Often taken as America’s final frontier, Alaska is a beautiful wilderness complete with glaciers, mountains and seemingly endless forests. When taking a cruise along its coast, it can be hard to decide what the best excursions are. In this world of ice and snow, the most popular excursions are the most popular for a reason.
Helicopter Glacial Trek
Port of Call: Juneau
Right along its southern border is the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, most well-known for Sir Edmund Hillary’s trek. Since it is too far away to reach by foot in one day, you take a helicopter to the ice field and land on top of one of its many glaciers. A professional guide teaches you how to use your pole, crampons and axe and off you trek into the heart of the most beautiful crevasses for two hours. Many even drink directly from glacial streams.
Mountain Point Snorkeling Adventure
Port of Call: Ketchikan
If you really are looking for an exotic story to tell your family and friends, snorkeling in Alaska has to be one of the biggest. Because of the Japanese Kiroshio current, the average water temperature stays at a cool 55 degrees during the summer. After donning a wetsuit, gloves, booties and hood, your underwater adventure takes you to areas teeming with plum worms, wolf eels and pink salmon. After an hour of swimming, you are treated to hot chocolate.
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
Port of Call: Skagway
Comprised of over 400 bald eagles, a visit to this preserve is no less than spectacular. During the winter months as the salmon spawn, thousands of eagles come to feed. For the best view, you float down the Chilikat River on a raft for four hours and even have the chance to see otters, beavers, moose and swans in amongst the magnificence of the enormous trees, mountains and glaciers.
Musher's Camp and Sled Dog Experience
Port of Call: Skagway
Nothing is more Alaskan than the annual Iditarod and the images of sled dogs it conjures. Located in Klondike Gold Rush National Park, the two hour excursion first teaches you the basics of being a musher and then whisks you away on a sled pulled by a team dogs past glacial waterfalls and through sprawling forests. After the adventure, you can visit the kennel to meet the youngest of the pack.
Traitor's Cove: Bear Watching
Port of Call: Ketchikan Named after a terrible run in between Captain George Vancouver and the native population in 1793, the bear watching journey is an impressive adventure rewarding for any naturalist. The journey starts with a three and a half hour flight over the Behm Canal where you land at Traitor’s Cove. There you meet a naturalist who drives you one and a half miles to the Margaret Creek trailhead. After a quarter mile hike, you reach a platform with a stunning view of the falls and the valley below. From the platform, you can spot bears feeding on the spawning salmon as well as bald eagles and mink.
