6 Stunning Photos That’ll Make You Want to Visit Alaska

Denali National Park is six million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road. The park’s low-elevation taiga forest gives way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in North America's tallest peak. Formerly known as Mount McKinley, the mountain is now officially called Denali. The name change restores the traditional Alaska Native name for the mountain and is the name most widely used in Alaska.

At more than 20,000 feet tall, the mountain is visible from as far away as Anchorage (125+ miles) on clear days. On those days, locals say “the mountain is out.” Denali may not be out today, but we’re pretty sure it’s standing extra tall with the good news. Congrats, Alaska!

A visit to Bering Land Bridge can feel like traveling back in time. The Bering Land Bridge provided a pathway for plants, animals and people to cross from the old world to new. Wildlife like the muskox remind us of our ancestors and how geography has shaped humankind. These iconic herbivores sport curved horns and can weigh between 400-800 pounds. Although their populations have fluctuated over the last century, today they number around 3,800 in the state of Alaska.

A trip to Alaska wouldn’t be complete without seeing mountains, glaciers and gorgeous wildflowers. Kenai Fjords National Park has all three. The park sits at the edge of the North Pacific Ocean, where storm patterns develop and feed a land of ice. The Harding Icefield crowns the park and is the source of at least 38 glaciers that flow over the land, sculpting as they go. Pictured here is a view of the Harding Icefield with wildflowers in full bloom.

Flowing north through the Alaska Range, the Delta Wild and Scenic River passes through one of the most rugged and remote landscapes in America. The 90-mile Delta River is a bucket list destination. In this pristine Arctic habitat, you’ll find bountiful wildlife such as moose, caribou, beaver, fox, eagles and tundra swans. The river offers amazing float trips, camping, fishing and more.

A journey to the far-flung lands of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge can be difficult, but once you’re there, amazing sights are easy to find. Look up to see clouds of seabirds -- unique species found nowhere else. Explore velvety green tundra ablaze with flowers, World War II battlefields, dramatic coastlines, sand beaches of every color and steaming volcanoes. And don’t forget to look down into the water, where sea life like this humpback whale are ready to astound you.

Somewhere over the rainbow, near the end of the world, is Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve in Alaska. Gates is a vast landscape without roads or trails, where visitors find towering mountains, wide valleys carved by massive glaciers and bountiful wildlife. At this ancient place, nature rules and people are only observers.