Alaska - America's Last Frontier

Alaska the USA’s 49th state, is vast in every sense! By far and away the largest state of the Union, it spans an astonishing four time zones in astronomical terms (although human government has now rationalised these to two), and contains the highest mountain in North America, some of the most remarkable climatic extremes, and more private aircraft licences than anywhere else in the country! Best of all, its birdlife is both diverse and approachable – from the huge seabird colonies on the coast, to its forest and tundra species further north – and it offers a greater variety of large mammals than any other region of the Americas. These include Black, Grizzly and Polar Bears, plus Musk Ox, Grey Wolf, Moose, Dall Sheep and nearly a million Caribou – the most numerous residents! Alaska is also very rich in marine mammals, with Sea Otter, Humpback Whale and the magnificent Orca amongst the many highlights.

This tour explores some of Alaska’s finest wildlife reserves and landscapes – a cross-section of the state’s varied habitats. Our journey will take us from Alaska’s southern coastline to the shores of the Bering Sea, through taiga forest and open tundra, and past snow-capped mountains and towering glaciers, in search of the wealth of birds, mammals and other natural history for which this wild land is home.

We begin our holiday, however, with a flight to Anchorage, home to nearly half of Alaska’s 750,000 human inhabitants. The following morning we will head south along the spectacular Seward Highway to the town of Seward itself, the gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park. Our journey will take us alongside the Alaska Railroad, through a dramatic landscape of rainforest-clad mountains, the tops of which will still be capped in snow. We should see our first large mammals during this drive, such as a herd of Dall Sheep, a Moose or even a Black Bear or Beluga. Our 2-night stay in Seward will give us time to enjoy a boat trip in search of the marine wildlife and glacial scenery of the Kenai Fjords National Park. Sea Otters are abundant here, and both Humpback Whale and Orca are likely, while the rich seas also provide easy fishing for numerous seabirds, amongst them Horned and Tufted Puffins, Marbled, Kittlitz’s and Ancient Murrelets and Rhinoceros Auklet.

After visiting the dramatic Exit Glacier, and looking for such birds as Canada Jay and American Three-toed Woodpecker, we will return to Anchorage prior to flying north-west to the shores of the Bering Sea for a 2-night stay in Nome. This may not be Alaska’s most attractive town, but the wildlife certainly makes up for its lack of aesthetic appeal. Here three unpaved roads snake their way through stunning mountain scenery, over rushing streams, along willow/alder-clad drainages and up into alpine tundra which is liberally decorated with an array of wild flowers. Our time around Nome will be spent exploring the prime wildlife areas along each road, including the coast, the alpine tundra and patches of boreal spruce forest. Musk Ox, Arctic Fox, Western Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, Bristle-thighed Curlew, Aleutian Tern, Long-tailed Skua, Golden-crowned Sparrow and King Eider are amongst the species we hope to see. 

After returning to Anchorage, we will next drive north to Denali National Park, Alaska’s most famous wildlife reserve, and deservedly so. Whatever your wildlife interest – birds, mammals, wild flowers or just outdoor activities – this is a paradise! Grizzly Bear, Grey Wolf, Caribou, Dall Sheep and Hoary Marmot are just some of the mammals we hope to see; Gyrfalcon, Golden Eagle, Willow Ptarmigan, Arctic Warbler and Waxwing are some of the birds; and flowers such as Shooting Star and Dwarf Rhododendron complete the scene. During our visit we should also have great views of ‘Denali’ itself (formerly Mount McKinley) if the weather conditions allow. At 6,194 metres this is the highest mountain in North America and, whilst there are many higher peaks in the world, few others are as impressive since Denali rises from a base just 305 metres above sea level. This is the highpoint of our holiday in more sense than one. During our 3-night stay here we will explore both the national park and the scenic Denali Highway. Finally, we move to Fairbanks for our final two nights in Alaska and some final birdwatching before making our way to Fairbanks' small airport to catch our flight home.