If you are ready to plan your dream trip to the Alaska National Parks (or if you just want to explore the possibilities), you have come to the right place. My name is Ash, and I worked as a park ranger in Alaska! I can’t wait to show you around the amazing parks in this state.
Alaska is a wild land full of phenomenal views, wildlife galore, and adventures for everyone — and its national parks encompass all of that and more! The Alaska national parks are vast, remote, and difficult to reach. but if you’re willing to put in the time, energy, and money to make it to these parks, you will be rewarded with experiences that most people never get to have in their lifetimes.
Let’s take a journey through the state of Alaska, America’s last frontier!
How Many National Parks are in Alaska?
The state of Alaska has 8 national parks. They are:
1. Denali
3. Glacier Bay
4. Katmai
5. Kenai Fjords
6. Kobuk Valley
7. Lake Clark
This article contains important information about each of these Alaska National Parks, including how to get there, the best time to go, where to stay, and what to do!
This article may contain sponsored or affiliate links.
Map of Alaska’s National Parks
Planning Your Trip to Alaska’s National Parks
Which Alaska National Parks Can You Drive To?
The biggest question (that you normally wouldn’t even think to ask!) when planning a trip to the Alaska National Parks is which parks can you drive to?
Out of the 8 national parks in Alaska, you can only drive to 3 of them — Wrangell-St. Elias, Denali, and Kenai Fjords.
If you’re a first-time visitor to Alaska and don’t plan on visiting all of the parks, or if you don’t want to bother with taking ferries or small private airplanes, I recommend focusing your time on the 3 national parks you can drive to. Logistically, these parks are much easier to visit and require much less planning!
The Best Time to Visit Alaska’s National Parks
Summer is overwhelmingly the best time to visit the national parks in Alaska. In this state of extremes, it’s common to only have a couple of months with weather that is ideal for hiking, paddling, and sightseeing. Alaska’s National Parks are very seasonal, so you’ll want to visit during the summer when the main activities and lodging options are up and running.
If you’re never been to Alaska, I suggest planning a summer visit for your first time in the state. Then, after you’ve been a time or two, you can branch out into other times of the year if you’re looking for some unique experiences.
What to Bring to Alaska’s National Parks
I’ve lived and worked in two different areas of Alaska (Denali and Glacier Bay National Parks), and there are a few items that I always bring with me when I’m exploring Alaska’s National Parks.
1. Bear Spray — I NEVER hike without bear spray in Alaska. Even when walking to work when I was a park ranger in Glacier Bay, it was rare if I didn’t see a brown bear on my way to the office! Though I’ve never had to deploy the spray myself, I have friends who have survived bear attacks because they effectively deployed their bear spray.
You can’t fly on commercial airplanes with bear spray, so I recommend waiting until you touch down in Fairbanks or Anchorage before purchasing it. If you’ll be flying to a more remote national park, be sure to check with your charter plane operator regarding their policies on flying with bear spray.
2. Sunscreen — Alaska is referred to as the Land of the Midnight Sun, and for a good reason! In some parts of Alaska, especially up north near Denali, Gates of the Arctic, and Kobuk Valley, it’s common to have 20-24 hours of sunlight each day during the summer. You’ll want good sunscreen for exploring the national parks in that amount of sunlight!
3. Insect Repellent — Alaskans joke that the mosquito is actually the Alaska State Bird because of how large they get up here. Absolutely DO NOT explore the parks without good mosquito repellent…while you’re at it, I also highly recommend a mosquito net for your head if you plan on camping or spending time out on the trails. They look ridiculous, but your face will be grateful!
4. Topographic Map — The national parks in Alaska are huge and remote, so you definitely need a good map if you plan on hitting the trail. The last thing you want is to be lost out here.
5. Rain Jacket — The weather in Alaska is crazy, and it’s common to encounter many different types of weather in one day! It may be sunny, then rainy, then snowy, then back to sunny, all in the span of a day, even in the summer. Take a packable rain jacket that you can keep with you at all times…you never know when you’ll need it.
How to Get to All 8 of Alaska’s National Parks in One Trip
Alright, if you are hoping to see all 8 of Alaska’s parks in one trip, you are in for a major logistical planning exercise! But in general, I would visit the parks in this order:
- Fly into Anchorage (one-way ticket) and catch a flight to King Salmon
- Visit Katmai National Park
- Fly to Port Alsworth (charter flight from either from King Salmon or Anchorage) and visit Lake Clark National Park
- Fly back to Anchorage and fly to Juneau
- Fly from Juneau to Gustavus
- Visit Glacier Bay National Park
- Fly back to Anchorage, and NOW you can rent a car
- Drive to Seward and visit Kenai Fjords National Park
- Drive back to Anchorage and then drive to McCarthy
- Visit Wrangell-St. Elias
- Drive to Healy/Park Village and visit Denali National Park
- Drive to Fairbanks and drop off your rental car
- Fly from Fairbanks to Bettles
- Take a charter flight from Bettles to Gates of the Arctic National Park and Kobuk Valley National Park
- Fly back to Fairbanks, and then fly home (one-way ticket)
DENALI NATIONAL PARK
Established in 1917, Denali National Park is Alaska’s first national park! And now, over 100 years after its designation, this beautiful place still fills visitors with wonder and awe. Denali protects the tallest mountain in North America, Denali (formerly Mount McKinley), which stands above the clouds at 20,310 feet above sea level.
Getting to Denali
Denali is one of the three national parks in Alaska that you can drive to. The closest airport to the park is the Fairbanks International Airport, which is about 2 hours from the park entrance. Many people also fly into the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, which is about 4 hours from the park entrance.
If you’re driving to Denali, you’ll drive along the extremely scenic George Parks Highway. This is a good 2-lane road with many fabulous stops along the way. Another option is to take the Denali Star Train, which travels between Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks.
When you get to Denali, you can only drive your vehicle to Savage River (Mile 15 of the Park Road). To explore the entire 92-mile Park Road through Denali National Park, you’ll need to take a bus!
Where to Stay in Denali
There are no in-park hotels run by the NPS in Denali, but you will find some very remote privately-run lodges near Kantishna at the very end of the park road. For most people, I suggest booking a hotel either in the Denali Park Village (we like the Denali Bluffs) or in Healy.
If you’d like to camp in the park, there are 6 amazing campgrounds in Denali, plus endless opportunities for spending the night in the backcountry.
The Best Time to Visit Denali
If it’s your first time in Denali, you’ll definitely want to visit when the buses are running so that you can see as much of the park as possible!
Buses typically run from mid-May through mid-September, but I recommend planning a trip for June-August if you want to be able to take a bus that travels to the Eielson Visitor Center and Wonder Lake (my favorite stops along the Denali Park Road). Those buses typically don’t run in May and September.
The Best Things to Do in Denali
Denali is full of adventure! I particularly love hiking, wildlife viewing, and visiting the sled dog kennels in this park. Here is a list of the 10 things you can’t miss on your first visit to Denali.
GATES OF THE ARCTIC NATIONAL PARK
Deep in the wilderness, near the northern edge of Alaska, you’ll find a national park with no roads and no trails but plenty of caribou! Gates of the Arctic National Park is the least-visited of the Alaska parks, but not because it isn’t spectacular — this park is extremely difficult to explore, but those who do are handsomely rewarded.
Getting to Gates of the Arctic
There are no roads to this park, so the best way to get to Gates of the Arctic is to fly here on a small charter plane. You’ll take a commercial plane from Fairbanks to the tiny town of Bettles, where you can then charter a flight to Gates of the Arctic National Park.
If you’re hoping to get to all of the Alaska national parks, I would visit Kobuk Valley at the same time you go to Gates of the Arctic. Many tour operators and charter planes offer the option to take you to both parks during the same trip, which I highly recommend!
Where to Stay in Gates of the Arctic
There are no hotels or campgrounds in Gates of the Arctic National Park. If you want to stay in the park, you will need to find your own spot to camp and bring everything you need for the time you are in the park + a few extra days (sometimes the weather delays your plane from picking you up as planned).
If you are not an extremely experienced backpacker, I would not attempt to stay overnight in the park unless you are on a guided tour!
The Best Time to Visit Gates of the Arctic
The best time to visit Gates of the Arctic National Park is during the summer months, specifically in July and August. You want to go later in the summer to give time for things to dry out from the long winters that this park experiences.
The Best Things to Do in Gates of the Arctic
Backpacking, floating a river, wildlife viewing, and flightseeing are some of the best adventures you can have in Gates of the Arctic National Park. Here is a list of the best things to do in the park.
GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK
Glacier Bay National Park protects some of the most spectacular ocean and mountain landscapes in the world! This park has over 1,000 glaciers, some of which calve (break off) directly into the ocean. You’ll also find forests that are still bouncing back from the ice age, a rich Huna Tlingit culture, mountain peaks, and a huge variety of wildlife.
Getting to Glacier Bay
Glacier Bay is not accessible by road, but it’s not as difficult to get to as some of the other Alaska National Parks. The vast majority of visitors to Glacier Bay actually never set foot on land here — they come via cruise ship! Booking an Alaskan Cruise that includes Glacier Bay in its itinerary is the simplest way to see this park.
For those who are feeling more adventurous, you can fly into Juneau and then take a commercial flight (summers only) or charter a small plane to the town of Gustavus, which is Glacier Bay’s gateway town.
Another option is to use the Alaskan Marine Highway System (ferry) from Juneau over to Gustavus. If you use this option, you can bring your own vehicle on the ferry if desired. I personally wouldn’t bother bringing my own vehicle (there aren’t very many places to drive).
Be aware that when you get to Gustavus, you still need transportation to Bartlett Cove in Glacier Bay National Park, which is about 10 miles away. Many lodges provide shuttle services for their guests, or there is a small taxi service in town.
Where to Stay in Glacier Bay
If you want to stay in Glacier Bay National Park, book a room at the Glacier Bay Lodge or get a site at the Bartlett Cove Campground.
You’ll also find a nice selection of places to stay in the town of Gustavus just outside of the park.
The Best Time to Visit Glacier Bay
The best time to visit Glacier Bay is during the summer, specifically when the day boat is running. This is typically from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Because Glacier Bay is an ocean park, temperatures here don’t fluctuate as much as some of the other Alaska parks. Expect the weather to hover around 50-60 degrees with a light mist and cloudy skies while you’re here during the summer months.
The Best Things to Do in Glacier Bay
The best way to experience Glacier Bay National Park is from the water! Be sure to take a boat tour so that you can see the glaciers and the whales, go sea kayaking, and enjoy the tidepools while you’re here.
Here is a list of the 10 things you can’t miss on your first visit to Glacier Bay.
Hey there, I’m Ash!
I worked as a park ranger in Alaska, and I am so excited to help you plan your trip to these incredible Alaska parks. I don’t have a favorite national park in Alaska (nor do I think anyone should rank the parks from best to worst!) — each park is unique and beautiful, and you never know which one will speak to your soul the most.
I would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment on this post if you have any questions as you turn your dream trip into a reality!
KATMAI NATIONAL PARK
Every year, people come from far and wide to witness a truly breathtaking site — huge brown bears catching salmon in a waterfall! Katmai National Park has more than just an adrenaline-inducing number of bears, but you definitely want to bring your telephoto lens and get ready to capture some amazing memories.
How to Get to Katmai
Katmai National Park is not connected to any roads, so flying or boating are your only options for getting here.
Your first goal when trying to make it to Katmai National Park is to get to the tiny gateway town of King Salmon, which is 290 air miles southwest of Anchorage. The easiest way to do this is to catch a commercial flight from the Ted Stevens Anchorage Airport.
When you get to King Salmon, you’ll then need to charter a float plane or take a boat to Brooks Camp, the most popular part of the park. Here is a list of companies that are authorized to operate float planes or boats in the national park, but I personally like Katmai Air.
Where to Stay in Katmai
If you want to stay as close as possible to the bears at Brooks Falls, you’ll want to book a room at the Brooks Lodge or snag a spot in the Brooks Camp Campground. Both of these options are extremely competitive and book up well in advance (the Brooks Lodge takes reservations via a lottery 1.5 years in advance)!
Another popular option for staying overnight in the area is to book a room in King Salmon. From there, it’s a quick 20-minute float plane ride to Brooks Camp. Many people make their base camp at King Salmon and just day trip to the park once or twice.
The Best Time to Visit Katmai
If you are coming to Katmai National Park to see the brown bears catching salmon at Brooks Falls, then there are only two months that you’ll want to visit this park — July and September.
This is when the salmon are spawning and trying to jump up the waterfall, so you’ll see as many as 50 bears at a time trying to catch their food. If you visit during any other time of the year, you may see a few bears in the falls, but it’s nothing like the experience you’ll have in July or September!
Things to Do in Katmai
Bear watching, fishing, and touring the Valley of 10,000 Smokes are just a few of the things you’ll definitely want to do in Katmai National Park.
KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK
Kenai Fjords National Park is a celebration of majestic glaciers, fascinating sea life, and beautiful U-shaped valleys. Over 50% of this park is still covered in ice!
How to Get to Kenai Fjords
Kenai Fjords is one of the easiest parks to visit in Alaska. Located near the charming seaside town of Seward, you can drive to Kenai Fjords from Anchorage in about 2.5 hours.
I suggest flying into Anchorage and then renting a car to get yourself over to Seward and Kenai Fjords. Even just the drive over is spectacular!
Where to Stay in Kenai Fjords
If you want to stay in Kenai Fjords National Park, you’ll need to stay in the Exit Glacier Campground or book one of the public-use cabins.
For most people visiting the park, it makes the most sense to book a hotel in Seward and just drive to the park from there.
The Best Time to Visit Kenai Fjords
Because Kenai Fjords is located along the coast, the weather and temperatures stay a little bit more mild than some of the other Alaska parks. That being said, you’ll still want to visit during the summer when the boat tours are running and restaurants and lodges are fully open.
Summer is also the best time for whale watching in Kenai Fjords, so a visit anytime from June – September will yield the best results if you want to see some amazing wildlife in Resurrection Bay!
Things to Do in Kenai Fjords
I recommend visiting Exit Glacier, taking a boat tour through the park waters, hiking the Harding Ice Field Trail, and going kayaking while you’re in Kenai Fjords. Read through this list to decide which activities will be the best for your group!
KOBUK VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Located deep in the Alaskan tundra, Kobuk Valley National Park is the perfect place for explorers and adventurers who want to escape it all. The sand dunes, wild rivers, and hundreds of thousands of migrating caribou are spectacular, and you’ll find all this and more above the Arctic Circle.
How to Get to Kobuk Valley
You cannot drive to Kobuk Valley National Park, so you’ll need to plan a few different flights to get here. Commercial flights run from Anchorage to Kotzebue or from Fairbanks to Bettles. From Kotzebue or Bettles, you’ll then need to book a charter flight to Kobuk Valley.
If you’re just planning to visit Kobuk Valley, then flying into Kotzebue and getting to the park from there makes the most sense. But if you’d like to visit both Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic on the same trip (which I highly recommend), then flying into Bettles is the easiest way to see both parks in a day.
Where to Stay in Kobuk Valley
You won’t find any regular lodging options in Kobuk Valley National Park, so if you want to stay in the park overnight, you’ll need to choose your own campsite. Bring everything you need for the time you are in the park + a few extra days (sometimes the weather delays your plane from picking you up as planned).
If you aren’t extremely experienced in the backcountry, I don’t suggest staying overnight in the park unless you take a guided tour.
The Best Time to Visit Kobuk Valley
You’ll definitely want to visit Kobuk Valley National Park during the summer months if you’re a first-time visitor. I would aim for sometime in July or August to give the land time to dry out after the long winter.
Do you want to know something super cool about Kobuk Valley? You’re so far north that the sun actually doesn’t set at all from early June – early July!
Things to Do in Kobuk Valley
The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes are the main point of interest in Kobuk Valley National Park, so you’ll definitely want to get dropped off in that area if you can. Backpacking, flightseeing, and floating are popular activities in this park as well. And if you’re in Kotzebue, be sure to stop by the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center.
LAKE CLARK NATIONAL PARK
Tucked into the beautiful Alaska Peninsula, Lake Clark National Park has the best of everything! Massive glaciers, active volcanoes, amazing wildlife viewing, and epic adventures.
How to Get to Lake Clark
Lake Clark is inaccessible by road, so you’ll have to fly to get here! The tiny village of Port Alsworth is often used as the kicking-off point for exploring Lake Clark, and it has a post office, visitor center, lodging, and gear rentals (but no grocery store).
To get to Port Alsworth, you’ll need to take an air taxi. It usually makes the most sense to catch your flight from Anchorage, but you can get a flight from smaller locations (like Seward, Homer, or King Salmon) if you’re visiting multiple national parks.
Some air taxis don’t even go through Port Alsworth — they just drop you off wherever you want in Lake Clark! It truly is a “choose your own adventure” experience out here.
Where to Stay in Lake Clark
Lake Clark National Park actually has an interesting variety of places to stay within the park boundaries. You can backcountry camp, reserve a public-use cabin, or stay in a privately owned lodge. All of these options are remote and require travel arrangements to be made in advance.
The Best Time to Visit Lake Clark
The weather varies greatly in this park depending on whether you’re in the mountains or on the coast, so you’ll want to be prepared for anything! The best time to visit Lake Clark is during the summer months when the temperatures are warm and the snow (typically) stays away.
Things to Do in Lake Clark
Visiting the Proenneke Cabin on Twin Lakes, fishing, bear viewing, flightseeing, and hiking are some of the epic things you can do in Lake Clark National Park. You’ll love exploring this landscape of fire and ice!
WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is epic in every sense of the word. This national park contains 9 of the 16 highest peaks in the country, is the largest national park in the U.S. (over 13 million acres), and contains an entire range of volcanoes!
How to Get to Wrangell-St. Elias
You can drive to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park! But you’ll want to bring all of your favorite road trip items because, while it only takes 3.5 hours to get from Anchorage to the park’s main Visitor Center in Copper Center, it takes closer to 7 hours to drive into McCarthy and Kennecott (which I highly recommend)!
You’ll want a vehicle with 4-wheel drive if you plan on exploring the park by road. The Nabesna Road and McCarthy Roads are both gravel roads that can be a little rough at times. Be sure to fill up your gas tank before driving on either of these roads.
Where to Stay in Wrangell-St. Elias
If you’d like to camp in Wrangell-St. Elias, you’ll find some great camping options along the McCarthy Road and the Nabesna Road. Backcountry camping is also available all over the park, including a bunch of cool backcountry cabins.
Otherwise, I suggest staying in a hotel right in McCarthy for a night or two, such as Ma Johnson’s or the Kennicott Glacier Lodge.
The Best Time to Visit Wrangell-St. Elias
Summer is the best time to visit Wrangell-St. Elias. The park’s visitor centers are usually open from about mid-May through mid-September. The park roads should be open and ready to grant you access to the park during those months as well.
Things to Do in Wrangell-St. Elias
I highly recommend driving the McCarthy Road and visiting the Kennecott Copper Mine, hiking to Root Glacier, and driving the Nabesna Road. If you have an extra day or two, venturing out into the backcountry will change your entire perspective of this park.
However, if you have the funds, taking a flightseeing tour over the mountain range is arguably the best way to experience this breathtaking mountain range and the vastness of the national park.
List of Alaska National Parks by Size
The state of Alaska has more acreage set aside as national parks than any other state! Wrangell-St. Elias is the largest national park in the U.S.A. at over 13 million acres — that’s more acreage than Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the entire country of Switzerland combined!
Here is a list of the Alaska National Parks by size (biggest to smallest):
1. Wrangell-St. Elias: 8,323,146.5 acres for the national park + 4,852,644 acres for the national preserve = 13,175,790.5 total acres
2. Gates of the Arctic: 7,523,897.5 acres for the national park + 948,608 acres for the national preserve = 8,472,505.5 total acres
3. Denali: 4,740,911.2 acres for the national park + 1,334,117 acres for the national preserve = 6,075,028.2 total acres
4. Katmai: 3,674,529.3 acres for the national park + 418,698 acres for the national preserve = 4,093,227.3 total acres
5. Lake Clark: 2,619,816.5 acres for the national park + 1,410,293 acres for the national preserve = 4,030,109.5 total acres
6. Glacier Bay: 3,223,383.4 acres for the national park + 58,406 acres for the national preserve = 3,281,789.4 total acres
7. Kobuk Valley: 1,750,716.2 acres
8. Kenai Fjords: 669,650.1 acres
List of Alaska National Parks by Date Established
The first national park established in the state of Alaska was Denali National Park. It is America’s 12th national park!
At the time of its creation, Denali National Park was called Mount McKinley National Park. The name of the park and the peak it was named after have since been renamed to honor the native Athabascan people and their word for the highest peak in North America — Denali (the Great One).
The remaining 7 Alaska National Parks were all established on December 2, 1980, by President Jimmy Carter under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
Here is a list of the Alaska National Parks by date established:
1. Denali: February 26, 1917
2. Gates of the Arctic: December 2, 1980
3. Glacier Bay: December 2, 1980
4. Katmai: December 2, 1980
5. Kenai Fjords: December 2, 1980
6. Kobuk Valley: December 2, 1980
7. Lake Clark: December 2, 1980
8. Wrangell-St. Elias: December 2, 1980
What is the Most Visited National Park in Alaska?
Glacier Bay is the most visited national park in Alaska, with over 500,000 visitors per year. But this number is deceiving because most of those people never actually step foot on land or use any of the park’s amenities or trails — they see the park from the deck of a large cruise ship!
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We did the 8 parks August 2024. What an experience!! Still reliving it. Got a cancellation for two nights at Brooks Lodge…what a score for us!! Three nights in Bettles. Altogether we were in Alaska for 21 days. What an amazing trip!! Love your article and it would have been invaluable in helping us plan.
Awww that sounds amazing!! Congrats on getting the Brooks Lodge cancellation haha…that’s a big deal!!
Hey Ash!
Any thoughts on cruising to some of these parks?
A lot of people do! It’s a cool way to see them, but you are more limited in what you can do because of the limited time that they give you.
Hey Ash,
Do you know of a travel company to book a complete tour to see all 8 parks? We have been up once already through a tour group and knocked out Denali and Glacier Bay. Thoughts? By the way, your site for planning NP trips is amazing.
Thanks,
Tom
I don’t know of one, though that would be amazing! The next easiest ones to get to for you are Wrangell and Kenai, so maybe start with those! And you could pretty easily add in Katmai at the same time. But yeah, those more remote ones take quite a bit of planning!
If you were planning 1 trip to see all 8 parks, do you have a rough recommendation of how many days to spend in each park (not including travel days, I see where above you recommended 2.5-3 weeks total). Wondering if certain parks warrant more or less time individually. (Not an experienced backpacker, so would not be staying overnight in the northern parks without a guide, if at all!)
You can always spend more time in each of these places, but in general: 2 days in Katmai, 2 days in Glacier Bay, 2-3 in Kenai Fjords, 2-3 days in Wrangell, 3-4 in Denali, and 1-2 days in Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley depending on if you see each park separately or see both in one flight!
My son sent me a link to this sight and glad he did. All the info is very helpful. He will taking a seasonal job near Denali in May and I am so excited for him.
That is so exciting!
Hi Ash, I have a couple of questions.
1. How different is the experience chartering a float or bush plane compared to a traditional major airline?
2. For backpackers in the southern US, what different supplies or gear would you recommend for Alaska backpacking?
It’s much different…typically those charter flights will only have seats for 4-6 people so it’s much more personalized. For backpacking, I would consult each park individually. Most of them provide info of things they want you to have with you. But basically waterproof everything, much warmer layers, bug spray, bear spray, and a bear canister for food and toiletries.
I many days would you need in order to visit all 8 in one trip?
Probably around 2.5-3 weeks!
Hi Dirt in my Shoes.
We are planning to do Alaska National Parks via camper van in 2026.
I know, quite the planner.
Do you have a pdf version of you Alaska’s Epic Journey through Americas Final Fortier web page?
Thx
Paul
I don’t, sorry! But I am so excited for you!!!