Alaska – Guidebook

Climate
Many people think summer is the only time to visit Alaska - and the long, warm days are unspeakably beautiful, but so are the crisp blue skies above a blanket of white in winter, or the trembling golden leaves of autumn. Meadows painted with the wildflowers of spring are a sight never forgotten. Whenever you visit, you'll discover that Alaska is a land of mountain spires, of mighty rivers, and of whispering breezes.

Currency & Banking
Banks, money exchanges and ATMs throughout Canada and Alaska will exchange foreign currencies. Some will charge for the service. Major bank cards and credit cards are widely accepted.

Geography
Alaska is a land of almost unimaginable scale. Stretching across 586,000 square miles of untamed wilderness, Alaska is one-fifth the size of the contiguous United States. It contains the tallest mountain in North America, Mt McKinley, which many Alaskans simply call 'the mountain'. And of course, the land of the midnight sun has longer summer days than any other state. This majestic landscape borders two oceans and three seas, with a 47,300-mile shoreline. Alaska boasts over three million lakes, 3,000 rivers, 1,800 islands, and more than 100,000 glaciers.

From Deserts to Rainforests
Alaska is so big it encompasses dozens of ecosystems, from the dry Arctic tundra, to the moist rainforests of the inside Passage. In a place of such enormous variety, don't be surprised to find the unusual - like a desert of sand dunes in Kobuk Valley National Park.

Echoes of the Ice Age
Some sites in the state boast snow and ice year-round, even when temperatures soar to 28C. Glacial ice has been here since the dawn of time, and even the endless summer sunshine has little effect. As they slowly advance and recede, the massive glaciers pulverise rocks, literally grinding boulders into soil. Glacial melt, which creates cold and swift streams and rivers, carries tons of soil downstream. After millions of years, this process has given Alaska many broad valleys and plains blessed with rich, fertile earth. For many visitors, a walk on ancient glacial ice is the experience of a lifetime. Listen carefully, and you can even hear the glaciers move.

Northern Lights and other wonders
People come from around the world to view Alaska's northern lights, the aurora boreails. One of nature's most inspiring sights, the northern lights appear most often on cold, clear nights from late September through April. Created by the earth's magnetic field, these curtains of yellow, green and red light dance silently across the sky. The bore tide is another Alaskan wonder. In Cook Inlet, a strong spring tide may come in so quickly that it becomes a wall of water several feet high, traveling at speeds up to 10 knots. Volcanoes are a sight most visitors don't expect. Located on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', Alaska has experienced more than 25 volcanic eruptions since 1986.

National Parks
Alaska's volcanic history is easily seen in the eerie landscape of Katmal National Park and Reserve. This is just one of 15 national parks, preserves and monuments in Alaska. The state has another 117 parks. In all, Alaska contains over 322 million acres of public lands.

Glaciers
Glaciers cover approximately 29,000 square miles of Alaska, almost five percent of the state's total area. The greatest concentration of glaciers is found around the perimeter of the Gulf of Alaska in the St Elias and Chugach mountains, n the Wrangell Mountains and the Alaska Range. Many glaciers are easily accessible by bus, car or foot, such as the Mendenhall, Matanuska, Worthington or Portage glaciers; from boats along the Inside Passage in Glacier Bay, Tracy Arm or at the Columbia Glacier; or by air over ice masses like Sargent Icefield, the St Elias Mountains, Harding Icefield and the Alaska Range.
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Highlights
Wildlife
A trip to Alaska would not be complete without the opportunity to see nature in the wild. Moose, bear, mountain goat and caribou are among the most frequently seen mammals, along with the occasional coyote or wolf, Dall sheep, beaver, otter, mink or hare. Birdwatchers will delight in the eagles and many kinds of hawks, jays, owls, spruce hens, grouse and ptarmigan (the state bird), as well as the migratory waterfowl that come north to nest each summer. Alaska has the world's largest concentration of Bald Eagles. Nearly 4,000 Bald Eagles gather along the Chilkat River (just north of Haines) in autumn and winter months for late salmon runs. There is a tremendous abundance and diverse population of marine mammals found along Alaska's 47,000 miles of coastline. Most of these species can be found year-around; however, some are migratory. Dolphin, Pacific walrus, porpoise, sea otter, eight varieties of seal, sea lions and, of course, whales (18 species).

Museums
Although most every town and city in Alaska has some type of museum, the three perennial favourites are found in Alaska's largest cities:

• The University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks with its extensive collection of pioneer relics, native artifacts, and notable displays of wildlife (Blue Babe, a preserved 36,000-year-old bison, is a star attraction)
• Anchorage's Museum of Art and History which houses many rare artifacts of native life, arts and crafts, and permanent and revolving fine arts collections
• Alaska State Museum in Juneau, with a collection that highlights the incredible diversity of the state - native art and artifacts, gold rush memorabilia, Russian relics and wildlife displays

Liquor Store
Alaska's drinking age is 21. Alcohol is available in liquor stores and bars in many towns. Some villages are 'dry', meaning it is against the law to transport liquor into them, even for personal consumption.

Local Taxes
Alaska has no statewide sales or income tax. Many individual communities have local sales and/or bed taxes.
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Population
618,700 (1995 estimate).

Quick Facts

• State Flag 8 gold stars on a field of blue, representing the Big Dipper & North Star
• Admitted to the Union January 3, 1959 as the 49th State
• Coastline 47,300 miles - more than all of the U.S.
• Water Area Three million lakes, more than 3,000 rivers
• Largest City: Population Anchorage, population 257,780 (1995 estimate)
• Largest City: Area Sitka with 4,710 square miles (largest in North America)
• Oldest Building Erskine House in Kodiak, built by Russians between 1793 & 1796
• Largest State Park Wood-Tikchik State Park with 1.6 million acres of wilderness
• Largest Fresh Water Lake Iliamna Lake (1,150 square miles)
• Area Code 907

Time Zone
Almost all of Alaska is in the Alaska Time Zone - one hour earlier than Pacific Time. The westernmost Aleutian Islands and St Lawrence Island are on Hawaii-Aleutian Time, two hours earlier than Pacific Time.
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