Grizzly bears are the pre-eminent predators in Denali National Park.

Michael Heffernan

The Interior

Alaska literally translates as 'mainland,' but a more poetic etymology would be 'The Land.' And with that in mind, the great Alaskan Interior is, truly, The Land: a vast expanse of boreal forest, alpine tundra and jagged mountains cut by braided rivers and slithering tongues of frost-white glaciers.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Denali National Park & Preserve
The Interior
In our collective consciousness, Alaska represents the concept of the raw wilderness. But that untamed perception can be as much a deterrent as a draw…
Matanuska Glacier
The Interior
Some 18,000 years ago this glacier covered the entire area where the city of Palmer sits today. It must have appeared a supernatural force back then,…
University of Alaska Museum of the North
Fairbanks
In an architecturally abstract, igloo- and aurora-inspired edifice sits one of Alaska’s finest museums, with artifact-rich exhibits on the geology,…
Concentration Mill & Leaching Plant
The Interior
Like a rickety fantasy hatched out of a lunatic's dream, this 14-story building once processed the copper mined out of the surrounding mountains. You can…
Mukluk Land
The Interior
It's hard to miss Mukluk Land. The entrance, after all, is marked by a giant red boot. But more importantly: you shouldn't miss Mukluk Land. Is it a theme…
Denali
Denali National Park & Preserve
What makes 20,310ft Denali (formerly Mt McKinley) one of the world’s great scenic mountains is the sheer independent rise of its bulk. Denali begins at a…
Fairview Inn
Talkeetna
Though not an official museum, the Fairview Inn might as well be. Founded in 1923 to serve as the overnight stop between Seward and Fairbanks on the newly…
Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
Fairbanks
Birds have been migrating through this idyllic little stretch of farmland for millennia, and when the local dairy finally shut its doors, the community…