Latest news with #Eyak
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This Alaska Region Has Some of the State's Most Beautiful Coastal Towns—Plus Majestic Glaciers and Unforgettable Wildlife
Located about 16 miles north of downtown Ketchikan—the Salmon Capital of the World—the waterfront Salmon Falls Fishing Resort is a haven for anglers wanting an all-inclusive fishing adventure. Watch huge chunks of ice calve off massive glaciers and splash spectacularly into the water at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Take a scenic seaplane tour of the enormous Juneau Icefield. Situated on the waterfront in Juneau, crack open an Alaskan king crab leg at Tracy's King Crab Shack. Alaska's Inside Passage is home to charming small towns that highlight the destination's Indigenous heritage and offer local I gazed out the tiny window of the 10-passenger floatplane, wearing bulky headphones to drown out the turbine engine, the staggering 1,500-square-mile Juneau Icefield came into view. I peered down at the massive glaciers with electric blue crevasses. This was one of Alaska's Inside Passage adventures that would stick with me. The Inside Passage draws travelers interested in outdoor adventure, wildlife, charming coastal towns, and Indigenous culture. Located in southeastern Alaska, about 80 percent of the area is in the Tongass National Forest—the largest national forest in the United States. The expansive terrain not only features glaciers, but also scenic waterfalls, temperate rain forest, picturesque fjords, and an abundance of wildlife. Keep your eyes open for bears, whales, moose, mountain goats, seals, and bald eagles (their heads look like white golf balls in the trees). There's no shortage of outdoor activities, including kayaking, boating, hiking, and fishing. The region is also rich in Indigenous culture and history, home to the Tlingit, Haida, Eyak, and Tsimshian Alaskan Native people. Their skilled artistry can be seen in colorful totem poles and intricately woven baskets found throughout the alluring coastal towns. Many arrive by cruise ship, which allows you to cover large distances in a short amount of time. If you're visiting the Inside Passage, use this curated guide to help plan your trip. Conveniently located in historic downtown Juneau, Alaska's capital, the Four Points by Sheraton Juneau offers comfortable guest rooms with ocean views and useful amenities, like complimentary Wi-Fi, a fitness center, and an on-site convenience store. Just steps from Sitka Harbor and Crescent Bay, The Sitka Hotel offers water and mountain views, plus it's walkable to downtown shops and restaurants. Dine at one of the nearby eateries or make a meal in your room thanks to the kitchenette with a mini-fridge, microwave, and stove. Guests arrive by boat to this Alaskan lodge that offers unmatched fishing and outdoor adventures. After a day on the water or hiking in nature, relax on the sandy beach or indulge in a spa treatment. The beautiful setting in the Tongass National Forest is ideal for experiencing the Inside Passage. Set off on a guided fishing adventure at this all-inclusive resort not far from Ketchikan. After making a catch, relax on the patio or by the firepit, listen to live music, or play yard games. End the day with a fresh Alaskan dinner at the Timbers Restaurant & Lounge. The host innkeepers of this bed-and-breakfast warmly welcome their guests with cozy rooms named after women who were part of the Klondike gold rush, farm- and sea-to-table meals at Olivia's Bistro, and top-notch service. Ask for their input on hiking the Chilkoot Trail. They'll even let you borrow bear spray. After a ferry trip, a bus ride, a short hike, and a paddle across a river and lake, the view of Davidson Glacier is worth the effort. This is remote Alaska at its finest. The six-hour excursion from Skagway allows travelers to experience the wilderness and wildlife firsthand—by water and land. Board a vintage train in Skagway and take in the views on the journey to the 2,865-foot summit of White Pass. The nearly three-hour round-trip route passes scenic waterfalls, glaciers, and historic sites of the 1898 Klondike Trail. There are also multiday train tours throughout Alaska. Learn about the culture and traditions of the Indigenous Tlingit people at this native village near Ketchikan. I found the traditional song and dance in the Clan House to be powerful and enlightening. Leave time to meet Indigenous artists in the Carving House and discover the meaning of totem poles at Totem Park. Observe the great outdoors from a wheeled dogsled pulled by trained huskies. The one-mile trail through the forest provides ample opportunity to photograph the picturesque backcountry. Cuddle with adorable husky puppies at the musher's camp. This 40-minute seaplane excursion offers a bird's-eye view of five epic glaciers: the Norris, Hole-in-the-Wall, East and West Twin Glaciers, and Taku Glacier. I particularly enjoyed the pilot's descriptive narration. The immenseness of the Juneau Icefield can only be appreciated from the air. This iconic restaurant, known for its Alaskan king crab, has two locations in Juneau. I loved the open-air waterfront dining at Shack 2, which large crab legs by the bucket. You'll also find Alaskan golden king crab, red king crab, Dungeness crab, and snow crab on the menu. At this gratuity-free restaurant in Sitka, chef Renée—a 2023 James Beard best chef semifinalist—cooks locally sourced dishes with a focus on high-quality seafood and sustainability practices. You will feel as though you are dining at a friend's home, with attentive service in a warm and welcoming environment. Pull up a seat at the bar to taste oysters freshly harvested from some of the most pristine ocean water on the planet. Just north of Ketchikan, guests can tour Hump Island Oyster Company to learn about its commitment to using ethical and sustainable farming practices. While visiting Juneau, I love hopping on the Goldbelt Tram to grab lunch at the rustic Timberline Bar & Grill. Dine on salads, burgers, or burritos with panoramic views of downtown Juneau and the surrounding area. Then, work off your meal by hiking the 4.5-mile Mount Roberts Trail back down. Dining at this historic saloon is like stepping back in time to the gold rush era, when bustling dance halls, saloons, and brothels were popular in Skagway. Fill your belly with pizza and beer, followed by a "quickie" tour of the brothel museum. The best time to visit Alaska's Inside Passage depends on what type of trip you're planning and what you want to do while visiting. Like many travelers, I prefer to go during the warmer months (mid-June through mid-August ). If you're visiting in August, pack a raincoat because it's one of the wettest months. Summer is also when you'll have the most daylight (typically around 18 hours), and it's prime time for bear spotting due to salmon spawning. If seeing the northern lights is on your wish list, head there mid-August through mid-April, especially during the equinoxes. The winter months are less expensive and less crowded, but also colder and darker. Approximately 1.68 million travelers arrived in Alaska via cruise ship in 2024, making it the most popular way to reach the 49th state. To access the Inside Passage by plane, fly into Juneau or Ketchikan International Airport. Alaska Airlines, which recently merged with Hawaiian Airlines, has two flights a day from Seattle to Juneau that take about 2.5 hours. If you're not in a hurry, you can catch an Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) ferry from Bellingham, Washington, to Ketchikan, but it takes 38 hours. You can also drive the 1,700 miles along the Alaska-Canada Highway (ALCAN) in about the same time. The capital city of Juneau is rich in history and Indigenous culture, plus it offers plenty of outdoor adventure, shopping, and dining. I love starting with the scenic Goldbelt Tram ride to Mount Roberts, followed by a visit to the Juneau-Douglas City Museum or Alaska State Museum. Time permitting, include a short hike at Mendenhall Glacier. Strolling along colorful and historic Creek Street is one of my favorite things to do in Ketchikan. Browse souvenir shops selling Indigenous wood carvings, caribou fur, and gold nugget jewelry; check out the lively Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show; or learn about Indigenous art and traditions at the Totem Heritage Center. The Tlingit people are the town's original inhabitants, but the area is also known for its Russian heritage, displayed through the Russian Bishop's House and St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral. The annual Sitka Music Festival, held in June, brings world-class chamber music. I also take advantage of the outdoor activities, including hiking, whale watching, and fishing. Skagway is steeped in gold rush history with plenty of related activities and exhibits. Hop on the train for a scenic journey to White Pass, visit the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, pan for gold, browse the gold rush cemeteries, or grab a meal at the bustling Red Onion Saloon. With few roads connecting the small towns and islands in Alaska's Inside Passage, most visitors explore the area via small or large cruise ships. If you're going on your own, you can get from town to town on ferries or seaplanes. Once in town, most places are within walking distance. By Water: The AMHS has 15 ferry ports in the Inside Passage, making it an easy, affordable, and scenic way to get around, though not quickly. For long trips, travelers can book cabins with bunk beds and full bathrooms. Another way to access the area is by water taxi in and around places such as Gustavus, Ketchikan, and Wrangell. By Air: Traveling by seaplane is not the most economical option, but it's a relatively quick way to get from place to place where there are no roads. Plus, the views from above are breathtaking. Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
National Geographic
21-04-2025
- National Geographic
Avoid crowds at the 10 least-visited U.S. national parks
Since its founding on August 25, 1916, the U.S. National Park Service has assembled 419 protected units, of which 62 hold the 'national park' designation. To visit all 63 of these treasures one would need to travel to 29 states and two U.S. territories. But with so many national parks to visit, there are trails, craters, and lakeshores that can be explored responsibly and without crowds. How remote and uncrowded are these parks? Katmai National Park's Aniakchak caldera is so remote that many park rangers have never visited its volcanic crater. In Alaska, Kobuk Valley National Park experiences a large caribou migration, with estimates of 250,000 caribou passing through twice a year; whereas only 17,233 people visited the park in 2024. (Travelers flooded these national parks with long lines and crowded trails.) Based on the National Park Service's annual recreational visitor, more than 331 million people visited a national park, monument, site, or unit last year. However, travelers who want to avoid the crowds—but not the natural wonders of a U.S. national park—should visit 10 of the nation's least-visited national parks. Basin National Park It's surprising that Great Basin National Park only saw 152,068 visitors in 2024. This U.S. national park is not only home to groves of bristlecone pines that can live for thousands of years, but it features the limestone caverns of Lehman Cave, dark skies for stargazing, a challenging climb to Wheeler Peak, the site of the last surviving Glacier in Nevada, Wheeler Peak Glacier. 9. Dry Tortugas National Park Seventy miles west of Key West, the 100-square mile Dry Tortugas National Park is mostly open water with seven small islands, including Garden Key, home to Fort Jefferson, one of the nation's largest 19th-century fort in the U.S. Only 84,873 people visited this park in 2024. This aerial photo captures a view of Fort Jefferson National Monument, the largest 19th-century fort in the U.S., part of Dry Tortugas National Park located 70 miles west of Key West, Fla. Photograph by Mike Theiss, Nat Geo Image Collection 8. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve Unfortunately, only 81,670 visited this park in 2024, despite its incredible natural landmarks. Most parkgoers might be shocked to know that Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest national park in the United States, boasting incredible mountain ranges, vast glaciers, and a wide array of wildlife. It has some of the highest concentrations of glaciers in North America, which includes the Nabesna Glacier, the longest valley glacier on the continent. The park is also home to four Indigenous tribes: Ahtna Athabascans, Upper Tanana Athabascans, Eyak, and Tlingit. 7. Katmai National Park and Preserve More than 36,000 visitors entered Katmai National Park and Preserve in 2024 to see the U.S. national park known for its large population of brown bears, making it the ultimate destination for bear viewing. Katmai is also known for its salmon runs (which attract bears and other wildlife), and 14 active volcanoes (including Mount Katmai and Novarupta), and it's also ideal for backcountry hiking and camping because the majority of the park is a wilderness area. A brown bear looks for razor clams on the shore of Hallo Bay in Alaska's Katmai National Park. Photograph by Acacia Johnson, Nat Geo Image Collection 6. Isle Royale National Park More than 28,800 people visited this national park in 2024, numbers that include outdoor enthusiasts drawn to the park because of its 165 miles of hiking trails and 36 campgrounds. Located in Lake Superior off the coast of Michigan, Isle Royale National Park is only accessible by boat or seaplane. The relatively small number of visitors per year makes it also a significant site for researchers to study predator-prey interactions, specifically between its wolf and moose populations. In addition to its recognition as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, it features 10 shipwrecks and four historic lighthouses—all four are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 5. National Park of American Samoa This park isn't easily accessible like national parks located on the U.S. mainland. Only 22,567 people visited the National Park of American Samoa last year, where they could learn more about the rich Samoan culture, impressive coral reefs (975 species of fish and more than 250 coral species), 475 plant species, 50 animal species, including two native species of fruit bats that are vital to pollination. The park's rainforests are home to species originating from Southeast Asia. The National Park of American Samoa is spread across three islands: Tutuila (seen above), Ta\'u, and Ofu. Photograph by Alamy Stock Photo 4. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve In 2024, this Alaska park only saw 18,505 visitors, but it has a reputation as the 'true adventurer's paradise' and preserving the natural ecosystem and ancestral homelands of the Dena'ina people. Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna are also located within Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Wildlife photographers are attracted to the park because it's a prime location to observe and capture brown bears (grizzlies) in their natural habitat. Fly fishing, backcountry camping/backpacking, and kayaking are just a few popular outdoor activities here. Visitors can also explore the famed cabin built by Richard Proenneke, the iconic wilderness author and filmmaker. 3. Kobuk Valley National Park This national park in Alaska—just 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle—is only accessible by air, receiving only 17,233 visitors in 2024. However, Kobuk Valley National Park is known for its Ice-Age-formed dunes, and Western Arctic caribou migration. It is also recognized as the rightful home of the Iñupiat people, specifically the KuvuNmiut, who have lived in this area for thousands of years. Grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, foxes, porcupines, moose, and numerous migratory birds call the park home. 2. North Cascades National Park The North Cascades National Park only saw 16,485 visitors in 2024, but its dramatic landscapes earned its nickname 'American Alps.' Rugged mountains with glaciers, cascading waterfalls, deep forested valleys, and a diverse ecosystem are all reasons why you should visit. North Cascades features the largest network of glaciers (over 300) in the lower 48 states. It also has a vast network of hiking trails, which include portions of the Pacific Crest Trail. A woman points to a distant mountain while enjoying panoramic views in North Cascades National Park, Wash. Photograph by Michael Hanson, Nat Geo Image Collection 1. Gates of the Artic National Park and Preserve In 2024, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve came in No. 1 as the least-visited national Park in the U.S. with 11,907 visitors in 2024. This national park protects the underdeveloped area within the Brooks Range, including the northernmost extension of the Rocky Mountains. Gates allows for traditional subsistence activities by local Koyukon and Inupiaq people, who rely on the land and its resources for their livelihoods. Hiking, backpacking, river rafting, and wildlife viewing are common activities among parkgoers here. Boreal Mountain (part of the Brooks Mountain Range), Frigid Crags, and the North Fork of the Koyukuk River are just a few natural landmarks found in the Gates of the Arctic National Park, Ala. Photograph by Design Pics Inc, Alamy Stock Photo (Related: These are the 10 most popular national parks.) For more info on these iconic parks, and other helpful travel trips, turn to the National Geographic book 100 Parks, 5,000 Ideas.
