Home to the lowest population in the US, at a huge size of California, Texas and Montana altogether, neighboring Canada to the East and Russia`s Bering Strait to the West, there lies the 49th, and also the largest state of Alaska.

The once frozen wasteland, being purchased from the Russians in 1867 for 2 cents an acre, had by later become the number one resource for US gold and oil income, as it finally earned its State of the Union status in 1959.

With at least nine natural parks and reserves, Alaska makes a perfect hiking destination for tourists who wish to admire the fresh, open wilderness with the highest snow packed mountain ranges, the deepest fjords and some of the most beautiful coastlines in North America.

Alaska, with the world`s biggest king salmons, is also one of the most popular cruise destinations with Mount McKinley as the tallest mountain in the US, Wood-Tikchik as the biggest State Park having the size of Delaware, not to mention the world`s most vast concentration of glaciers covering 29,000 square miles of area.

Alaska can be easily approached by plane, to Anchorage, Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, and Juneau via daily air services, mainly of Alaska Airlines originating in Seattle. By car it can be most easily approached via the Alaska Highway through Canada, while by bus with Greyhound Canada using the Alaska Direct Bus Line from Whitehorse to Anchorage, Fairbanks and Dawson City.

By boat, most notable is the Alaska Marine highway connecting all those cities without road access, which is a state owned ferry system serving both vehicles as well as passengers.

Katmai and Wood Tikchik kayak tour (katharina merchant @picasaweb)

Tustumena, Alaska Marine Highway (Wikipedia)

Tikchik Anglers (lodgeandyachts.com)

Denali Highway Bridge (Wikipedia)

Port of Anchorage, Aerial View (Wikipedia)

Pederson Lagoon and Glacier (Wikipedia)

Peak 3 Recreation (Wikipedia)

Mount McKinley and Denali National Park Road (Wikipedia)

Miners Climbing the Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush (Wikipedia)

Anchorage, the Largest City in Alaska (Wikipedia)

Barrow Beach, also Referred to be “Top of the World” (Wikipedia)

Aurora Borealis over Alaska (Wikipedia)

Augustine Volcano in 2006 (Wikipedia)

Downtown Anchorage (Wikipedia)