Alaska Is Essentially One Big Park—And It’s Our Very Best

The 49th state has 54 million acres of national parklands, thanks in large part to the Carter administration. But so much green goodness can be overwhelming, so we enlisted the help of John Baston, a guide with Mountain Travel Sobek who has led trips in all eight of Alaska’s national parks. He agreed to a round of rapid-fire word association to pin down what’s great about each one.

Kobuk Valley: Sand dunes
Gates of the Arctic: Backpacking
Glacier Bay: Kayaking
​Kenai Fjords: Gulf of Alaska
Lake Clark: Giant lakes
Wrangell–St. Elias: Enormous
Denali: Highest mountain
​Katmai: Bears