There’s no escaping the wildness of Alaska—even in the state’s biggest cities, you might encounter a moose or spot the northern lights dancing overhead.
But those sorts of quintessential Alaska experiences grow even more pronounced when you leave the cities behind and venture into some of the state’s best small towns.
Sure, that sometimes means giving up some urban amenities. But it’s worth it for the up-close views of dramatic landscapes and wildlife, as well as the chance to be in places where nature and town have become so intertwined you can hardly tell the two apart.
The following destinations strike the perfect balance between having enough creature comforts to keep your visit easy and fun while placing you on the edge of massive swaths of wilderness unfolding in every direction.
Talkeetna
Famously quirky, wonderfully artsy, and tasty too: That comes pretty close to encompassing the small, 1,000-person town of Talkeetna, which still has an old-fashioned Main Street lined with gift shops and restaurants that punch well above their weight class in quality. The historic general store (pictured above) along this drag is the home of the town’s honorary mayor—a cat (told ya this place is quirky).
Talkeetna is the launching-off point for flights to the 20,310-foot-tall Denali (aka Mount McKinley), with small planes taking eager climbers to and from North America’s tallest mountain or whisking visitors to nearby glaciers. Right on the fringe of town, salmon swim upstream in the Little Su River.
For a tour of the area, take the historic Hurricane Turn Flagstop Train. You can also get here via the Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star Train from Anchorage, Denali, or Fairbanks, or hop on a shuttle run by locally owned Denali Overland Transportation. Driving the easy route from Anchorage takes about two and a half hours.
Seward
Many visitors to Alaska end up in Seward because of a cruise ship, either starting or ending their trips in this port city of about 2,700 people. But there’s plenty here for independent visitors too, with most activity in town revolving around the beautiful, wildlife-rich waters of Resurrection Bay (pictured above), which you can see lapping at the rock walls near Seward’s downtown.
Go fishing, day-cruising to see whales, hiking to coastal Tonsina Point, or, if you’ve timed things with the tide and arranged a water taxi for the return trip, walking the rocky beach all the way to Caines Head State Recreation Area, site of a World War II fort at the head of the promontory.
Back in town, Seward has great restaurants, creative gift shops, friendly locals, and easy road access via the Seward Highway from Anchorage. Locally owned Red Eye Rides offers shuttle service and transfers to the Anchorage airport.
On cruise days only, you can book a shuttle with Alaska Cruise Transfer. Without a doubt, though, Seward’s prettiest transit option is the Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic Train running north to Anchorage.
Sitka
With a year-round population of more than 8,000, Sitka is the largest community on this list—and the most easily accessible, with multiple Alaska Airlines flights every day along with regional flights from Alaska Seaplanes, a bustling summer cruise port, and occasional runs from the Alaska Marine Highway ferries (about 9 hours one-way from Juneau).
What makes Sitka worth visiting: its blend of history and culture, its scenic island setting, and the way it manages to maintain its friendly charm despite all the cruise traffic. Among the myriad local attractions are a bear rescue center, a raptor rehabilitation and research center, and Sitka National Historical Park (pictured above), where you can visit a Tlingit cultural center and traverse easy trails dotted with expertly carved totem poles.
The central part of town is very walkable. Alternatively, a limited bus service or taxis will get you where you want to go.
Whittier
Most—though not quite all—of Whittier’s 270 residents live in one high-rise condo building that stands in the crook of a mountain overlooking vast wilderness. That’s not the only unique thing about the town, either. In part to cater to Whittier’s two cruise terminals, a range of eclectic tour offerings has sprung up. Where else can you visit glaciers on a Jet Ski?
Getting to Whittier by means other than a cruise takes a little work. The only land access is via the single-lane, 2.5-mile Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (pictured above), which accommodates both vehicle and railroad traffic at set intervals. If you don’t arrive by car, you can take the Alaska Railroad’s Glacier Discovery Train. There’s also the Whittier Shuttle or, on cruise days only, you can book a shuttle to or from Anchorage with Alaska Cruise Transfer.
Petersburg
Founded by Norwegian fishers who realized the icebergs discharged by the nearby LeConte Glacier would be perfect for preserving the day’s catch, Petersburg continues to maintain cultural ties to Norway. You’ll see that heritage on display everywhere from the Viking ship replica outside the Sons of Norway Hall (pictured above) to the decorative rosemaling on sidewalks and painted on buildings.
Pop into some of the excellent gift shops, book a whale-watching tour, and try out the smattering of unassuming restaurants that dish out ridiculously good seafood. Make sure to eat at Inga’s Galley (104 N. Nordic Drive) in particular. You won’t regret it.
Driving into Petersburg is not possible—there’s no road. Instead, get here by way of the daily Alaska Airlines flight or by Alaska Marine Highway ferry.
Cordova
Much like Petersburg, Cordova (pictured above) is a genuine fishing town that moonlights as a tourist destination. That’s not a movie set you’re stepping onto as you debark from your plane (Alaska Airlines offers daily jet flights) or Alaska Marine Highway ferry after the 14-hour one-way trip from Valdez. This is what a town really looks like when the residents make their living from the sea.
In addition to its fishing culture, Cordova has deep Alaska Native history you can learn about at the Ilanka Cultural Center. The town is a shorebird-watching paradise, too, with a wildly popular birding festival every May. The 50-mile Copper River Highway (of which only 36 miles are currently drivable) abounds with wildlife watching opportunities, scenic pullouts, and hiking trails such as the 1.5-mile (one-way) trek to the Sheridan Glacier.
McCarthy
McCarthy is about as remote as most visitors to Alaska will ever get. This tiny town of a couple dozen residents sits within the bounds of the 13.2-million-acre Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (pictured above), the largest national park in the U.S.
Although McCarthy all but shuts down in the winter, summer visitors flock here to revel in the magnificent scenery, explore historical mining buildings, take guided tours of the nearby Root Glacier, and hike to the old Bonanza Mine. Back in the early 1900s, the richest copper strike in world history happened here, kickstarting McCarthy’s boomtown era.
There are only a few ways to get to McCarthy: Either fly in with a local carrier like Copper Valley Air Service or Wrangell Mountain Air, or drive the rough, unpaved access route that’s built on an old railroad bed—and is notorious for turning up tire-shredding railroad spikes to this day.
Unsurprisingly, most rental car companies would rather you only drive as far as communities like Glennallen and Chitina, then hop on the Kennicott Shuttle and let someone else do the driving on that treacherous—albeit incredibly scenic—road.
Valdez
This 3,800-person city is located at the literal end of the road, about a 6-hour one-way drive from Anchorage or 7 hours from Fairbanks. But it’s that remote location on the shores of wildlife-rich Prince William Sound that makes Valdez so special.
Like most of the towns listed here, Valdez is pedestrian-friendly, and it has some intriguing small museums. But you’ll want a rental car—which you can either drive into Valdez or bring from Whittier aboard an Alaska Marine Highway ferry—to see some of the top natural attractions.
Those include rugged hiking trails; Keystone Canyon, a craggy, 3-mile stretch of highway with a couple of spectacular waterfalls; Valdez Lake, where a section of Valdez Glacier peeks out from around a corner; and the Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery, where more than 15 million salmon return to spawn every year. Not only does that create a true spectacle, but the salmon also draw hungry sea lions, bears, and other creatures you can see partaking in the bounty of fish.
Day cruises go to the fast-moving Columbia Glacier, which can almost certainly be counted on to calve into the ocean while you’re there. The pristine waters of Prince William Sound are great for fishing and sea kayaking (pictured above). And back in town, Valdez’s restaurants take full advantage of the fresh seafood coming into the docks almost every day.