Gates Arctic National Park Brooks Range Alaska

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Alaska National Parks & Public Lands

Looking for wild landscapes and wide open spaces? Alaska has an astounding number of national parks, state parks, and other public lands that offer outdoor adventures at every turn. With over 322 million acres of public lands — that’s over three times the size of the state of California — the opportunities for exploration are endless.

Denali National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, Glacier Bay National Park, and Katmai National Park are the most well-known of our 8 national parks in Alaska, but that's just the beginning when it comes to our diverse range of national parks, national historical parks, national monuments, national preserves, and national wildlife refuges. In addition to national parks, Alaska has the United States’ largest state park system, with 3.2 million acres in over 120 state park units spanning every region of the state.

Our parks and public lands are vast and varied, from sand dunes to the tallest mountain in North America to rugged coastal islands, highlighting Alaska’s wildlife, natural beauty, Alaska Native culture, and history. A wealth of activities are at your fingertips in Alaska’s national parks and public lands, including hiking, camping, rafting, flightseeing, day cruising, fishing, wildlife viewing, kayaking, Alaska Native cultural opportunities, northern lights viewing, historical landmarks, and so much more.

National Parks in Alaska

Alaska's most famous and iconic public lands are our national parks. The state is home to about 60% of the United States’ total national park lands at 56 million acres. There are 8 national parks in Alaska:

Mountain views in Wrangell-St. Elias National park — Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Photo Credit: istockphoto.com, Cappan

NATIONAL PARKS & PUBLIC LANDS BY REGION

Arctic

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge	Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Cape Krusenstern National Monument	Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve
Kobuk Valley National Park	Noatak National Preserve
Selawik National Wildlife Refuge

Noatak National Preserve. Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo, Design Pics Inc.

Inside Passage

Admiralty Island National Monument	Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve	Haines Area State Parks
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park	Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge
Misty Fjords National Monument	Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area
Point Bridget State Park	Sitka Area State Parks
Sitka National Historical Park	Tongass National Forest
Totem Bight State Historical Park	Wickersham State Historic Site

Interior

Big Delta State Historical Park	Birch Lake State Recreation Site
Chatanika State Recreation Areas	Chena River State Recreation Area
Creamers Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge	Delta Junction State Parks
Denali National Park & Preserve	Harding Lake State Recreation Area
Innoko National Wildlife Refuge	Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge
Koyukuk National Wildlife Refuge	Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge
Salcha River State Recreation Site	Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge
Tok Area Parks	Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

Denali National Park. Photo Credit: Travel Alaska, Michael DeYoung

Southcentral

Alaska State Marine Parks	Anchor River State Recreation Area
Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge	Caines Head State Recreation Area
Captain Cook State Recreation Area	Chugach National Forest
Chugach State Park	Clam Gulch State Recreation Area
Deep Creek State Recreation Area	Denali State Park
Independence Mine State Historical Park	Kachemak Bay State Park
Kasilof Area State Parks	Kenai Fjords National Park
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge	Kenai River
Lake Louise State Recreation Area	Matanuska Glacier
Nancy Lake State Recreation Area	Ninilchik State Recreation Area
Portage Glacier	Summit Lake State Recreation Site
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Spencer Glacier in Chugach National Forest — Chugach National Forest. Photo Credit: Travel Alaska, Michael DeYoung

Southwest

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge	Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge
Aleutian Islands WWII National Historic Site	Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve
Becharof National Wildlife Refuge	Izembek National Wildlife Refuge
Katmai National Park & Preserve	Kodiak Area State Parks
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge	Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
McNeil River State Game Sanctuary	Togiak National Wildlife Refuge
Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary	Wood-Tikchik State Park
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge