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Gates Arctic National Park Brooks Range Alaska
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Alaska National Parks & Public Lands

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
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

Misty Fjords National Monument
Misty Fjords National Monument.

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
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  

Bear in Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Credit: istockphoto.com, bergsbo

 

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