Alaska may be in the United States, but as any cruise passenger, backpacker, mountain climber or fly fisherman who has spent time here can attest, it is decidedly not of the United States. Everything about Alaska — from its imposing geography and the altitude of its mountains to glacier-dotted waters and the abundant forest and sea wildlife — seems outsized and surreal, especially when held against the Lower 48. Sadly, many visitors only experience it from a distance, as if watching a movie from the deck of a cruise ship.

For the more daring, though, Alaska presents so many opportunities for up-close-and-personal, once-in-a-lifetime activities that the most difficult aspect of planning a trip is narrowing down your wish list.

For instance, if you are fascinated by the elusive grizzly, only seen rarely in a handful of spots in the rest of the United States, Alaska is the place. Those National Geographic Channel specials showing adorably huge (up to 800 pounds, thanks to their high-calorie diet) brown bears adroitly grabbing salmon from rushing waters? Odds are they were taped in Alaska.

Fortunately, you need not represent a TV network to get your own front seat and live among Alaska’s brown bears for a few days at Katmai National Park on the Alaska Peninsula. The park’s Brooks Camp constructed a boardwalk where spectators line up their tripods for the prized shot, a bear’s jaws clamping down on squirming salmon struggling to ascend the shallow falls. Slightly downstream from all this activity, a handful of intrepid fishermen stand in waders, hoping to catch some of the ones that got away from the faster bears.

Reaching Katmai was a memorable part of our unforgettable adventure. A small prop plane from Anchorage flew us through a picture-postcard mountain backdrop to King Salmon, a fishing destination, where we transferred to a seaplane. As the second aircraft landed on the beach at Brooks Camp, we could see bears chilling next to the shore. Not surprisingly, the welcome talk was a safety lecture laying down the rules (give the bears a wide berth, no food in the cabins, stay alert). Camp accommodations — 16 charmless cabins furnished with bunk beds and showers, and a tented campsite — are best described as spartan and the dining room’s fare is pedestrian, but when you are allowed to be part of such an extraordinary ecosystem, it hardly matters.

We encountered dozens of bears of all sizes and ages in three days at the camp: bears frolicking in the Brooks River, swimming, wrestling, eating, sleeping, hiking, looking for more food, whatever bears do. Our closest encounter involved a mother with three of her nearly full-grown offspring heading directly toward us in the woods; we quickly looked for cover well off the path and let them pass as we surreptitiously snapped as many photos as possible without drawing undue attention to ourselves. It was riveting and terrifying at the same time. It’s no wonder spots in this special place are often booked a year in advance.

When it comes to visiting Alaska, timing is everything. Wildlife follows a calendar — whales migrate, bears hibernate. The amount of daylight swings wildly, from nearly 22 hours in Fairbanks on June 21 to a mere five on Dec. 21. And, of course, the weather in summer is blessedly mild compared to the opposite end of the calendar. Best bet: If you have control over your booking dates, figure out what you want to do or see most, and do your research.

Airborne creatures can be real pests in some parts of Alaska, which boasts some 35 species of mosquito. Anchorage, the popular Kenai Peninsula and breezy areas above the tree line are less susceptible; mid-June to late July is considered prime season for bites. Insect repellant and treated clothing are the best defenses.

In the southeastern corner of the state, Juneau provides a jumping-off point for many adventures, most notably Glacier Bay, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its unmatched geology and animal and plant life.

The majority of Glacier Bay’s 400,000 annual visitors arrive by cruise ship, which makes sense, given that glaciers and icy blue water dominate the area. But while it’s one thing to spot orcas, minke whales, sea lions, porpoises, harbor seals and other marine life at arm’s length from the safe perch of a giant ship’s deck, it’s quite another to paddle your kayak among humpbacks, which is surprisingly doable. The National Park Service strictly limits individual exploration of this sensitive area, but one option is to join a small-group camping/kayaking adventure similar to those offered by Mountain Travel Sobek, a well-respected adventure travel outfit.

MTS flies groups of up to 10, accompanied by two guides, from Juneau north to the bush town of Gustavus near the bay. Group members overnight in a cozy lodge where they gear up and sit through an orientation (again, caveats about bears, since Glacier Bay is home to both the black and brown/grizzly varieties). A charter boat then transports campers from the verdant Bartlett Cove to a beach on the icy, remote upper West Arm of the bay, where base camp is organized.

After a kayak lesson (the uninitiated discover it’s a lot less daunting than it looks), the explorers begin paddling in the surprisingly calm and stunning iceberg-dotted waters, surrounded in the distance by towering, snowcapped peaks. Even without its legendary wildlife, the setting is breathtaking; no photos do it justice.

For the next few days, the group explores the Johns Hopkins Inlet by kayak and foot during the day, returning to base camp each night and falling asleep to the sounds of glaciers cracking and calving all around.

One of the trip’s most priceless highlights is a chance to paddle through herring-rich areas known as humpback feeding grounds. It might sound dangerous, but these behemoths are too busy grazing to pay attention to the kayaks in their midst.

If you are short on time and want to pack in the maximum adventure, a three-day multisport package might make sense. Exposure Alaska offers a “Raft, Climb & Trek” trip that combines glacier trekking, hiking in mountains high above the tree line, ice climbing and rafting on a wild river.

Participants head out from Anchorage to the nearby Chugach or Talkeetna mountains for a day of hiking, followed by a barbecue dinner at base camp. The next day starts early (reindeer sausage for breakfast, anyone?) with a scenic drive to the 27-mile-long Matanuska Glacier, about 100 miles north of Anchorage, where everyone dons crampons to navigate the ice. The afternoon is devoted to a rafting trip down the river and a thrilling run on the new 1,500-foot Nitro zipline, capped by a night of rest at camp on the riverbank. On the third day, following some basic lessons in technique, the group tackles the biggest challenge: ice climbing.

This intense exposure to multiple challenging activities isn’t for the couch potato, but one of the nice things about Alaska travel is that most tour operators are happy to design something for every fitness level, interest and budget.

Info To Go

The airports in Anchorage (ANC), Fairbanks (FAI) and Juneau (JNU) are Alaska’s primary gateways. The Alaskan frontier is vast and paved roads are limited; so if you want to reach many remote areas, your only option may be flying in a small craft. The upside is the spectacular scenery; the downside is a bumpy ride if the weather turns. A good travel agent can connect the dots in your itinerary.

If you’re looking for a relatively quick way to see grizzlies up close, the concession operator at Katmai National Park and companies at other locations provide daytrips from Anchorage. Flightseeing trips to Denali National Park, location of the 20,000-foot Mt. McKinley, are a pricey-butmemorable way to cover a lot of stunningly scenic territory; flights run one to two hours. Always wanted to drive a dogsled team? Combine that experience with a helicopter flight to a glacier, all in six to seven hours, transfers from Anchorage included, with Alaska Tours.

Weblinks

Alaska Tours
Denali National Park & Preserve
Exposure Alaska
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Katmai National Park
Mountain Travel Sobek
Travel Alaska