SOUTHWEST HIGHLIGHTS TRAVEL TO ALASKA’S OUTER EDGE It’s a 3-hour flight from Anchorage or a 3.5-day ferry ride from Homer to reach Dutch Harbor/Unalaska far out on the Aleutian Islands, and well worth the journey. It was a strategic WWII port, has a rich Unangan Alaska Native history, and is at the heart of the North Pacific and Bering Sea fisheries. EXPERIENCE EXPLORE YUP’IK CULTURE An important hub in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Bethel’s cultural practices are predominantly Yup’ik. Salmon fishing, gathering berries, and hunting game are important subsistence activities, and you’re just as likely to hear Yup’ik spoken as English. VOLCANIC LANDSCAPES More than just the site of brown bears snapping salmon from a river at Brooks Camp, Katmai National Park & Preserve also has the Valley of 10,000 Smokes, the site of the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, in 1912. You can access Katmai by air and water taxi. Travel Alaska (Unalaska), ‘Wáats’asdiyei Joe Yates Haida (Bethel), adobestock.com (volcanoes), Getty Images (Lake Clark) LOOK FOR MASSIVE BEARS Kodiak Island is known for the Kodiak brown bear–a distinct subspecies that are the largest bears in the world. Fishing, camping, wildlife viewing, hiking, and whale watching are also popular pursuits on the island. FLY TO LAKE CLARK Only 100 air miles from Anchorage, it’s possible to visit Lake Clark National Park & Preserve on a day trip by plane. The jewel of the park is its namesake lake, which is a bright turquoise blue and stretches 42 miles. Fishing and bear viewing are also great ways to experience the area. TRAVELALASKA.COM 23
Alaska Official State Vacation Planner 2024: Page 23
