National Parks of Alaska

Walking into the Gates of the Arctic is as grandiose as you may imagine it. The land is virtually untouched and visitors will be surrounded by untouched lands that are more stunning than can be described. If you are looking for an intimate encounter with nature, this national park delivers 8.5 million acres of it.

Park features great tidewater glaciers, a dramatic range of plant communities from rocky terrain recently covered by ice to lush temperate rain forest, and a large variety of animals, including brown and black bear, mountain goats, whales, seals, and eagles. Also included are Mount Fairweather, the highest peak in southeast Alaska, and the U.S. portion of the Alsek River.

Variety marks this vast land with lakes, forests, mountains, and marshlands that all abound in wildlife. The Alaska brown bear, the world's largest carnivore, thrives here, feeding upon red salmon that spawn in the many lakes and streams. Wild rivers and renowned sport fishing add to the attractions of this subarctic environment.

The park includes one of the four major ice caps in the United States, the 300-square-mile Harding Icefield, and coastal fjords. Here a rich, varied rain forest is home to tens of thousands of breeding birds and adjoining marine waters support a multitude of sea lions, sea otters, and seals.

Embracing the central valley of the Kobuk River, the park, located entirely north of the Arctic Circle, includes a blend of biological, geological, and cultural resources. Here, in the northernmost extent of the boreal forest, a rich array of arctic wildlife can be found, including caribou, grizzly and black bear, wolf, and fox.

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve was established on December 2, 1980 to protect scenic beauty (volcanoes, glaciers, wild rivers and waterfalls), populations of fish and wildlife, watershed essential for red salmon, and the traditional lifestyle of local residents. The 4,030,025-acre park receives fewer than 4,500 visitors per year and provides a true wilderness experience for those who visit.

The Chugach, Wrangell, and Saint Elias mountain ranges converge here in what is often referred to as the "mountain kingdom of North America." The largest unit of the National Park System and a day's drive east of Anchorage, the park-preserve includes the continent's largest assemblage of glaciers and the greatest collection of peaks above 16,000 feet, including Mount Saint Elias.