THE WILDERNESS

From the comfort of a cruise ship, you can enjoy the breathtaking scenery in its epic scale. From the majestic mountains to the crops of tundra, the wilderness of Alaska keeps the eyes active and the mind either quietly at peace with the surroundings or running wild with thoughts of adventure in the great beyond.

Alaska is home to several national parks and most cruises stop at Glacier Bay National park and Preserve, near the northern end of the Inside Passage. The park has the world’s most tidewater glaciers; there are sixteen massive glaciers forcing their way through the mountains. With loud cracks, icebergs break off the glacier and crash into the water so that icebergs of all shapes and sizes float in Glacier Bay. Water runoff from ice fields, glaciers, and the surrounding mountains feeds the Bay. Glacier Bay is truly an Alaska experience and is unique in the size and number of glaciers.

Another popular place to view glaciers is College Fjord within Prince William Sound. There is a huge concentration of glaciers all along the 16-mile fjord. The glacier field gets its name from the glaciers themselves – each named for a top institution such as Harvard or Yale.

South of Anchorage and jutting into the Gulf of Alaska is the rugged terrain of the Kenai Peninsula. It has become one of Alaska’s top recreational areas and is a regular stop for cruise ships. The peninsula divides Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet and is often considered a microcosm of Alaska. The peninsula offers salmon and halibut fishing, amazing scenery, and wildlife viewing. It is also a popular place to hike, kayak, and dig for clams.

Some of the smaller vessels will visit Misty Fjord National Monument. The 2.3 million acre wilderness is home to mountains, islands, bays, fjords, huge trees, and massive cliffs. The green forest reflects in the dark waters, which are home to salmon and whales. Misty Fjord is named such because of the constant mist that falls on the area, so put on your rain jacket, and enjoy the dramatic waterfalls rushing down towering granite walls. If you have time for a shore excursion, this is an ideal place for a kayak trip.