15 Reasons To Drop Everything And Visit The Alaska Panhandle
By Courtney|Published August 26, 2016
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Courtney
Author
Living and loving life in Alaska, Courtney enjoys living a happy life based on simple principles; work hard, be kind, stay humble. She is an avid dog lover with hobbies that include running, fly fishing, hiking & snowboarding.
Each and every region in Alaska varies so drastically from the next. If you were an original explorer of this great land, you’d likely think that you were traveling to multiple states because the terrain and climate here is so diverse. Southeast Alaska is special and completely unique on so many magnificent levels. It is lush, filled with natural beauty and vastly untouched.
It’s no surprise that over half of all visitors that travel to the panhandle via cruise ship end up coming back at a later date to further explore. Because as you’ll find below, it’s impossible to appreciate the true magnitude of this distinctive region without getting up close and personal with its raw, rugged attributes. Here are 15 reasons to drop everything and visit the Alaska panhandle.
1. It is home to the largest temperate rainforest in the US.
Bragging rights for days! The Tongass National Forest seriously has something for everyone. Plus it is (hands down) one of the most beautiful places in the entire world.
2. The fishing in Southeast is an angler’s nirvana.
From on the salt to fly fishing in the river, you can do it all on the panhandle. No matter where you go, the scenery is bound to knock the breath right out of you.
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3. You haven’t lived until you’ve soaked in a natural hot spring in the rain in Southeast Alaska.
Exclude the tourism foot traffic and Juneau's abundant flow during legislature and you know exactly what we're talking about. Easy moving!
5. Although you get major crowd influxes during the summer months (due to the cruise lines), the other 8 months of the year feel like you have the whole outdoor playground all to yourself.
Over 500 named rivers with most under 30 miles in length, there are so many great places to take a day paddle or to camp overnight along the way. Wet a line or take a dip into the chilly water to fully soak up the experience!
12. A glacier tour will give you a lifetime’s worth of eye-candy.
