ALASKA TRAVEL GUIDES

“But think of the hearts of these whales, beating warm against the sea, day and night, through dark and light, on and on for centuries; how the red blood must rush and gurgle in and out, bucketfuls, barrelfuls at a beat!”
- John Muir, Travels in Alaska

TRAVELING TO ALASKA

Alaska is simply a trip of a lifetime, where travelers can kayak to glaciers, visit the highest mountain peak in North America, explore quirky towns, eat fresh salmon, see bears, eagles and whales, and really understand what it means to get away from it all.  Below are our recommendations on the best travel books for a trip to Alaska.

A5 RECOMMENDATIONS

The MILEPOST

The MILEPOST, originally published in 1949, is Alaska’s most extensive and best-known travel guide.  This legendary book is a full-service guide to the roads, lodging, sightseeing across the Alaska road system, as well as routes in Canada.  Travelers will find trip planning help and answers to frequently asked questions on such topics as wildlife viewing, cruising Alaska's Inside Passage, crossing the border, and traveling with pets. Updated annually, 

Fodor's Travel: Alaska

Fodor's Travel does a very good job with their comprehensive guide on Alaska. The book is well researched, with a good balance of practical tips and interesting insights into this unique destination and culture.  For those taking an Alaska cruise, we recommend Fodor's guide to Alaska Cruises, also available on Amazon.

National Geographic Traveler: Coastal Alaska

This beautifully illustrated guidebook focuses on ports all along the Inside Passage and Alaska's rugged southern coastlines.  The detailed color maps and photography are particularly good, as well as the insider tips from National Geographic regional experts and the cultural sidebars on Alaska's nature and history.  There is also a nice section that includes restaurants, festivals, shopping, and outdoor activities.

Travels in Alaska, by John Muir

The legendary John Muir, one of the leading voices for the environment, shares his love for this region in Travels in Alaska, his journal from his 1879, 1880, and 1890 trips to southeast Alaska.  Much of the book is dedicated to glaciers, their influence on the landscape and the geological history of these moving rivers of ice.  This book is not a dramatic journey, a travelogue, nor a field manual for the Alaskan bush, but instead a book for nature lovers who wants the glaciers of Alaska to come alive in print.  This was John Muir's last book - he died while preparing it for publication.

Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer

Disillusioned with the material world and modern life, a young man named Christopher McCandless plunged into the wilderness of Alaska in search of a better way.  He had been traveling for several years throughout the western United States, but Alaska provided a purer opportunity to connect with nature.  His experience, which ultimately led to disaster, is brilliantly chronicled by the author Jon Krakauer.  Click here to read our review on Into the Wild.