Denali National Park. Photo courtesy of Jennifer via Wikimedia Commons.
Summer is a great time to visit Alaska. This is when you’ll be able to experience nature in full bloom, long days, pleasant daytime temperatures ranging from 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 to 26.7 degrees Celsius) and a generally jovial atmosphere. To help you plan the perfect summer getaway to Alaska, here are some suggestions.
Attend a summer festival
Festivals abound during summer in alaska. While the Kachemak Bay Kayak Fest in Homer features ten days of kayak-related events, seminars and workshops, the Golden Days Beer Fest in Fox allows visits to sample over 150 beers, some of which include hard-to-find and rare brews. Additionally, on summer solstice — the longest day of the year on and around June 21 — cities all around the state celebrate with parties, hikes, kayaking events, live performances and more. Some other summer events in Alaska to keep an eye out for include Spirit Days in Anchorage, Bear Paw Festival in Eagle River, Moose Dropping Festival in Talkeetna, World Eskimo-Indian Olympics in Fairbanks, Bear Country Music Festival in Kodiak and the Anderson Bluegrass Festival in Anderson.
Explore the state’s parks
The pleasant weather of summer in Alaska makes it a great time to enjoy outdoor recreation in Alaska‘s state and national parks and preserves. The Denali National Park and Preserve features over six million acres (24,500 km²) of wild landscape. This is where you’ll find Mount McKinley, North America’s highest mountain with a summit elevation of 20,320 feet (6,194 meters). Visitors to the park can enjoy bird watching, hunting, hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, fishing, cycling and viewing wildlife like black bears, wolves, caribou, moose and sheep. For a unique experience, take a Denali Flightseeing Excursion for aerial views of the park. Another worthwhile is Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Accessible from Juneau and the small town of Gustavus, visitors can tour glaciers year round, as well as enjoy camping, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, rafting, and mountaineering in pure Alaska wilderness. Other worthwhile parks include Kobuk Valley National Park, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, among others.
Go whale watching
Summer is prime time to viewing whales in Alaska. While May through September is when you’ll be able to see killer whales in the southeast of Alaska, June through September is great for viewing humpback whales in the state’s Inland Passage. Overall, Glacier Bay is a worthwhile whale watching destination from June through early September, when killer whales are prevalent as are dolphins and porpoises. To ensure a worthwhile whale watching experience, taking a Juneau whale watching tour with a knowledgeable guide is a good idea.
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