Alaska’s Emerald Island is the nation’s second largest after Hawaii, but its landscape—a Last Frontier in microcosm—and accessible location (about an hour from Anchorage by air) make it a manageable destination for wading boot-first into the state’s natural and cultural wonders.
The city of Kodiak—the first capital of Russian America—serves as the staging point for seaplane and boat trips throughout the nearly 5,000-square-mile (12,949 square-kilometer) Kodiak Island Archipelago. Though steeped in Russian Orthodox and native Alutiiq history, the area is best known for the estimated 3,500 massive Kodiak brown bears (above) roaming the archipelago, primarily in the 1.9-million-acre (769,000-hectare) Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
The months of July, August, and September are prime bear-viewing times, so plan ahead to join a guided backcountry tour. Trained biologist Harry Dodge and his wife, Brigid, lead small group treks from their Uyak Bay wilderness lodge via Kodiak Treks, an Adventure Green Alaska (AGA) gold-level sustainable tourism-certified outfitter.
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