Interior
Denali, Fairbanks, and the long light of midsummer.
Wildlife
Look for the big five
Moose, bear, caribou, Dall sheep, and wolf — the set people try to see on one Alaska trip.
Summer · Denali and the road system
Wildlife
Go birding
Eagles, cranes, shorebirds, and seabirds on boardwalks and coastal pullouts.
Shoulder · Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer
Dog mushing
Drive a team on snow
Learn the commands and run a team on winter trails around Fairbanks or Denali.
Winter · Fairbanks, Denali, Mat-Su
Fishing
Stay at a fly-out fishing lodge
A floatplane, a remote river or lake, and meals you do not have to cook.
Summer · Southwest, Interior, Kenai backcountry
Fishing
Ice fish
Fish through lake ice in the Interior, often from a heated shack.
Winter · Fairbanks and the Interior
Hiking & mountains
Climb Denali
An expedition to the highest peak in North America. Most parties do not summit.
Shoulder · Denali, staged from Talkeetna
Rafting & water
Raft the Nenana River
A canyon run or a milder float beside Denali National Park.
Summer · Denali / Healy
Glaciers & flightseeing
Fly around Denali
A small plane from Talkeetna around the Alaska Range, often with a landing on a glacier.
Summer · Talkeetna
Northern lights
See the northern lights
Fairbanks is the practical base. Dark skies run from late August into April.
Winter · Fairbanks
Northern lights
Sleep under a clear roof
A lodge or dome north of Fairbanks built so you can watch the sky from bed.
Winter · North of Fairbanks
Northern lights
Soak at Chena Hot Springs
Outdoor hot springs an hour from Fairbanks, with a real chance of aurora in winter.
Year-round · Chena Hot Springs, near Fairbanks
Lodging
Sleep in a public-use cabin
A wood stove, bunks, and an outhouse on public land. You bring everything else.
Year-round · Statewide public land
Lodging
Stay at a wilderness lodge
A fly-in lodge with meals and a guide, used as a base for fishing, bears, or hiking.
Summer · Fly-in, statewide
Scenic travel
Ride the Alaska Railroad
A dome car between Anchorage and Seward, or Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Summer · Anchorage, Seward, Denali, Fairbanks
Scenic travel
Ride into Denali National Park
A bus on the park road, which is how almost everyone sees the mountain and the animals.
Summer · Denali National Park
Scenic travel
Drive to the Arctic Circle
The Dalton Highway north of Fairbanks, gravel, long, and short on services.
Summer · North of Fairbanks
Scenic travel
Stay up for the midnight sun
Around the June solstice the Interior barely gets dark. Use the extra day.
Summer · Fairbanks and north, statewide light