Denali National Park, which covers almost 24,585 km² (9,446 sq mi), is located in central Alaska. The name derived from the Indian name Denali ("the High") for the highest mountain in North America, which is located in the territory of the National Park (6,193 m). The park was founded on February 26, 1917 as Mount McKinley National Park and renamed Denali National Park on December 2, 1980. In 1976 the area was declared an international biosphere reserve. Today the park is visited by over 300,000 people annually and is known for wildlife watching, mountain climbing or hiking.

Alaska's Kenai Fjords National Park is the state's smallest but offers outsized opportunities to explore the rich glacial landscape.
Here the south-central part of the state tumbles into the Gulf of Alaska; here the land challenges the sea with talonlike peninsulas and rocky headlands, while the sea itself reaches inland with long fjords and hundreds of quiet bays and coves. The Harding Icefield is the park's crown jewel, almost 714 square miles of ice up to a mile thick. It feeds nearly three dozen glaciers flowing out of the mountains, six of them to tidewater. The Harding Icefield is a vestige of the massive ice sheet that covered much of Alaska in the Pleistocene era.

The ancient ice gouged out Kenai's fjords, creating habitats for throngs of sea animals. About 20 species of seabirds nest along the rocky coastline; the most charismatic of the birds are clown-faced puffins. Bald eagles swoop along the towering cliffs, and peregrine falcons hunt over the outer islands. Seabirds, by the tens of thousands, migrate or congregate here.

Approximately 27 land mammals and 10 marine mammals, including harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and sea otters, live here. Moose, black bears, wolverines, and coyotes roam narrow bands of forest between the coast and icefield. And just above them, on the treeless slopes, climb surefooted mountain goats. (www.nationalgeographic.com)

Fairbanks, Alaska's second-largest city, is Interior Alaska's hub, Gateway to the Wilderness, Golden Heart City. Whatever you call Fairbanks, the city is as diverse and unique as much else in Alaska.
The greater Fairbanks area has over 100,000 people, making it Alaska's second-largest metropolitan area. The city has a university, an Army and Air Force base, is synonymous with sledge dogs (the dog mushing), auroras and extremes of light, darkness, heat and cold. In winter, temperatures of -52 degree Celsius have been recorded, while in summer temperatures of +26 degree Celsius are common. Summer days are long with over 22 hours of daylight at the time of the June 21 solstice.

Fairbanks' beginnings date back to 1901 when E.T. Barnette sailed up the Tanana River aboard the SS Lavelle Young, with 130 tons of equipment on board, to seek his fortune in the Tanacross goldfields. The following year, an Italian named Felix Pedro found gold 19 km to the north and virtually overnight, E.T. Barnette's former trading post became a boomtown as hordes of prospectors invaded. The construction of the Alaska Railroad, the Alaska Highway and the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline contributed greatly to Fairbanks' growth. The city still has a 'golden heart' - the nearby Fort Knox Gold Mine is the largest in Alaska. (www.alaskausa.de)

Located near the head of a deep fjord in Prince William Sound, Valdez is a mix of tidewater glaciers, rainforests, majestic mountains, wildlife on both land and sea and so much more. Valdez offers unparalleled natural scenery that is matched only by the abundant activities offered throughout the year.
Orca and humpback whales, otters, sea lions and birds are among the many animals that make their home in Prince William Sound. During the spring and summer, day cruises will take you to some of the best vantage points for viewing mountains, glaciers, and wildlife. Helicopter tours can cover the same area in less time and even land on top of a glacier! Adventurers can also spend the day kayaking in glacial waters and exploring wildlife, ice caves and waterfalls. (www.valdezalaska.org)

Denali, formerly known as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain in North America with a height of 6,194 m (20,310 ft) and therefore belongs to the Seven Summits. It was named after the 25th US president William McKinley but got its traditional name back in 2015. "Denali" is a word from the Athapascan that means "the great one" or "the high one". From Talkeetna, which is only just above sea level, the difference in altitude to the summit is about 6,000 meters. In the "base-to-peak height" discipline, Denali thus surpasses Mt. Everest by far!