Despite an economy driven by oil and commercial fishing, Valdez earns the moniker “Little Switzerland” honestly. The city of around 4,000 people rests in a deep fjord beneath the 5,000-foot peaks of the Chugach Mountains, with waterfalls cascading down lush green hillsides at every turn and calm, clear waters lapping along the small boat harbor of Port Valdez.
Alaska Magazine’s 2018 Annual Photo Contest begins April 4, 2018 and ends August 15, 2018.
Visitors can see everything from bears and murres to sand dunes and salmon.
[by David Shaw]
It’s Denali National Park’s fault I live in Alaska. Fourteen years ago, I accepted a position as a field biologist, banding birds at the far end of the park’s only road. For two months I awoke every clear morning to a view of Denali itself, the Great One rising 20,320 feet into thin air. I was hooked, and have been here ever since.
Friends helping friends, from the shop to the field
A tribute to Chase
(from the February 2012 issue)
Planning a trip to Alaska? Or looking for somewhere off the beaten path? Here are some spots that should not be missed.
Chasing and capturing the shimmering northern lights
[by Todd Salat]
A man with an unusual quest
[by Tracy Ross]
Choosing and stacking firewood is an annual ritual.
[by Louise Freeman]