Denali National Park is Alaska's number one tourist draw, at least in part because it encompasses Mt. McKinley, North America's only peak that rises over 20,000 feet (Mt. McKinley is heavier than Mt. Everest and actually rises higher from its base than Mt. Everest does). Denali's area is over 6 million acres, with only one major road running through it. Visitors enjoy wildlife-watching, backpacking and (for rugged souls) mountaineering. Denali's abundant wildlife includes grizzly bears, caribou, wolves, moose and sheep. Denali is also a bird-watcher's paradise, and a botanist's dream--a wide variety of wildflowers grace its slopes below the treeline. Park shuttle buses are readily available to take visitors through the heart of the park.
Ketchikan, only five hundred miles north of Seattle, is a quaint-looking fishing village of about 8,000 people on the Alaska panhandle. It breaks all the stereotypes about Alaska except its beauty. Ketchikan is blessed with a surprisingly moderate climate--cool, mild summers and winter temperatures that rarely average much below freezing. Visit its historic downtown, tucked in between the harbor and the green hills. The city itself is built into steep hills requiring boardwalks and wooden staircases to navigate your way. Dine on some of the best seafood in North America, then stroll down to the harbor and watch the fishing boats. You may even want to hire a bush pilot to fly you out to nearby Heckman Lake for some boating and wilderness hiking.
From Fairbanks an incredible view of the Northern Lights is available from late August through April, although there is no guarantee that they will appear on any particular night. During June and July, Fairbanks is room temperature during the day and cool but not cold at night. August is somewhat cooler but not at all uncomfortable. Even further north than Fairbanks, Nome is cool but not cold through July and August. The town itself is of no great interest, except that the coast of Siberia can be seen from Nome on a clear day. From Nome you can arrange for a bush pilot to drop you off in the nearby Bering Land Bridge National Preserve for hiking through some of the most stunning northern scenery to be found anywhere in the world.
