Alaska Excursions

Alaska Excursions

Wide range of glorious day trips throughout Southcentral Alaska.

Iditarod 40

Photos and stories from the last great race.

Anchorage: 48°/62°/Cloudy

Fairbanks: 48°/75°/Mostly cloudy

Juneau: 43°/62°/Showers

More weather

About Alaska

Summer museum exhibits focus on Denali

The view from near the top of Mount McKinley is on display in Ascent 20,320: Science on the Slopes of McKinley at the Anchorage Museum.

May 1 will bring the start of general climbing season on Mount McKinley and the switch to summer hours at the Anchorage Museum. Yes, there's a connection. McKinley -- its history, gear and presence in art -- is the subject of several displays at the museum this summer.

History & culture

A statue of a gold miner stands near the Old St. Joseph's Church in Nome. The church was built in 1901 and was later used as a storage building for a mining company.

Although Alaska's statehood is relatively brief, the state's history is long and colorful.

Shopping

Authentic arts and crafts created by Alaska Natives often are marked with a Silver Hand tag.

Alaska will no doubt inspire memories. But most visitors will want to take home something to help keep those memories fresh. An epic trip to the Great Land deserves a souvenir or two worthy of the excursion.

Moving to Alaska

Container ships bring vehicles and goods to the Port of Anchorage.

Moving to Alaska can be a big adventure.

Education in Alaska

The Great Room at the new Consortium Library at the University of Alaska Anchorage features a ceiling almost 35 feet high. Now it houses a computer lab, but in the future it will be an open study area.

Alaska has a public university system, with three main campuses and 15 local branches across the state, and a vo-tech school.

Alaska FAQs

Alaska.com's users have asked many good questions about life and vacations on the Last Frontier. Here are some of them.

Alaska by the book

The dangerous life of fishermen, part of the Alaska legend, appears in many books about the state. Here, crewmen work a crab pot as the Aleutian Mariner takes a wave in the Bering Sea.

What's a vacation without a good book to read? When vacationing in Alaska, it might be a good idea to do some reading before arriving in the Great Land.

Weather & climate

Alaska's long, cool summer days are great for vegetables, such as this 85-pound cabbage being entered in the state fair at Palmer. (It finished in second place.)

Be weather wise and clothing conscious on your visit.

Places in Alaska

National Parks

Mount McKinley is reflected in a pond just east of Wonder Lake in Denali National Park. The 20,320-foot mountain is the tallest in North America. One of the best ways to get to Wonder Lake is to ride one of the park's buses.

Alaska regions

Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, is seen just before sunset on a late March flightseeing trip. The south peak, right, is the summit at 20,320 feet; the north peak stands 19,470 feet high. Climbing season on the big mountain is May through July.

Alaska can be divided into five broad regions.

The Interior

The Alaska Range is the Interior's defining feature. In Denali National Park, Wonder Lake reflects Mount McKinley reflects at sunset.

This vast area is alive with gold mining and plenty of outdoor activities.

Alaska Photos

PHOTO GALLERY

Birds of Spring 2012

Snow geese land on the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge on Thursday, April 19, 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska. Snow geese migrate toward the Beaufort Sea coastal region in northern Alaska and Canada in spring. (Photo / Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News)

Resident and migratory birds are busy feeding, courting and preparing for nesting as spring arrives at thawing Westchester Lagoon, the Cook Inlet shoreline and other ponds and lakes around Anchorage.

PHOTO GALLERY

Baby musk ox

Musk ox mothers stick close to their calves at the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Twelve musk oxen have been born so far this season at the Musk Ox Farm. Staff at the farm are busy combing the animals to gather quviut which will be made into hats and scarves by Oomingmak, a cooperative of craftspeople. The Musk Ox Farm officially opens for the season on Mother's Day, May 13. Mothers are admitted free to the annual open house.

Twelve musk oxen have been born so far this season at the Musk Ox Farm. Staff at the farm are busy combing the animals to gather quviut which will be made into hats and scarves by Oomingmak, a cooperative of craftspeople. The Musk Ox Farm officially opens for the season on Mother's Day, May 13. Mothers are admitted free to the annual open house.

PHOTO GALLERY

Fall Colors

Fall colors in Southcentral Alaska.

Ice climbing along the Turnagain Arm

Scotty Vincik climbs on the PFM ice climb while his partner Matt Suddock belays him along the Seward Highway across from Turnagain Arm on Saturday January 12, 2008.

Recreation is key to surviving Alaska's long, dark winters. Truly ambitious outdoor enthusiasts have pounced on a vault of creative opportunities, including making use of the frozen waterfalls for ice climbing along the Seward Highway.

Sledding

People braved the icy conditions at Russian Jack Springs Park to go sledding on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 14, 2010.

People braved the icy conditions at Russian Jack Springs Park to go sledding on a brisk Sunday afternoon.

Alaska headlines

Public welcomed on summit of Max's Mountain at last

Chugach backcountry network takes stride forward

Outdoor Life names Kodiak 4th best for sportsmen

'Express' ferry service between Washington and Southcentral begins in June

Popular Anchorage salmon derby will take a year off

Airlines do better, but more passengers complain

Carving out Anchorage's New Year's Eve celebration

Recent weather makes for ideal skating

Outdoor enthusiasts make the most of Alaska

Swenson will run Iditarod

alaska tour & travel