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Atigun Pass inthe Brooks Range. Courtesy Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office.
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Welcome to Alaska
Alaska is big, big big, and Alaska public lands are proportionally vast, from the 1.5 million acre Wood-Tilchick State Park (about the size of Delaware) to the 19.2 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (about the size of Maine).
While discovering the deep backcountry may take a lifetime's persistence (and a sultan's fortune), many of the parks are acessible by car from Alaska's major cities. Others are best visited by boat, such as the rainforest-swathed shores of the Inside Passage or the smoking volcanoes and crumbling WWII installations of the Aleutians. Much of the state, including most backcountry, is accessible only by air, and scores of small airfields service every part of the state.
Even if you don't travel off the beaten path, Alaska will show you natural wonders to remember for the rest of your life. Needless to say, Alaska's winter sports opportunities are second to none.... But summer months bring long days for hiking across ancient, creaking glaciers; kayaking past icebergs to watch whales migrating; climbing dizzying mountains; browsing for berries in the lush, mossy forests; and fishing for the finest salmon of your life. In a state where wildlife outnumbers human residents, both wildlife watching and hunting are year-round occupations. Scout out huge herds of caribou, small families of huge bears, grouchy shambling moose, and untold numbers of birds, including bald eagles, arctic terns, sandhill cranes, and shorebirds.
Some parks commemorate the cultural history of Alaska, beginning with the traditions of the native Aleut, Yup'ik, Inupiat, Haida and Tlingit people, and continuing through the 19th century gold rush, World War II, to the annual race along the Iditerod National Trail.
If you have a taste for adventure, Alaska public lands are waiting for you. The Alaska Public Lands Information Center (no affiliation) is a great starting place for planning your journey.
Alaska Public Lands Information Center
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