Get Back into the Wild: Explore Alaska by Land

Canoeing on Tutka Lake. Austin Mann

Alaska is opening back up to visitors – here, our picks for adventures in The Last Frontier.

It would take several lifetimes (as well as some serious mountaineering and deep-sea exploration skills) to see every inch of Alaska’s 663,300 square miles. From the small villages and vast expanses of Arctic Alaska to Anchorage, the state’s largest city, where bears and moose still roam, to Southeast Alaska’s coastal towns, the state offers many opportunities to profoundly connect with nature. There’s no way to see it all in one trip, but it’s well worth getting started. With the state’s tourism industry and small businesses working hard to get back to normal, travelers are more welcome than ever.

Through the first half of the summer season, independent, small-group, and small-ship travelers (along with Alaskans themselves) were the only people touring the state. In mid-July, thanks to the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, large cruise ships will start sailing through Southeast Alaska (aka the Inside Passage) again.

Although Alaska bookings were already seeing a spike in late spring, says Marc Telio of Virtuoso on-site tour connection Entrée Alaska, Southeast Alaska was still feeling the effects of last year’s lost cruise season. “Cruise ships support communities up and down the passage, including those in Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Haines, and Skagway,” he says. “The Inside Passage features not only these towns, but a collection of amazing wilderness lodges that offer life-changing experiences. Even staying at one of these lodges and going through one of the towns brings support.” The sudden rebound is promising for Alaskans – and is leading to sold-out tours and lodges. While there’s still some space available, would-be adventurers can bookmark these land-based trips for future summer explorations too.

Create a Custom Itinerary
For travelers who prefer a little of this (say, fishing) and a lot of that (maybe whale-watching), travel advisors can work with Entrée Alaska to create a custom trip. Among the options: Prince of Wales Island. It isn’t one of Southeast Alaska’s best-known areas, but visitors who spend time there talk it up for years. Even when the larger cruise ships are running, Prince of Wales remains quiet in comparison to other Southeast Alaska towns. One Entrée Alaska trip uses the island as a base for outings by land, air, and sea.

Another option: After landing in Ketchikan, head to an island lodge by floatplane. Unpack, relax, and get ready for whale-watching, kayaking, flights to remote hiking and fishing spots, and more. While there are never any wildlife-viewing guarantees in Alaska, time in the southeast comes about as close to “yes, you’ll see bears and whales and seals” as things get. Entrée can also combine lodge stays with other adventures around the state, including fishing in Bristol Bay, the world’s largest commercial sockeye salmon region. Departures: Any day through September 8; pricing varies by trip.

Explore Off the Boat
With large-ship cruises on hold until mid-July, several lines decided to open up their Southcentral and interior Alaska land trips for stand-alone booking. Princess Cruises and Holland America, for instance, send travelers on rail journeys in full-dome cars with top-notch wildlife viewing and meals in the dining car.

For a fully escorted tour of Denali, Holland America offers a seven-day coach tour that includes three nights in the park. The trip starts in Anchorage before heading to Denali and then on to Fairbanks for the final night. Departures: Holland America and Princess rail trips, multiple dates through September 1.

Focus on Local

Exit Glacier in the Kenai Peninsula’s
Harding Icefield.Alamy

The Kenai Peninsula, nicknamed “Alaska’s playground,” draws locals as well as out-of-state visitors. Whether they’re rafting, fishing, or viewing glaciers, travelers will cross paths with the people who live here and keep the adventures going year-round. Backroads’ six-day multisport trip down the Kenai starts in Anchorage and winds along Turnagain Arm (lucky travelers might see surfers taking on the bore tide), all the way down to the art- and food-filled town of Homer on Kachemak Bay. Along the way, travelers hike the Harding Icefield Trail, kayak around Yukon Island, and bike roads with views of Kachemak Bay.

An outing like this offers a chance to see Alaskan highlights from a different perspective, as well as support community businesses after a tough year. “We try to stay at small and locally owned lodging when we can. We dine at small restaurants, often family owned, and use local partners for the active things we do,” says Backroads’ Liz Einbinder. Departures: Multiple dates through September 5.

Look Up
Seeing the northern lights ranks high on many Alaska wish lists. Since aurora viewing requires dark skies, the best bet is to head north toward summer’s end and into the fall. Virtuoso on-site tour connection All Alaska Tours works with advisors to set up custom, independent, multiday trips that include the option to stay in a private igloo and several chances to see the lights – even from the comfort of natural hot springs. On other nights, adventurers travel to locations far from the city to stargaze while waiting for the aurora’s colors to swirl and dance.

A late August or September Alaska visit wouldn’t be complete without taking time to see polar bears feed, fight, and wander the shoreline with their young. A nine-seat bush plane offers transport to the village of Kaktovik for a day of polar bear viewing along the Arctic Ocean. Departures: Multiple dates, August 27 through September 23.

*source: Virtuoso https://www.virtuoso.com/   contact page