Accessible, Remote Alaska

Travelers Hike Mt. Flattop, Scope For Bears, Visit Wasilla

Stephen Sobek, Staff Writer

In the largest state in the Union, a place that's also home to the highest mountain peak in North America, there are lots of places to get lost -- and you'll be glad you did.

Denali National Park and Preserve: Mt. McKinley is a little hard to miss, as well -- although the locals call the great mountain Denali. The park named for the 20,320-foot mountain is, of course, famous for its views of the massive mountain. However, since McKinley is hidden in clouds much of the year, you may have better luck viewing the wildlife. Bus tours will get you up close and personal with grizzly bears, caribou, wolves, Dall sheep and moose.

Seldovia: Like much of Alaska, the town of Seldovia can only be reached by air or water. But if natural beauty and history are your thing, it's worth making the trip. The town, according to Seldovia.com, has no banks, car dealers, lawyers, movie theaters or super stores. More.

Katmai National Park and Preserve: While its size makes it hard to think of Katmai National Park and Preserve as hidden (it's roughly the size of Wales), like many places in Alaska, it's only accessible by air or water. The park was established as a national monument in 1918 to protect the huge area around the eruption of Novarupta in 1912. That area is now called the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. But it may be its protected brown bear population -- estimated in excess of 2,000 -- that draws the most visitors. Bear viewing platforms are set up at Brooks Camp, one of the only developed areas of the park.

Mt. Flattop: Not everyone who visits Alaska has the mountaineering chops of a Sir Edmund Hillary or a Tensig Norgay (the first two men to climb Mt. Everest). While the tallest mountain in North America may be in Alaska -- Mt. McKinley -- there's at least one mountain for the rest of us. Flattop Mountain, 3,510 feet tall, dominates the Anchorage skyline. The trailhead to start the climb can be reached by car, and the trail gains a total of 1,280 feet before you step on the mountain's table-like top. The view from the top includes Anchorage, Mt. Foraker, Mt. Spurr and even -- when the weather's right -- Mt. McKinley.

Wasilla: Alaska's fourth-largest city with a population of 9,780 in 2007, Wasilla has not been on the tourist radar for most of its existence. However, the 2008 presidential election changed that when former city mayor and governor of Alaska Sarah Palin was picked by Republican Sen. John McCain to be his running mate. But there are plenty of things to do for visitors. You can visit the Independence Mine State Historical Park for some history on the gold rush, learn about dog mushing at the Iditarod race headquarters or go canoeing at the Nancy Lakes Recreation Area.

Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by TurnTo23.com. By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms of Use. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment. Flagging a comment will send it to our editorial staff for review.