[takeaways] • Alaska is one of the most untouched wilderness destinations in the US, home to national parks, massive glaciers, and wildlife like grizzly bears, wolves, and bald eagles.
• Denali National Park is the place to spot Alaska's "Big Five": grizzly and brown bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and gray wolves.
• Around 5% of the state is covered in glacier ice, with roughly 100,000 glaciers by some counts.
• Alaska is the third least-populated US state, home to just over 738,000 people.
• The aurora borealis is visible from around August to April, best spotted between 10pm and 2am away from city lights.
• A SIMOVO eSIM for the USA keeps you connected the moment you land in Alaska, without hunting for WiFi. [/takeaways]
If you've never visited Alaska before and only know of it from entertainment or studies, chances are the first perception you have of the state is that it's pretty cold! It's not called "The Last Frontier" for nothing, and yes, you'll certainly feel a chill or two amid thousands of glaciers.
However, there's more to Alaska than you might think, and if you're planning a cross-country trip soon or are heading to the US from overseas, there are a few facts and points we think you should brush up on.
Before you do any of that, however, if you're traveling stateside, make sure your phone is ready to go with a SIMOVO eSIM for the USA. Once you land in Alaska, your device will connect to the best available mobile network, meaning you won't have to hunt around for WiFi or muddle with your home network's roaming.
[esim flag="🇺🇸" label="USA" data="20GB · 30 days" price="$20.50" href="/products/usa" benefits="Instant QR setup · Reliable 4G/5G · No contract"]Get set up with a SIMOVO eSIM before you touch down, so Alaska's best network is ready the moment you land[/esim]
Why visit Alaska?
Alaska is an absolutely magnificent vacation destination for adventure lovers. It's almost unmatched nationwide when it comes to genuinely untouched wilderness, and if you're willing to wrap up warm to experience it all, you'll take home some fantastic memories.
Alaska is home to several national parks, and it's home to some of the largest (and often deadliest) wildlife in the states. In the wilds, you'll see grizzly and brown bears, wolves, and bald eagles – and out to the coast, you'll be able to spot orcas and humpback whales.
This is a state that's also rich in native culture, meaning there's plenty of history lessons to be learned out here. What's more, if you're unable to explore any of the vast natural sights on foot, you can always take planes across the expanses or even try some dog sledding.
Like Iceland, Alaska is also a superb destination for watching the aurora borealis, the northern lights, at specific times of year. Many people (even travelers from elsewhere in the States) head to Alaska purely to watch the lights dance across the sky between the months of August and April.
Interesting facts about Alaska you'll want to remember
Now we've introduced you to Alaska, here are some of our favorite facts about the state that might just surprise a few US citizens!
[numbered title="Head to Denali National Park to see the 'Big Five'" pill="Grizzlies, moose, caribou, and more"]The "Big Five" as far as Alaskan animals are concerned, are brown and grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and gray wolves. In the world-famous Denali National Park and Preserve, you can watch them all – safely – from enclosures and tour buses.[/numbered] [numbered title="Around 5% of the state is covered with glaciers" pill="100,000 glaciers and counting"]According to Alaska.org, it turns out you were right to assume that the state was pretty cold! It's estimated that there are around 100,000 different glaciers in play right now, which, as the source points out, is actually 128 times more coverage than all the other states in the US put together.[/numbered] [numbered title="It's gold rush country" pill="Strikes at Nome and Fairbanks"]If you're keen to learn more about the US during the age of the Gold Rush, Alaska is a fantastic place to start. There are several historic towns dating from around this era, with prospectors traveling through Alaska in need of services. According to historians, people here didn't really get rich from the mining, but many chose to settle in Alaska, and comfortably so. In particular, the Library of Congress mentions that strikes occurred around Nome and Fairbanks, and that there were more than 50 different gold-mining camps founded statewide between 1897 and 1907.[/numbered] [numbered title="Very few people live here" pill="Third least-populated US state"]Alaska's fame for vast, open spaces and almost unending, untouched wilderness beauty does also mean that there's fewer people living here than you might think. According to World Population Review, Alaska is actually the third least-populated state in America, with only Vermont and Wyoming having fewer people. It's only home to just over 738,003 people statewide – which means that California, for contrast, has more than 58 times the denizens.[/numbered] [numbered title="There's a time and a place for watching the aurora borealis" pill="Northern lights, August to April"]As mentioned, northern lights watching in Alaska tends to be best any time between August and April, though we'd personally suggest traveling close to fall at earliest and leaving before the middle of spring. According to Travel Alaska, your best shot at seeing the northern lights tends to fall between 10pm and 2am, and there are various vantage points across the state. For example, consider heading away from city lights and toward areas like Southcentral, Fairbanks, and Coldfoot.[/numbered]
When is the best time to visit Alaska?
That all depends on what you'd like to do here and to what extent! Northern lights watchers should carve out time between fall and spring, but you might want to stick around until the summer if you'd like to watch for active wildlife and to take advantage of local tours and guide experiences.
Traveling in the shoulder seasons around May or September time generally means you can expect cheaper hotels and flights, and you'll still be able to spot some of Alaska's best-loved animals and most amazing wildflowers.
If you're not traveling to see the northern lights, you may want to avoid visiting Alaska at all as the winter pulls in. The state is already pretty chilly even during non-winter months, but things get especially dark and frosty as you approach December. It's worth remembering this if you intend to travel across the state or to go trekking, as you'll likely find it difficult. Winter is, of course, also hibernation time for much of Alaska's wildlife.
Top tips for visiting Alaska
If you're completely new to Alaska or are heading back after a few years away, here are some important tips and points to keep in mind so your vacation goes as smoothly as possible.
[tip title="Pack in removable layers"]While Alaska is famous for its low temperatures and its varying weather, it is always a good idea to pack layers just in case. You might be out in the sun before you know it – but as the night draws in, you'll be glad of some wool layers to cut out the cold. Pack layers that you can easily remove when, for example, you're out and about.[/tip] [tip title="Don't underestimate the mosquitoes"]Just because it's colder out here than, say, the Everglades, doesn't mean you're not at risk from mosquitoes. Therefore, always make sure you carry strong, DEET-based repellent, and always wear long-sleeved clothing if you are traveling anywhere near swampland.[/tip] [tip title="Plan for Alaska's scale"]It's always a good idea to build an itinerary that reflects the sheer size and scale of Alaska's coastline. The time you'll spend driving between cities, towns, and other settlements shouldn't be underestimated! Make sure to research where you're going and staying and account for time in between.[/tip] [tip title="Book ahead for peak season"]The period between May and September is big for hikers and adventurers, so if you want to make the best of the great outdoors, you'll do well to book flights, rooms, and experiences as far in advance as you possibly can.[/tip] [tip title="Use Anchorage as your hub"]Setting a hub for travel across Alaska isn't easy when some of its best bits are spread so far apart across wild zones! However, the aptly-named Anchorage is usually a great anchoring point if you want to make the most of everything the state has to offer – from city sights to northern lights.[/tip] [faq] [q]What is Alaska known for?[/q] [a]Untouched wilderness, glaciers, native culture, the northern lights, and wildlife like grizzly bears, wolves, and orcas.[/a] [q]What are Alaska's "Big Five" animals?[/q] [a]Grizzly and brown bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and gray wolves – all spottable in Denali National Park.[/a] [q]Did the Klondike Gold Rush happen in Alaska?[/q] [a]The Klondike goldfields themselves were in Canada's Yukon, but Alaska saw its own strikes soon after, around Nome and Fairbanks, with more than 50 gold-mining camps founded statewide between 1897 and 1907.[/a] [q]When is the best time to see the northern lights in Alaska?[/q] [a]Roughly August through April, with the best viewing window between 10pm and 2am.[/a] [q]How many people live in Alaska?[/q] [a]Just over 738,000, making it the third least-populated US state after Vermont and Wyoming.[/a] [/faq] [esim flag="🇺🇸" label="USA" data="20GB · 30 days" price="$20.50" href="/products/usa" benefits="Instant QR setup · Reliable 4G/5G · No contract"]Grab a SIMOVO eSIM for the USA and stay connected across Alaska's wild expanses[/esim]
