Known, appropriately, as the Last Frontier, Alaska is a land of unfathomable natural beauty, a state so vast and wild that parts of it remain unmapped today.
Everything about Alaska nudges the extreme end of the scale. The largest state in the USA, it boasts some 3 million lakes, 3,000 rivers, 100,000 glaciers and 17 of America’s 20 highest peaks.
These untamed landscapes harbour a diverse range of wildlife, including Kodiak bears, giant moose and the iconic bald eagle, whose shrill call echoes the grandeur of this state.
For adrenaline junkies, Alaska offers a big hit. Mt McKinley, the highest point on the continent, rises 6,194m (20,320ft) in Denali National Park and tempts climbers from around the world to tackle its snowy peak.
Elsewhere, kayakers paddle beneath jumbo glaciers with humpback whales, while skiers and snowboarders whoosh up the Chugach Mountains by helicopter and glide back down on virgin powder.
