United States

Death Valley: One of the Most Extreme Places on Earth

In 1913, temperatures in Death Valley reached a world-record high of 134 degrees Fahrenheit

Mark Barton and principal investigator Kevin Boswell of Florida International University conduct species sampling of the nearshore waters.

Photo Contest Featured Photographer

From Playboy to Polar Bears: A Fashion Photographer’s Journey to Document Climate Science in Northernmost Alaska

Florencia Mazza Ramsay traveled to Barrow, the northernmost town in the United States, to document life and research on the front lines of climate change

Indigenous cultures of Alaska have enjoyed the frozen treat known as akutuq for many centuries. An Inupiaq word meaning “to stir,” akutuq traditionally consists of animal fat mixed with seal oil, whipped together with handfuls of berries and freshly fallen snow to make a frothy, frozen concoction.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

What Is Eskimo Ice Cream?

Answer: Not your typical summer dessert

Inupiaq culture has traveled from fur-clad hunters with stone-tipped harpoons to kids carrying iPhones—in just 200 years.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

The Essence of Alaska Lies Somewhere Between Myth and Reality

An Alaska native grapples with the meaning of his home state

The Hurricane Turn pulls out of the station at Talkeetna.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

For a Truly Authentic Alaskan Experience, Hop Aboard America's Last Flag-Stop Train

Reaching off-the-grid homesteads and cabins, the Hurricane Turn train stops for anyone who flags it down

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Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

Eskimo Yo-Yos, Muskox Knitting Yarn and Other Unique Gifts to Buy in Alaska

Inspiration comes not only from nature but also from the instinct to use what’s close at hand

A brown bear hunts for salmon in Silver Salmon Creek.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

Where and How to (Safely) Bear Watch in Alaska

Attacks à la <i>Revenant</i> are a statistical blip. An Alaska expert outlines the dos and don'ts of sharing wilderness with the state's 133,000 bears

Sunday services let out at the Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

The Most Diverse Neighborhood in the U.S. May Surprise You

Abundant housing and job opportunities have brought people from all over the world to Mountain View, Alaska

Russian Orthodox crosses in the time-and-weather-worn cemetery of Ninilchik’s Holy Transfiguration of Our Lord Chapel are a testament to the heritage of the village.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

Tracing Alaska's Russian Heritage

From onion domes to tsarist-era Russian dialects, evidence of the Russian colonialism remains

A train heads to Seward, Alaska.

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

Guide to Awesome: 14 Reasons to Visit Alaska Now

From the tallest North American peak to the world’s largest bears, Alaska is home to unparalleled experiences

Secretary Sally Jewell

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell Explains Why Preserving Alaska's Wildness Is Essential

A former petroleum engineer, Jewell recognizes that balance is key to preserving Alaska for future generations

John McPhee

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

Pulitzer-Prize Winning Author John McPhee Recalls Alaska Before Cell Phones, GPS and Most of Its National Parks

McPhee's trips to Alaska in the 1970s inspired his seminal outdoors narrative "Coming Into the Country" and helped launch his career

George Schaller

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

Longtime Conservationist George Schaller Is Still Fighting to Preserve the Last Frontier

Now is the time to protect Alaska's coastal plain, he urges

Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Alaska

National Geographic Veteran Chris Johns on the Importance of National Parks and Documenting Climate Change in Alaska

Wild places heal both individuals and nations, he says

This Man Controls the Ways You Walk in Airports

Many airports employ passenger flow experts to look out for travel patterns among passengers. From there, they can change the airport's infrastructure

The World's First Camels Roamed...South Dakota?

The Badlands of South Dakota are filled with the fossils of fascinating and surprising prehistoric animals

How 60 Million Bison Became 1,000 in a Century

In the late 1700s, more than 60 million bison roamed the Great Plains. Over the years, demand for fur and meat drove their numbers down

The 29 Can't-Miss Summer Festivals of 2016

Get out and enjoy the summer sun—we've compiled a list of the best ways to enjoy the summer splendor across North America

"Lux Noctis" is a series of photographs depicting landscapes of North America within the framework of traditional landscape photography, influenced by ideas of planetary exploration,19th-century Romantic painting and science fiction | Bisti Badlands, New Mexico

Photo Contest Featured Photographer

These Drone-Lit Photos of the American West Are Straight Out of a Science Fiction Novel

Photographer Reuben Wu casts new light on a familiar world

What the Oregon Trail Looks Like Today From Above

One of America's greatest highways is barely visible from the ground. It's only from the air that you can pick out the remains of the Oregon Trail

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