Alaska:
Land of the Midnight Sun
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The four major stops we visit here are suggested for a first dip into Alaska. Additional possibilities follow for pilots with more time, or for those lucky enough to make a second visit.
Anchorage
Perched on the edge of vast and varied expanses of forests, mountains, rivers, taiga and tundra, with a population of 260,283, Alaska’s largest city increasingly resembles any other medium-sized American town.
What makes it different from any other medium-sized American town? It sits in the midst of scenic splendor with the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet to the west and the Chugach Mountains to the east. Drive half an hour in any direction for an abundance of wilderness experiences in spruce, birch and aspen forests.
But first, tour the town. Drop by the Alaska Public Lands Information Center to learn about state and federal parks, forests and wildlife refuges. Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center to see life-sized reproductions of five native villages plus performances by native dancers, singers and storytellers on the Gathering Place stage.
At the Alaska Museum of History and Art, a bonanza of artifacts, photographs, and detailed dioramas spotlight the Aleut, Eskimo and Indian cultures. The Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum includes a collection of 26 Alaska bush planes.
As those who favor the great outdoors over city life have joked, “Anchorage is half an hour from Alaska.” You’ll want to rent a car to visit surrounding sights. Chugach State Park in East Anchorage is rich in recreational opportunities such as rafting on its roaring glacier-fed rivers. Animal residents you’re likely to spot (most at a comfortable distance, we hope) include eagles, moose, grizzly bears, wolves and lynx.
Follow the Alyeska Highway to Girdwood. A three-mile drive through thick spruce and hemlock forest leads to Crow Creek Gold Mine where you can take a tour. Stop at the Alyeska Resort for lunch, shopping and outdoor activities such as dog sledding, hiking, biking and paragliding. Ride an enclosed tram to the top of Mt. Alyeska to view glorious Turnagain Arm, a branch of the Cook Inlet.
A spectacular 50-mile drive from Anchorage, complete with fjord vistas and views of hanging glaciers, takes you to Portage Glacier and the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center. Stroll along iceberg-choked Portage Lake, investigate the area’s geological and glacial history at the Center, hike to Byron
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Share your great destination spots online, with other aviators at our Stuck Mic.
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Glacier or cruise aboard the M/V Ptarmigan for a closer look at the Portage Glacier itself.
Visit the tiny settlement of Hope. Having experienced a short-lived gold rush beginning in 1896, the town is the best preserved gold rush community in south-central Alaska. If quiet is your cup of tea, spend a night at the Hope Gold Rush B&B, an historic log cabin where Alaska berry pancakes add charm to the pioneer ambiance.
Best Of Anchorage
Best Landing: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (PANC), full service Best Place to Stay: Historic Anchorage Hotel, built downtown in 1916 and on the National Register of Historic Places, has been elegantly restored and furnished. Pilot Wiley Post and Will Rogers spent two nights here in August 1935 before leaving on their fatal flight to Barrow.
Best Place to Dine: Simon and Seafort’s Saloon and Grill offers beef and seafood in a turn-of-the-20th-century saloon atmosphere. Diners enjoy magnificent views of Cook Inlet.
Best Planning Resources: Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau
Denali National Park and Preserve
Denali National Park and Preserve is a “must” on the itinerary of any Alaskan visit. Designated in 1917 as Mount McKinley National Park, the immense park and preserve took its new name in 1980 from the Athabascan native word for the area‘s giant peak, Denali, the “High One.”
Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America at 20,320 feet, rears its snowy peak in isolation from the 2,000-foot lowlands near Wonder Lake. On a clear day the mountain can be seen from Anchorage, but during rainy or overcast summer weather it may be obscured for days at a time. Each year more than 1,000 people attempt to climb to the summit from a base camp at 7,200 feet.
After tying down at the airstrip, walk to the nearby train station where shuttle buses await to take you to the park entrance visitor’s center, the best single resource for information about activities, camping and backcountry travel. Learn about the Visitor Transportation System, which offers free shuttles to a variety of accommodations including campsites and upscale lodges.
At the visitor‘s center, browse in the bookstore, chat with a ranger and get information on daily ranger-led hikes, walks and programs. Stop by the new science and learning center, opening in August 2004. If you haven’t made reservations in advance for a bus tour, sign up now. The 13-hour guided event, running 90 miles into the interior of the park and back, is the best and most environmentally friendly way to view local terrain, animals and vegetation. Private cars are allowed to drive only the first 15 miles into the park.
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Survival Equipment List
For Summer Trips
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Alaska state law requires that no airman may make a flight into the state with an aircraft unless the following emergency equipment on board:
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Food for each occupant sufficient to sustain life for two weeks
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One axe or hatchet
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One first aid kit
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Alaska state law no longer requires a firearm and ammunition for survival and emergency use, but recommends a rifle, shotgun or pistol suitable for taking small game and birds. However, pistols are not permitted in Canada.
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One small gill net and an assortment of tackle such as hooks, flies, lines, sinkers, etc.
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One knife
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Two small boxes of matches
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One mosquito head net for each occupant
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Two small signaling devices such as colored smoke bombs, railroad fuses or “Very” pistol shells, in sealed metal containers.
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Click here to Download a PDF of the checklist so you can print it out and carry it with you.
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Now comprising six million acres, Denali underscores interior Alaska’s reputation as one of the world’s last great frontiers for wilderness adventure and wondrous viewing opportunities. Caribou, wolves, moose, grizzly bears and Dall sheep spend the warmer months on the alpine tundra garnering most of their annual food supplies.
Varied bird life includes species that migrate in winter as far as Africa, Antarctica and southern South America. More than 650 species of flowering plants, plus mosses, lichens, fungi and algae survive in this sub-arctic wilderness. Ancient glaciers and twisted rivers cross the vast taiga and tundra.
Best of Denali
Best Landings: McKinley National Park (INR), 3,000 foot dirt/gravel strip, no services, pedestrian traffic on runway. Kantishna Airport (5Z5) Gravel strip in fair condition; 2% downhill slope; no services.
Best Place to Stay: Denali does not have a park lodge. Several campsites serve hardy visitors - advance reservations recommended. Hotel accommodations close to the entrance in Nenana Canyon include the Denali Bluffs Hotel, the Grande Denali Lodge and Denali River Cabins where guests enjoy sun decks overlooking the Nenana River. Take the shuttle bus or arrange for hotel pickup.
Or stay in the heart of the park in Kantishna, 90 miles from the visitors center, at backcountry adventure retreats such as Camp Denali or the North Face Lodge. Arrive by shuttle, or land at the private airstrip.
Best Planning Resources: Denali Chamber of Commerce
National Park Information: www.nps.gov/dena
Pilots’ Information (A MUST}:
www.nps.gov/dena/home/visitorinfo/aviation/home.html
Fairbanks
Summer days in Fairbanks are twice as long as any in the Lower Forty-Eight. From mid-May to mid-July, 20 hours of daylight give you plenty of time to see the sights. Located in the Alaskan Interior region and home to Athabascan Indians, Fairbanks is the state’s second largest city.  The Chena River runs through town toward its confluence with the Tanana River.
The University of Alaska Museum of the North is a good place to begin exploring. Five galleries enlighten visitors about the state’s history, native culture, art, natural phenomena, wildlife, birds, geology and prehistoric past. Highlights that kids and adults will enjoy include a 36,000-year-old Steppe bison mummy, a display of gold recalling the area’s mining days, the trans-Alaska pipeline story, totem poles and a nature trail.
Spend a few hours discovering the Chena River on one of several cruise boats. Greatland River Tours sternwheeler Tanana Chief offers dinner and Sunday brunch trips. The Riverboat Discovery does morning or afternoon excursions that include guided walking tours of a Chena Indian Village plus an Iditarod champion sled dog demonstration.
Back on shore, sign on for a two-hour tour of the El Dorado Gold Mine including a chance to pan for gold. Or ride the Tanana Valley Railroad through a permafrost tunnel, then pan for gold in a working mine. You won’t go home empty handed.
Spend a day in town golfing. Fairbanks Golf & Country Club takes advantage of the midnight sun, staying open 24-hours a day between June 1 and July 20. Rumor has it that some devoted golfers have played 200 holes in just one glorious day. North Star Golf Club challenges with simulated Scottish links. Afterwards, take the kids to Pioneer Park, Alaska’s only pioneer theme amusement area.
Rent a car and drive out for a look at the trans-Alaska pipeline. Or drive 50 miles north to Chena Hot Springs to soak in a natural hot spring-fed indoor pool or hot tub or soak outdoors in Rock Lake. Stay the night in a rustic cabin or enjoy a luxurious respite at the Chena Hot Springs Resort. On the return trip to Fairbanks, pause to fish for grayling, pike and king salmon. Altogether quite a civilized adventure.
Best Of Fairbanks
Best Landing: Fairbanks International Airport (PAFA), full service
Best Places to Stay: Just for fun, stay in one of several decommissioned Alaska Railroad cars that make up the Aurora. Express B&B. Choose a refurbished Pullman, caboose or engine, or sleep in a theme room decorated to suit the late 1800s.
Best Place to Dine: Have dinner at Café Alex where theme rooms devoted to musical styles such as jazz and disco add glamour to the dinner experience.
Best Planning Resources: Explore Fairbanks
Seward
A visit to Seward in Alaska‘s Southcentral region, brings you face to face with a variety of marine wildlife.
Founded in 1903, Seward was originally created as a railroad port on the rugged coast and has served as an important transportation hub for Alaska’s mining, exploration, fishing and trapping industries.
In 1910, surveyors laid out the Iditarod Trail, a mail route between Seward and Nome. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race began in Seward during the early days of that annual event.
Visit the Seward Museum to learn about the town’s founding days and the devastating 1964 earthquake, and to view a collection of native baskets and ivory carvings. Later, enjoy a walking or sled dog tour, kayaking adventure or fishing trip.
Or you can stroll along the bustling harbor and through the historic downtown with its frontier atmosphere including homes and businesses housed in buildings dating back to the early 1900s. Drop in at the seven-acre waterfront Alaska SeaLife Center. Viewing windows provide visions of the sea, both above and below the water’s surface, and give visitors the chance to observe seals, fish and otters in their natural habitat.
But the best reason to visit Seward is its location on Resurrection Bay and its reputation as the “Gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park.” The Bay was named in 1791 by Russian fur trader and explorer Alexander Baranof. Having found shelter there from a storm on Russian Easter Sunday, he chose the name “Resurrection.” Ice-free year-round, the Bay served as a strategic military post during WWII, and is home to a fascinating array of wildlife.
Adjoining the Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park encompasses 607,805 acres of wilderness. The fjords were formed when glaciers flowed down to the sea from inland ice fields, then retreated. Today the park is edged by the Harding Icefield, a 300-square-mile relic of past ice-ages, extending southwest along the coast to Homer. The largest ice field entirely within U.S. borders, Harding includes eight tidewater glaciers calving icebergs.
The Kenai Fjords National Park can be visited by car for access to hiking trails, but the best way to view either Resurrection Bay or the National Park is from the water. Several tour companies offer guided cruises where you’ll encounter sea otters, bald eagles, puffins, whales, Dall’s porpoises, Steller sea lions and colonies of seabirds, and view spectacular, active tidewater glaciers. Call ahead for reservations. Major Marine Tours offers full-day cruises including all-you-can-eat meals, guaranteed indoor seating and narration by National Park rangers. Kids will enjoy the company’s junior ranger program.
Best of Seward
Best Landing: Seward Airport (PAWD), 4,200 ft. paved runway in good condition, fuel, no tower, no instrument approach.
Best Place to Stay: The Van Gilder Hotel, built as an office building in 1916 and converted into a hotel in 1921, is rich in heritage. Rooms at this registered National Landmark Hotel are equipped with brass beds and modern amenities.
Best Place to Dine: Ray’s Waterfront offers a seaside setting and Alaskan specialties such as macadamia nut crusted halibut and king crab.
Best Planning Resources: Seward Chamber of Commerce
Other Stops to Consider
Juneau
Nestled at the foot of Mount Juneau, the state capital serves as a jumping off spot for visits to Glacier Bay National Park and Alaska’s south-eastern panhandle, including the Alexander Archipelago, the Inside Passage and Sitka. Cross Gastineau Channel on the Juneau-Douglas Bridge to Douglas Island. View Mendenhall Glacier from the North Douglas City Boat Launch; observe eagles on the beach at False Outer Point near the island’s northern tip. For a treat, stay at the Douglas Island Fireweed House Bed & Breakfast where accommodations include Jacuzzis and gourmet breakfasts.
Best Landing: Juneau International Airport (PAJN)
Best Planning Resources: www.traveljuneau.com, www.nps.gov/glba
Valdez
Valdez sits on a majestic fjord with the 5,000-foot-high Chugach Mountains rising in the background.
At Port Valdez, an estuary off Valdez Arm in Prince William Sound, where the 800-mile-long trans-Alaska pipeline ends its route from Prudoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean, watch tankers take on crude oil. Sign up for a Columbia Glacier cruise on the Lu-Lu Belle, a plush tour vessel that will take you around Prince William Sound to view glaciers, icebergs, harbor seals and seabird colonies. Drive to Horsetail Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Take a side trip to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve to see the continent’s largest assemblage of glaciers and the greatest collection of peaks above 16,000 feet. Only eight motel/hotel facilities are available, so make your reservations well ahead.
Best Landing: Valdez Pioneer Field (PAVD)
Best Planning Resource: www.valdezalaska.org, www.nps.gov/wrst
Brooks Range
The majestic Brooks Range and its rivers provide exceptional backpacking, canoeing, river rafting, kayaking, fishing and climbing opportunities. Fly to Bettles where there are no roads, or hike into the Brooks Ranges or Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve from the Dalton Highway. Bettles Air can transport you to out-of-the-way spots by plane or float plane. Bring camping equipment, or rent from Bettles. Or take a Bettles flight-seeing trip, then spend a comfortable night at Bettles Lodge.
Best Landing: Bettles Field (BTT) 5,280-foot gravel airstrip, with instrument approach, fuel, 24-hour weather station. Summer float pond available.
Best Planning Resources: www.brooksrange.com, www.alaska.net/~bttlodge, www.nps.gov/gaar
Homer
Homer, a small maritime community on the shores of Kachemak Bay, sits at the southwest tip of the Kenai Peninsula where Cook Inlet meets the Gulf of Alaska. Walk or bike on Homer Spit, a natural jetty reaching about four miles out into Kachemak Bay. Go clamming or crabbing, salmon fishing or sightseeing on the waters of Cook Inlet. Home to a large community of potters, sculptors, painters and jewelers, Homer gives visitors a peek at Alaska‘s art scene. “First Friday” events launch each month’s new gallery exhibits. A local theater presents live performances year-round. Whatever entertainment you choose, remember to carry your waterproof coat, hat and boots - rain is a common occurrence in this coastal town.
Best Landing: Homer Airport (PAHO)
Best Planning Resource: www.homeralaska.org
Kenai
Kenai is located on the Kenai Peninsula where the world-famous Kenai River meets Cook Inlet. It is surrounded by spectacular scenery and wildlife, and has a rich history of native and Russian settlements, culture, world-class King Salmon fishing. For the curious adventurer, Alaska Legends Adventure Resort offers an all-inclusive, world-class accommodations including unique individual vacation tour packages and small group tours from sightseeing to fishing to wildlife to wilderness safaris.
Best Landing: Kenai Municipal Airport (PAEN) 7,575 ft.-foot asphalt airstrip, with instrument approach, and fuel
Best Planning Resources: Discover Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula 
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Plan your route to Alaska with FlightPrep.com
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The Do's and Don'ts of Alaska Flying
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Do's: Make good alternate plans and be prepared to wait out poor weather conditions.
Have emergency equipment on board as required by Alaska law.
Consult the latest NOTAMs.
Close flight plans on completion of all flights.
Carry on board the latest Canadian Flight Supplement.
Obtain current weather reports, including PIREPS, forecasts, winds aloft and NOTAM information, and field condition information for destinations and alternates.
Get mountain flying instruction if you’ve only flown in flat country.
Refresh your map reading skills and skills for short field landings.
Allow plenty of time for your trip.
Plan your flights to be VFR even if you are IFR rated.
Don'ts: Don’t push the weather.
Don’t take risks when in doubt about a course of action.
Don’t fly in mountainous areas when winds exceed 30 knots at mountain peaks.
Don’t attempt to land in places inappropriate for your type aircraft.
Don’t exceed gross weight.
Click here to download a PDF version of "Do's and Don'ts" so you can print it out and keep it with you on your trip. |
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