No vacation to Alaska is complete without a wildlife encounter.
That could be a bear-viewing excursion, or a trip out the Denali Highway to look for nesting swans. Or it could be sighting a moose in a roadside pond.
Alaska has many species that aren't found anywhere else in the United States -- and many species that are at risk in the Lower 48 thrive here.
Look for moose and sheep along the road system. Excursion boats go out along the ragged cliffs every day to watch whales, sea lions and sea birds. At Denali National Park, buses carry vacationers safely into bear country.
If you're hiking, mountain biking, fishing or camping, the chances are good that you'll see wildlife close up. Birders in Alaska, for example, have nearly 450 species to look for.
The most popular critters in Alaska include:
Bears (brown/grizzly, black and polar bears), eagles (bald, golden and Steller sea eagles), moose, caribou, whales (humpback, killer/orca, beluga and bowhead), wolves, dall sheep, sea otters, musk oxen, puffins, loons and ptarmigan.
Other articles in this package describe the animals and help you find them.