road trip anyone? Image: Roman Romanenko / Unsplash
Finding reflections on Matanuska Glacier. Image: Nitish Meena / Unsplash
Take a dogsledding trip with a magnificent backdrop.
It’s a bit of an underdog when it comes to the many, many places to visit in the United States, but Alaska is well worth your time. Packed with incredible nature and wildlife experiences, and simply unbelievable views, visitors can take scenic train journeys, helicopter flights, check out glaciers, catch a dog sled, or explore Indigenous culture all within a few days. It might even give New Zealand a run for its money on all these counts. (Lead image: Rod’s Alaskan Guide Service)
