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.

Made Possible Through the Support of

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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

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

Alaska Couple Finds Massive Mammoth Bone After Storm

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

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

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

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

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