Speaking of glaciers, while Glacier Bay is home to over 1,000 glaciers, one notable glacier, the Johns Hopkins Glacier, is a 12-mile glacier named after Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. It is unique in that it is one of the world's extremely few advancing (vs. receding) tidewater glaciers (and the most active in the park.)  Johns Hopkins Glacier is visible on many tour boats traveling in the region.

Denali National Park 

While Denali National Park may best be known for it's main attraction, Denali, or "The Great One," which measures an impressive 20,310 (down from the original estimate of 20,320 established in 1953) and stands as the tallest mountain in North America, there are many fun and lesser known facts about Denali that are worth noting.

For example did you know that Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian author, with his seminal work War & Peace, had a grandson, Count Ilya Tolstoy, who worked as a ranger in Denali? Beginning in the summer of 1930 for a period of 2 years, visitors far and wide would visit the park for the main two attractions: Denali and Tolstoy's grandson.

On a more recent endeavor, a dinosaur footprint was discovered in the park in 2005 when a geology class from University of Alaska Fairbanks took a field trip. According to the story, Professor Paul McCarthy was explaining to students that cretaceous sedimentary rocks can preserve dinosaur tracks, to which one student pointed to a rock and replied, "like this one?”

Gates of the Arctic National Park

If you are really looking to escape the crowds (and I mean really) then this park is for you. Located North of the Brooks Range, no roads, trails, or visitor services exist and the only way to get into the park is to fly a puddle jumper plane into Bettles or Anaktuvik Pass or hike your way in. As a result of the lack of infrastructure and frigid temperatures, backpackers often only progress at the rate of five miles a day. However, what you don't make up in quantity, you sure make up in quality, as the opportunity for wildlife and nature viewing is paramount.

Katmai National Park

Did you know that the largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century occurred in this region on July 6, 1912? On this day in history a rare phenomenon happened in what is today known as the Valley Of Ten Thousand Smokes, when the volcano, Novarupta, erupted, sending thousands of steam plumes as high as 20 miles into the air. and causing heat trapped in the ash and pumice from the eruption to take decades to fully cool.

The beauty, scale, wildness, and mystery of the Valley make it one of the best places in the world to study the violence of volcanic eruptions and experience the raw power of nature.

Kenai Fjords National Park

This park, located near Seward, Alaska, is a beautiful and fun place to visit, ideal for hikers and kayaker alike. Its main attraction is the Harding Icefield and the almost 40 glaciers that flow from its core, including Exit Glacier, the most accessible.

Did you know that naturally occurring spring waters saved the park’s fjords from widespread harm in 1989 during the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill that contaminated much of the region? These spring waters helped repel leakage from the spill and saved many of the most sensitive areas of the park.

Kobuk Valley National Park

Located about 25 miles North of the Arctic Circle, the Kobuk Valley offers a mountain-enclosed landscape with ancient sand dunes and famous caribou crossings across the Kobuk River at Onion Portage, named after the wild onions that grow along its banks. During the fall caribou migration, this is a hot spot for photographers and hunters alike, as the air trapped in the caribou’s fur causes their carcasses to float downriver and wash ashore on the beach. Cowabunga!

Lake Clark National Park

Lake Clark is arguably one of the most beautiful areas of Alaska's vast wilderness (although it really is hard to pick favorites.)

Did you know that this area was home to Richard Pronekke, a self-taught naturalist who lived in the park for 30 years as a hermit and documented it in the 2003 film Alone in the Wilderness?

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 

This National Park is defined by the St. Elias mountain range, which extends beyond the park and into neighboring Glacier Bay and Kluane, forming the highest coastal mountain range in the world. Truly a work of art, this stretch of earth is magnificent, and is home to many of North America's top peaks outside of Denali, including Mount Logan, Canada's tallest peak (19,551 feet) Mount Saint Elias, the second tallest mountain in North America (18,008) and Mount Fairweather, the tallest mountain in British Columbia (15,325 feet.)

It may take time to explore this park (and summit its vast peaks) as it is the largest National Park in the United States, larger than the country of Denmark.

Alaska’s National Parks exhibit some of the most remote and striking scenery the natural world offers. We hope you enjoy these lesser-known and quirky facts that define Alaska’s beauty and are emboldened to venture North to see for yourself!