Cruising the Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska - Click here to check out a short video on the Inside Passage
Cruising the Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska is a perfect place to experience a first time visit to Alaska, and it is perfect for first time cruisers. Research shows that 70% of Alaskan cruisers are first timers. The area boasts thousands of miles of beautiful coastline, wildlife filled bays and fjords, lush island scenery, scenic glacier views and unique, fun and exciting ports of call.
Northbound itineraries typically start in Seattle, WA or Vancouver, BC; southbound itineraries start in Seward or Whittier, Alaska. Some itineraries are roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver, and a few even start/end in Ketchikan or Juneau. Cruising season is from May to September, with June through August typically seeing the highest number of visitors. June 21 is the summer solstice (Midnight sun). In May, June and July the sun is hanging in the sky well past 10pm.
Holland America and Princess are well known for their Alaska itineraries, however nearly every cruise line has an Alaska itinerary. To get away from the crowds, to go where the big ships can't and for a more up close and personal experience, consider a small ship or expedition cruises
or the Alaskan Ferry.
Northbound itineraries typically start in Seattle, WA or Vancouver, BC; southbound itineraries start in Seward or Whittier, Alaska. Some itineraries are roundtrip from Seattle or Vancouver, and a few even start/end in Ketchikan or Juneau. Cruising season is from May to September, with June through August typically seeing the highest number of visitors. June 21 is the summer solstice (Midnight sun). In May, June and July the sun is hanging in the sky well past 10pm.
Holland America and Princess are well known for their Alaska itineraries, however nearly every cruise line has an Alaska itinerary. To get away from the crowds, to go where the big ships can't and for a more up close and personal experience, consider a small ship or expedition cruises
or the Alaskan Ferry.
College Fjord
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Located in the northwest corner of Prince William Sound, it contains dozens of glaciers including 5 tidewater glaciers that spill into the sea. The fjord, discovered in 1899 by the Harriman Expedition, included college professors from Amherst and Harvard, and they named many of the glaciers after elite east coast colleges. The 5 tidewater glaciers are the Vassar, Bryn Mawr, Smith, Harvard, and Yale glaciers. Cruise ships head to here for one reason - glacier viewing is second to none.
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Hubbard Glacier
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The largest tidewater glacier in North America, Hubbard Glacier measures 76 miles long, 7 miles wide and plunges 1,200 feet into the depths of the bay. At 600 feet high, it can make even the largest cruise ship look "small". Hubbard Glacier is one of the most active of its kind, providing ample opportunity to witness the glacier calving, expelling huge icebergs with a big splash!
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Glacier Bay
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Glaciers cover 27% of this 3.3 million acre national park and preserve. The area is rich in marine wildlife, including humpback whales, sea otters, porpoises and seals. 90% of the parks visitors arrive by cruise ship and spend the day cruising without ever getting off the ship. 10% of the visitors enter through Gustavas or the park headquarters in Bartlett Cove. While many of the activities are on the water, (kayaking, fishing), park visitors also enjoy backcountry hiking, camping, biking and visiting local art galleries. The area boasts plenty of wildlife (moose, bears, wolves, deer, mountain goats and eagles).
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Haines
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Haines is located between the Chilkat River and Lynn Canal. Originally built as a Christian missionary town, it later became an army outpost. Today it is home to the Chilkat Bald River Preserve, where as many as 4000 bald eagles gather in the fall to feast on spawning salmon.
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Skagway
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Born out of the Klondike gold rush, at one point Skagway boasted 20,000 residents and more than 40,000 gold rush stampeders headed to the Yukon via the Chilkoot Trail. Today, the city has about 1000 residents and survives primarily on tourism, from the bus tours and hundreds of cruise ships that visit in the summer months.
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Sitka
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First inhabited by Tlingit Indians, the Russians arrived on the island in 1741. Sitka is recognized as the center of Russian influence in Alaska. A city of around 9000 residents, Sitka still displays some of it's Russian heritage including the colorful onion-shaped domes and gold colored crosses of the beloved Saint Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral.
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Icy Straight
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Icy Straight is Alaska's newest cruise port, located approximately 22 miles southeast from Glacier Bay National Park. Developed to help provide an alternate source of income for the local community, the area provides an authentic "wilderness experience", a non-commercialized alternative to Alaska's usual ports of call.
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Juneau
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Juneau, the capital of Alaska, is located on the Gastineau Channel, and is the only US state capital that can be reached only by airplane or by sea. It is named after the city's co-founder Joe Juneau, a gold prospector. Gold was discovered at the mouth of Gold creek in 1880, and the Alaska Gold Rush was on. Today, Juneau is a city of 31,500 residents working in government, tourism, mining and fishing. Many of Juneau's main attractions are within walking distance of the cruise docks. A short drive from downtown sits one of Juneau's most iconic sites, Mendenhall Glacier, where visitors can watch icebergs calve off, take a hike or check out the Visitor Center.
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Ketchikan
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Ketchikan is located at the southern-most entrance of the Inside Passage. Known as the "Salmon Capital of the World", it also boasts beautiful scenery including Misty Fjord National Monument and rich Native Indian history. Ketchikan is a Tlinglit phrase that roughly means "eagle with spread out wings" or " spread wings of a thundering eagle" - appropriately named as you are likely to see many bald eagles along the waterfront.
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For more information on Alaska's Inside Passage, check out these websites:
Travel Alaska - Glacier Bay - Haines - Skagway - Sitka - Icy Straight - Travel Juneau - Visit Ketchikan
Articles:
Haines
Haines
Alaska's largest cities: Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau
Anchorage is located at the head of Cook Inlet, which was discovered by and named after Captain James Cook in 1778. The area was home to Russian explorers and traders until Alaska was purchased by the US from the Russians in 1867. Anchorage itself was founded in 1915 as a railroad town, home to the Alaskan Railroad. The city quickly grew from a town of 3000 to over 40,000 during World War II, becoming the headquarters of the Alaska Defense Command of the US Army. Elmendorf and Fort Richardson were built during the war. In 1964, the Great Alaskan Earthquake devastated much of downtown Anchorage, however with the discovery of oil in Prudhoe Bay in 1986, many oil companies located their headquarters here, which allowed Anchorage to boom again.
Today, Anchorage is Alaska's largest city with just under 300,000 residents (40% of the population) and serves as a springboard to experience what Alaska has to offer. Explore museums, play some golf, take a hike, go on a scenic day drive or cruise through Prince William Sound. Anchorage has world-class dining, especially seafood. Beer lovers can check out the numerous brew pubs in town, including the Broken Tooth, King Street and Sleeping Lady Brewing Companies. For a list of Anchorage breweries and brewpubs, check here. For more details on Anchorage, check this site. |
Fairbanks is considered to be the gateway to Alaska's interior and arctic regions. Fairbanks is surrounded by wilderness; one is only minutes away from the great outdoors. Hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, whitewater rafting, skiing and snowmobiling await!
Yearning for the Midnight Sun? From May to late July Fairbanks has 70 straight days of the Midnight Sun, where the sun remains visible at midnight. On June 21st, the summer solstice, the sun is visible for a full 24 hours (assuming good weather). For those interested in seeing the Aurora Borealis, it is visible from late August through early April. Once a gold rush town, today Fairbanks is Alaska's second largest city with a population of almost 32,000 residents. The surrounding area, known as Fairbanks North Star Borough, is about the size of New Jersey and has almost 98,000 residents. The Alaska Highway, the trans-Alaskan pipeline, mining, the University of Alaska and military bases are all important to this region. Click here for more information on Fairbanks.
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Juneau is Alaska's third largest city with a population very close to that of Fairbank's, around 31,500. The downtown area hugs the side of Mt. Juneau and Mt. Roberts, and the Juneau Ice Field sits high above the city, covering the Coastal Range.
Juneau has some of the state's most beautiful hiking trails, some even starting downtown just blocks from the capital. The East Glacier Loop, one of many trails around Mendenhall Glacier, is a 3 mile roundtrip hike that includes wonderful views of the glacier from a scenic viewpoint at the halfway point. Self-guided or guided sea kayaking tours are also popular ways to see the glacier up close. The Juneau area is also known for excellent whale watching, including orcas and humpback whales. Half day tours are an excellent way to observe these beautiful animals. For more details on Juneau, click here. |
Alaskan Craft Beer Breweries
If you are reading this section, you probably have some interest in beer. Especially good craft beers. I love beer, and I make it a point to try the local craft beers wherever I travel. It not only gives you a "taste and feel" of the area but it also starts great conversations with the locals and showing a genuine interest in local products can increase their levels of hospitality.
Alaska has its share of breweries across the entire state - 20+ and more under construction. Alaska is "beer rich", and has a lot to offer the beer enthusiast. In fact, Alaska ranked 7th in 2013 for number of breweries per capita.
The Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau is the largest and most well known of all the Alaskan breweries. It started in 1986 by two 28 year olds, the 67th craft brewery in the country and the first in Juneau since Prohibition. Click here for a story about The Alaska Brewing Company on Craftbeer.com.
Since then craft breweries have taken hold. Alaskan's love their beer! Check out Alaskan breweries and brew pubs, here.
If you are reading this section, you probably have some interest in beer. Especially good craft beers. I love beer, and I make it a point to try the local craft beers wherever I travel. It not only gives you a "taste and feel" of the area but it also starts great conversations with the locals and showing a genuine interest in local products can increase their levels of hospitality.
Alaska has its share of breweries across the entire state - 20+ and more under construction. Alaska is "beer rich", and has a lot to offer the beer enthusiast. In fact, Alaska ranked 7th in 2013 for number of breweries per capita.
The Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau is the largest and most well known of all the Alaskan breweries. It started in 1986 by two 28 year olds, the 67th craft brewery in the country and the first in Juneau since Prohibition. Click here for a story about The Alaska Brewing Company on Craftbeer.com.
Since then craft breweries have taken hold. Alaskan's love their beer! Check out Alaskan breweries and brew pubs, here.
Click the picture above to view a short video on Denali.
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Denali National Park
A little bit of history..... Mt. McKinley, North America's tallest mountain, is known in Alaska as Denali, "The Great One", in the Athabaskan language of the Alaska Natives living around the mountain. The first English language name of the mountain was Densmore’s Mountain or Densmore's Peak, named after gold prospector Frank Densmore who in 1889 had praised the mountain’s majesty. This changed in 1897, when William Dickey, who was among a large group of prospectors during the Cook Inlet gold rush, named the mountain after then Presidential nominee William McKinley. By many accounts, the naming was politically driven. Dickey, having met many silver miners who supported presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan's ideal of a silver standard, retaliated by naming the mountain after McKinley, who was a supporter of the gold standard. |
"The Wilderness of Denali".
Today.....
Denali National Park sits on 6 million acres of wild land. It is one of the most visited and well known parks in Alaska. It is home to not only Dall sheep, but also grizzly bears, wolves, moose, and caribou, along with small mammals like fox, marmots and a variety of birds. The ptarmigan can often be seen on the sides of the road, but you do need to look closely as they blend in, especially in late August and September when the tundra is in full fall colors.
One of the best ways to see the park is exploring Denali by bus. Shuttle buses are more flexible and allow you to experience the park more on your own terms. Shuttles allow you to get off and on anywhere along the road, which especially nice for those interested in a day hike. They do stop for wildlife viewing, restroom stops and beautiful scenery, just like tour buses, but do not have a narrator. Tour buses have a narrator on board, providing you with a more detailed experience and usually offer lunch, snacks and beverages. Bus trips vary in price and length, ranging between 4.5 to 9 hours. Naturalist and hunter Charles Sheldon traveled the world to hunt, and he was originally attracted to Denali in 1907 because of the white colored Dall mountain sheep. Sheldon observed a large number of sheep being taken from the Denali area, and he was astute enough to realize that these numbers were not sustainable. Stunned by the sheer beauty of the land and wanting to help preserve both land and wildlife, Sheldon, with the support of the Boone and Crockett Club, successfully lobbied Congress to establish the area as a national park. Two million acres were set aside as a wildlife preserve in 1917, 42 years before Alaska reached statehood. For more details on Charles Sheldon, check out his memoir,
Today.....
Denali National Park sits on 6 million acres of wild land. It is one of the most visited and well known parks in Alaska. It is home to not only Dall sheep, but also grizzly bears, wolves, moose, and caribou, along with small mammals like fox, marmots and a variety of birds. The ptarmigan can often be seen on the sides of the road, but you do need to look closely as they blend in, especially in late August and September when the tundra is in full fall colors.
One of the best ways to see the park is exploring Denali by bus. Shuttle buses are more flexible and allow you to experience the park more on your own terms. Shuttles allow you to get off and on anywhere along the road, which especially nice for those interested in a day hike. They do stop for wildlife viewing, restroom stops and beautiful scenery, just like tour buses, but do not have a narrator. Tour buses have a narrator on board, providing you with a more detailed experience and usually offer lunch, snacks and beverages. Bus trips vary in price and length, ranging between 4.5 to 9 hours. Naturalist and hunter Charles Sheldon traveled the world to hunt, and he was originally attracted to Denali in 1907 because of the white colored Dall mountain sheep. Sheldon observed a large number of sheep being taken from the Denali area, and he was astute enough to realize that these numbers were not sustainable. Stunned by the sheer beauty of the land and wanting to help preserve both land and wildlife, Sheldon, with the support of the Boone and Crockett Club, successfully lobbied Congress to establish the area as a national park. Two million acres were set aside as a wildlife preserve in 1917, 42 years before Alaska reached statehood. For more details on Charles Sheldon, check out his memoir,
Only one road goes in to the park - the 92 mile Denali Park Road. The first 15 miles are paved, and private vehicles are allowed up to this mile marker, a place called Savage River. Weather permitting, Mt. McKinley can be seen as early as mile 9, as well as some wildlife. At mile 15 the road turns to gravel, and only buses are allowed after this point. While never a guarantee, the further in to the park you go, the better the odds of seeing wildlife.
The road to Wonder Lake offers fabulous views of Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range, on clear days. While you may see some of Mt. McKinley, the mountain is completely visible only about 20% of the time. If you travel to the end of Park Road, one of the most often photographed images of Mt. McKinley is from Reflection Pond, just beyond mile 85. If interested in seeing Reflection Pond be sure to check the routing of your bus. Several take you past Reflection Pond, but be prepared to hike two miles from the bus stop on other routes, like the Wonder Lake bound shuttle.
The road to Wonder Lake offers fabulous views of Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range, on clear days. While you may see some of Mt. McKinley, the mountain is completely visible only about 20% of the time. If you travel to the end of Park Road, one of the most often photographed images of Mt. McKinley is from Reflection Pond, just beyond mile 85. If interested in seeing Reflection Pond be sure to check the routing of your bus. Several take you past Reflection Pond, but be prepared to hike two miles from the bus stop on other routes, like the Wonder Lake bound shuttle.
Personal notes: Denali is a spectacular place, with endless views of mountains, rolling tundra and glimpses of wildlife around every corner. I visited the park in 1986, and to this day I hold very fond memories of my experiences there. While I didn't see any wolves, I saw plenty of sheep, a moose or two, caribou and grizzly bears - some fairly close and others through binoculars. About a half mile before the Wonder Lake turnaround, I got off the shuttle - just me and one other person. To one side several hundred yards away was a grizzly bear eating berries, minding its own business, seemingly with no care in the world. To the other side, also a number of yards away, was a caribou, not paying any attention to the two of us watching it from the roadside. Not a sound could be heard except for a screech of an eagle. Here is where I tell people that I left part of my soul. Solitude, tranquility and wilderness await.
For more details on Denali, click here.
For more details on Denali, click here.
Katmai National Park
Katmai National Park is located in the southwest region of Alaska. Violently rocked by a volcanic eruption in 1912, the area turned into ash covered mountains and smoky valleys. Today the steam vents are quiet and the area has become more well known for its bear population. When people want to see bears, they think of Katmai. Katmai National Park, with approximately 2200 bears inhabiting the park, is a premier place to observe and photograph bears. Katmai Park offers many backcountry bear watching areas, though the most popular (and crowded) is Brooks Camp, located on the Brooks River. Brooks Camp, which also serves as the summer headquarters for the park, has three observation decks along the river. The decks make it safe for visitors to observe the bears while having a minimal impact on the animals. The third deck overlooks an area of the river where as many as 30 bears can be observed catching salmon. There is only one road in Katmai, which starts at Brooks Camp and runs 23 miles over dirt to Three Forks Overlook, which offers great views of the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. A park concessionaire bus runs the route daily. |
Kenai Fjords National Park
Seward sits at the end of the Alaska Railroad and the Seward Highway and serves as the gateway to Kenai Fjords as well as the embarkation / disembarkation point for many cruises. Seward is a great place to spend a few extra days before heading on a southbound cruise or before heading up to Anchorage. Take some beautiful hikes, take a day cruise out to the glaciers, visit the Alaska Sea Life Center or just stroll around the quaint town. The park was created in 1980 and covers over 600,000 acres, 60% covered by snow and ice. Kenai Fjords has three main areas for visitors: Exit Glacier, Harding Icefield and the beautiful tidewater glaciers. . Exit Glacier is reachable by road and thus the easiest glacier to visit. Active visitors can hike up the trail at Exit Glacier for a view of the Harding Icefield. Many visitors take day cruises through the fjords to experience the tidewater glaciers and the ample marine life, including sea otters, sea lions, seals, porpoises, Orcas and a variety of whales. The more adventurous visitors get dropped off in one of the fjords - a sea kayaker's dream, to kayak through the fjords for several days. |