Alaska - Overview

To the Aleut peoples, Alaska was "Alyeska," meaning the great land. Visitors today are likely to agree: Alaska is truly one of the world's special places.

Those who visit can't help marveling at the exotic wildlife, magnificent mountains, glacier-carved valleys and steep, rocky coastline. And after they spend several days encountering one wonder after another, they marvel at just how much of this special place there is to see.

The sheer size of Alaska is hard to imagine: The town of Barrow is more than 1,600 mi/2,575 km north of Ketchikan, while Attu (at the end of the Aleutian chain) lies almost 2,000 mi/3,220 km west of Anchorage. Acreage aside, Alaska is large in lots of other ways: It has the tallest mountains, biggest glaciers, best fishing and wildest wilderness on the continent.

With such abundance, it's no wonder that more and more travelers visit Alaska each year, particularly aboard cruise ships. Because of this heavy traffic, some towns in southeastern Alaska and such attractions as Denali National Park and Portage Glacier can seem a bit overrun at times.

Blessed with natural wonders, Alaska gloves the superlatives hurled at it with deserving grace, capturing the imagination of visitors and inhabitants alike. The expansive grandeur of the state will help you put the size of your snowshoes in perspective as you marvel at the sight of a brown bear at full amble, or kayak through the dreamy blue wonder of a deep fiord.

Alaska is a land of superlatives and adventure. The Great Land consists of five distinct regions: Inside Passage, Southcentral, Interior, Far North and Southwest.