ALASKA

Kenai
Bring your family’s animal lovers to two million acres and four thousand lakes teeming with bears, caribou, Dall sheep, mountain goats, wolves, lynx, wolverines, bald eagles, and moose—the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Kids can fish the salmon and trout-rich waters. Or join ranger-led campfire talks, nature walks, and discovery hikes to explore this amazing preserve, often called a “miniature Alaska” since it includes every major Alaska habitat type. Then enter the Ice Age at Kenai Fjords National Park. Take the short walk to Exit Glacier’s towering turquoise spires for a first-hand view at how glaciers can reshape a landscape. Wildlife expedition boats depart Seward’s harbor carrying you to waters where orca and humpback whales roam, tens of thousands of seabirds congregate, tidewater glaciers appear, and the thunderous crack of icebergs pierces the air. Breathtaking flights over the Harding Icefield and Kenai coast are also available.

Denali National Park
Adventure abounds in magnificent Denali. Travel the 85-mile park road—the farther you go the more you’ll see. In no other U.S. Park are animals so visible. Keep an eye out for Grizzly bears at Sable Pass, caribou herds in the Stony Hill area, and golden eagles overhead at any moment. (A bus system maximizes wildlife viewing while controlling traffic, reserve your spot in advance.) Hike family-friendly Horseshoe Lake Trail near the Park entrance. Take a rafting journey down the Nenana River. Go dogsledding. Book an off-road truck trip complete with river crossings and chances to hike. And don’t miss a demonstration of the unique and amazing Denali sled dogs that help protect the Park. Magnificent tundra vistas unfold at every turn, and over it all looms majestic Mt. McKinley—the rooftop of North America.