Alaska Facts

A vintage 1970s post card shows Alaska superimposed on the continental U.S. in order to illustrate the 49th state's tremendous size. Although Texans like to think their state is big, the lone star has nothing on the last frontier: Alaska is twice the size of Texas. The treeless area of permafrost in Alaska's northernmost region itself is the size of three Californias.

Besides geographic area, Alaska is impressive for its recorded peaks as well. According to the U.S. Geological Survey , 19 of the top 20 highest elevation summits in North America are in Alaska. Denali National Park is home to Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet.

Alaska is a land of extremes. The highest recorded temperature is 100°F, taken in Fort Yukon in 1915. And the lowest temperature, -80°F, was recorded in (comparatively) nearby Prospect Creek in 1971.

But don't let the weather extremes deter you. As U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once wrote in a letter to Prime Minister W.L. MacKenzie King of Canada, "There is much to be said against the climate on the coast of British Columbia and Alaska; yet, I believe that the scenery of one good day will compensate the tourists who will go there in increasing numbers."

The area Roosevelt was talking about is Southeast Alaska, which enjoys a maritime climate on the coast - as rainy as Seattle but slightly cooler. Temperatures stay within the 50s and 60s in the summer months and rarely dip below 20°F the rest of the year. Visitors learn to embrace the weather; it's what gives the area its green-jeweled beauty, nurturing rainforests and dusting the snowy peaks of the Boundary Ranges. It provides key habitat for spawning fish, most notably salmon, making Southeast an ideal fishing destination. Just don't forget your rain gear.

Alaska is like a country of its own, and the weather varies considerably depending on where you go, as does the recreation.

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