Special Report

Alaska

Alaska is nicknamed "The Great Land," and for good reason: it is wild, rugged and expansive. In a series of articles, Smithsonian magazine explores the history, culture and natural wonders of the 49th state.

Daniel A. Leifheit/Getty Images

According to the National Park Service, 95 percent of U.S. brown bears live in Alaska.

Getting Up Close to the Bears of Alaska's Lake Clark National Park

Hundreds of sockeye salmon spawn in a spring-fed pond in Iliamna Lake, Alaska

Seven Natural Phenomena Worth Traveling to Alaska For

The area is home to about 500 residential eagles that attract visitors year-round, most especially in the fall when migrating birds up the count to historic highs of 3,000.

Behold the Largest Congregation of Bald Eagles in the United States

The rocky beach in Wrangell, Alaska, is decorated with more than 40 petroglyphs.

The Mystery of This Petroglyph-Covered Alaskan Beach

Salmon spread is a common snack across Alaska.

Salmon Spread Might Just Be the Most Alaskan Food

Alaska Railroad's main line stretches 470 miles between Seward and Fairbanks.

For 100 Years, the Alaska Railroad Has Been a Critical Artery Pumping Passengers and Freight Through the State

The Nenana Ice Classic tripod is on display alongside the Tanana River and the Alaska Railroad tracks, next to the community "watchtower" building. The tripod will be raised on the ice of the Tanana River on March 5, 2023.

The River That's Kept Alaska Guessing for More Than a Century

Musk ox calves vie for grass on a farm near Palmer, Alaska.

Author Jan Brett Pans for Creative Gold in Alaska

Anglers in Iliamna, Alaska, catch sockeye salmon. The Environmental Protection Agency said the proposed Pebble Mine project would damage salmon fisheries in the Bristol Bay watershed.

A Mine That Threatened Alaskan Salmon May Be No More

The Tongass National Forest is home to a variety of wildlife, including bald eagles, salmon, brown bears and wolves.

U.S. Restores Protections for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest

Wolves on Pleasant Island are actively hunting and eating sea otters.

In Alaska, Hungry Wolves Have Started Eating Sea Otters

Researchers believe woolly mammoths walked into North America 100,000 years ago.

Alaska Couple Finds Massive Mammoth Bone After Storm

To grab pedestrians’ attention, Pahl built a 19-foot-tall hammer and erected it on the lawn in front of the museum in 2007.

A Small Town in Alaska Is Home to the World's First Hammer Museum

Bear 747, the 2022 Fat Bear Week champion, in all his gargantuan glory.

Bear 747 Overcomes Scandal to Win Fat Bear Week

Photographed on September 14, 2022, 480 Otis is the reigning 2021 Fat Bear Week champion.

How the Bears at Alaska's Katmai National Park Became Celebrities

The blanket toss is one of the many events that occur during the annual World Eskimo Indian Olympics in Fairbanks, Alaska.

For More Than 60 Years, Indigenous Alaskans Have Hosted Their Own Olympics

Detail of the Chief Johnson totem pole

The World's Largest Collection of Standing Totem Poles Keeps Getting Bigger

The remarkable Hudsonian godwit.

This Wonder Bird Flies Thousands of Miles, Non-Stop, as Part of an Epic Migration

A Journey to the Northernmost Tree in Alaska

At the Totem Heritage Center in Ketchikan, Alaska, Nathan Jackson wears ceremonial blankets and a headdress made from ermine pelts, cedar, abalone shell, copper and flicker feathers.

How Native Artisans in Alaska Bring Innovation and Humor to Their Craft

Photographer Jeff Schultz and painter Jon Van Zyle have co-created a series of artworks capturing Alaska and the sled dog community.

For 50 Years, Dogsled Teams Have Been Testing Their Mettle at the Iditarod