As of late 2025, Alaska remains the ultimate destination for those seeking the raw, untamed spirit of the United States. Often called “The Last Frontier,” this state offers a scale of wilderness that is simply unrivaled elsewhere in North America. From the highest peak on the continent to lush coastal rainforests, Alaska’s protected lands are not just parks; they are entire ecosystems preserved for posterity.
At Top 10 America, we understand that ranking Alaska’s parks is a unique challenge. While the state technically holds eight designated “National Parks”—more than any other state except California—the travel experience often extends to its spectacular National Monuments and Preserves. Therefore, to provide a complete “Top 10” experience, our list includes the eight official National Parks plus the two most culturally and geographically significant federally protected reserves that rival them in grandeur.
Whether you are looking to spot the famous bears of Katmai, cruise the icy waters of Glacier Bay, or witness the scale of Denali, this list represents our reasoned perspective on the best nature experiences the USA has to offer. We have factored in accessibility, scenic value, and wildlife density to help you plan your journey.
Overview: Top 10 Best National Parks & Reserves in Alaska
| Rank | Park Name | Location / Region | Best Known For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denali National Park & Preserve | Interior Alaska (Healy/Cantwell) | The Great One (Highest Peak in N. America) |
| 2 | Kenai Fjords National Park | Seward (Kenai Peninsula) | Glaciers & Marine Wildlife |
| 3 | Glacier Bay National Park | Gustavus / Inside Passage | Cruise Ship Views & Tidewater Glaciers |
| 4 | Katmai National Park | King Salmon / Alaska Peninsula | Brown Bears & Brooks Falls |
| 5 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | Copper Center / Eastern Alaska | Largest Park in USA & Mining History |
| 6 | Lake Clark National Park | Port Alsworth / Southwest | Volcanoes & Fly-in Bear Viewing |
| 7 | Gates of the Arctic National Park | Brooks Range (Remote) | True Wilderness (No Roads/Trails) |
| 8 | Kobuk Valley National Park | Northwest Arctic | Great Kobuk Sand Dunes |
| 9 | Misty Fjords National Monument | Ketchikan / Southeast | Sheer Granite Cliffs & Fjords |
| 10 | Bering Land Bridge National Preserve | Nome / Seward Peninsula | Ancient History & Volcanic Features |
Top 10. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Located on the remote Seward Peninsula near Nome, this preserve protects a remnant of the land bridge that once connected Asia to North America. It is a place of deep historical significance, offering a landscape dotted with volcanic hot springs, lava flows, and tundra that feels otherworldly. While not a “National Park” by title, its management by the National Park Service and its scale make it a critical entry for anyone obsessed with natural history.
In Top 10 America’s view, this location ranks tenth because it is strictly for the adventurous traveler. There are no roads leading directly into the park; access is primarily via bush plane or snowmobile in winter. However, the reward is standing on ground that served as the gateway for human migration into the Americas thousands of years ago—a profound American story.
Insider Detail: If you make the trek, visit Serpentine Hot Springs. The granite tors (rock spires) surrounding the hot springs create a dramatic, almost mythical atmosphere that few travelers ever see.
Key Highlights
- Size: 2.7 million acres of remote tundra and coast.
- Access: Flight only (mostly from Nome or Kotzebue).
- Unique Feature: The largest Maar volcanoes in the world.
Top 9. Misty Fjords National Monument
Situated just outside of Ketchikan in Southeast Alaska, Misty Fjords is often called “The Yosemite of the North” for its near-vertical granite cliffs that rise 3,000 feet straight out of the ocean. Although designated a National Monument, it offers a park-like experience that rivals any in the country. The area is defined by its moody weather, frequent rain, and dramatic waterfalls cascading into deep saltwater fjords.
We suggest Misty Fjords for travelers who want maximum visual impact with minimal physical exertion. It is one of the most popular flightseeing destinations in the state. Cruising through the narrow canals or flying over the canopy reveals a landscape carved by glaciers, dense with hemlock and spruce forests that represent the quintessential image of the Pacific Northwest.
Insider Detail: The best way to see this is via a floatplane tour that includes a water landing. Stepping out onto the pontoon in the middle of a silent fjord is a spiritual experience.
Key Highlights
- Ecosystem: Temperate Coastal Rainforest.
- Top Activity: Floatplane flightseeing or kayak expeditions.
- Wildlife: Mountain goats, whales, and black bears.
Top 8. Kobuk Valley National Park
Located entirely north of the Arctic Circle in Northwest Alaska, Kobuk Valley is famous for an unexpected geological oddity: the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. These golden dunes rise up to 100 feet high, surrounded by vast stretches of arctic tundra. It is one of the least visited National Parks in the system, offering solitude that is impossible to find in the lower 48 states.
Facts show that half a million caribou migrate through this park twice a year, making it one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth. However, we rank it eighth due to the difficulty of access; there are no roads, campgrounds, or trails here. You must fly in from Kotzebue or Bettles and be fully self-sufficient.
Insider Detail: Summer temperatures here can surprisingly reach the 80s (Fahrenheit), making hiking on the sand dunes a surreal, sweaty experience in the Arctic.
Key Highlights
- Visitation: Less than 20,000 visitors annually.
- Unique Feature: 25 square miles of active sand dunes.
- Wildlife: Western Arctic Caribou Herd migration.
Top 7. Gates of the Arctic National Park
Situated in the central Brooks Range, this park is the ultimate expression of wilderness. As its name suggests, it serves as the gateway to the high Arctic. There are absolutely no roads, trails, or visitor facilities within its 8.4 million acres—it is raw land, exactly as it has been for millennia. The park was established to preserve this wilderness character, requiring visitors to be skilled in backcountry survival.
In Top 10 America’s view, this is the “Holy Grail” for hikers and packrafters. The landscape is a maze of jagged limestone peaks, braided rivers, and glaciated valleys. While it lacks the accessibility of Denali, the silence and scale here are unmatched. It is purely for those who want to disconnect from the modern world entirely.
Insider Detail: The park’s name comes from explorer Robert Marshall, who in 1929 described two peaks, Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain, as the “Gates” framing the Koyukuk River.
Key Highlights
- Status: Northernmost National Park in the USA.
- Infrastructure: Zero (No roads, trails, or campsites).
- Size: Second largest National Park in the US.
Top 6. Lake Clark National Park
Located southwest of Anchorage, Lake Clark provides a stunning cross-section of Alaska’s geography: steaming volcanoes, jagged mountains, and turquoise lakes all in one park. It is the ancestral home of the Dena’ina people, who still live within the park boundaries. The park is centered around the massive Lake Clark, which feeds the world’s most productive sockeye salmon fishery in Bristol Bay.
We suggest Lake Clark as the best “all-rounder” park that requires a flight. Unlike Gates of the Arctic, there is infrastructure here, primarily in the small community of Port Alsworth. It offers world-class bear viewing that rivals Katmai but often with fewer crowds. The diversity of the landscape allows you to hike alpine tundra in the morning and kayak a glacial lake in the afternoon.
Insider Detail: While no roads lead *to* the park, you can stay at Richard Proenneke’s historic cabin at Twin Lakes, a shrine to American self-reliance made famous by the book One Man’s Wilderness.
Key Highlights
- Access: Air taxi from Anchorage (approx. 1 hour).
- Top Attraction: Coastal brown bear viewing at Silver Salmon Creek.
- Geography: Convergence of three mountain ranges.
Top 5. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Stretching from the Gulf of Alaska to the Canadian border, this is the largest National Park in the United States—larger than Switzerland. It contains nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the US. Despite its size, it is surprisingly accessible compared to the arctic parks, with two gravel roads (the Nabesna Road and the McCarthy Road) allowing vehicle access into the interior.
Facts show that this park is a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for its massive icefields and glaciers. We rank it fifth because it combines this natural grandeur with incredible human history. The historic Kennecott Copper Mines offering a ghostly, fascinating glimpse into the early 20th-century industrial boom in the middle of nowhere.
Insider Detail: The drive to McCarthy is an adventure in itself. Be prepared for a rough, potholed road where flat tires are common, but the destination—a footbridge crossing into a historic town—is unforgettable.
Key Highlights
- Size: 13.2 million acres (The undisputed King of Size).
- History: National Historic Landmark Kennecott Mines.
- Geography: Home to Mt. St. Elias (18,008 ft).
Top 4. Katmai National Park
Located on the Alaska Peninsula, Katmai is synonymous with one thing: Brown Bears. This park is home to the world-famous Brooks Falls, where visitors can stand on viewing platforms and watch massive grizzlies catch leaping salmon. Beyond the bears, the park preserves the “Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes,” a landscape created by the massive 1912 eruption of the Novarupta volcano.
In Top 10 America’s view, Katmai offers the single best wildlife viewing experience in the country. The cultural phenomenon of “Fat Bear Week,” which celebrates the bears’ weight gain before winter, highlights the unique connection Americans feel to this park. It is a fly-in destination, usually via King Salmon, but the logistics are well-established.
Insider Detail: While the bears get the glory, a bus tour to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is essential. It looks like the surface of Mars and offers a stark contrast to the lush river areas.
Key Highlights
- Famous For: Brooks Falls Bear Cam & Fat Bear Week.
- Wildlife Density: Highest concentration of brown bears in the world.
- Volcanology: Site of the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
Top 3. Glacier Bay National Park
Located west of Juneau, Glacier Bay is the crown jewel of the Inside Passage. This park is unique because most visitors experience it from the deck of a cruise ship. The park protects a massive Y-shaped fjord filled with active tidewater glaciers that calve massive icebergs into the sea with thunderous roars.
We suggest Glacier Bay for families and those who want to see Alaska’s grandeur without rugged backcountry trekking. It is one of the few places where you are almost guaranteed to see humpback whales, otters, puffins, and mountain goats all in a single day. The National Park Service strictly regulates the number of vessels, ensuring the wilderness feels protected despite the popularity.
Insider Detail: If you aren’t on a cruise ship, fly into the small town of Gustavus. From there, you can take a smaller day-boat tour which gets you much closer to the glaciers than the massive liners can.
Key Highlights
- Primary Access: Cruise ships and tour boats.
- UNESCO Status: Part of a bi-national World Heritage Site.
- Key Sight: Margerie Glacier and Lamplugh Glacier.
Top 2. Kenai Fjords National Park
Located just outside the bustling harbor town of Seward, Kenai Fjords is arguably the most accessible scenic park in Alaska. Established to protect the Harding Icefield, the park features glaciers that flow down from the mountains directly into the ocean. The collision of ice and sea creates a nutrient-rich environment teeming with marine life.
Top 10 America ranks this number two because of the sheer density of experiences available. You can drive to Exit Glacier and hike right up to the ice, or take a boat tour to see orcas and calving glaciers. It provides a “greatest hits” of Alaska—mountains, ice, and ocean—within a two-hour drive of Anchorage.
Insider Detail: For the physically fit, the hike up the Harding Icefield Trail is spectacular. It transforms from a lush green forest to a stark world of white ice and black rock in just four miles.
Key Highlights
- Accessibility: Reachable by car/train from Anchorage.
- Top Feature: The Harding Icefield (700 square miles of ice).
- Wildlife: Humpback whales, Orcas, Puffins, Sea Lions.
Top 1. Denali National Park & Preserve
Located in the Interior of Alaska, Denali is the undisputed king of American wilderness. It is anchored by Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley), which rises 20,310 feet into the sky—the highest point in North America. The park is vast, featuring six million acres of taiga forest and alpine tundra, home to the “Big Five” animals: moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, and grizzly bears.
Facts show that Denali is the most iconic Alaskan destination, but travelers in 2025 and 2026 must be aware of the ongoing Pretty Rocks Landslide. This has closed the single park road at Mile 43, restricting bus access to the first half of the park. Despite this, Top 10 America ranks it #1 because seeing the mountain, even from a distance, is a life-defining moment. The wilderness here feels ancient and indifferent to human presence.
Insider Detail: Due to the road closure, we highly suggest booking a flightseeing tour from Talkeetna or the park entrance. Seeing the mountain from the air bypasses the road restrictions and offers a sense of scale that ground travel simply cannot provide.
Key Highlights
- Elevation: 20,310 ft (Highest in North America).
- Wildlife: The best place to spot the “Big Five”.
- Current Status: Road closed at Mile 43 through 2026 (Planning required).
Conclusion
Alaska’s National Parks are more than just vacation spots; they are the last strongholds of true wilderness in the United States. From the accessible glaciers of Kenai Fjords to the remote dunes of Kobuk Valley, each park offers a distinct flavor of the American North. While the logistics can be challenging—especially with the current road situation in Denali—the reward is an encounter with nature on a scale that changes your perspective on the world.
Whether you choose to cruise Glacier Bay or bushwhack through Gates of the Arctic, Top 10 America hopes this guide helps you navigate the Last Frontier. Which of these majestic parks will be the first on your bucket list?
