15 Surprising Facts About Alaska

1. There are 20 highest mountain peaks in the United States. 17 of them are in Alaska. Denali,”The Great One”, is the highest at 20,320 feet above sea level.

2. There are more than 3,000 rivers and 3,000,000 lakes in Alaska. The largest is Lake Iliamna which is 1,000 square miles.

3. Alaska has about 100,000 glaciers, covering 5% of the state.

4. Alaska is the largest state in the union (1/5 of the entire USA and twice the size of Texas).

5. The Northern Lights can be seen in Fairbanks 243 days a year.

6. Juneau has no road access to the rest of the state. It is the only capital city in the United States accessible only by boat or plane. It is also the largest, covering 3,108 square miles.

7. Anchorage’s Lake Hood is the world’s largest and busiest seaplane base. Over 800 take offs and landings happen on a busy summer day.

8. The largest salmon caught in Alaska was on the Kenai River. It weighed in at 97.5 lbs.

9. In Alaska, there is approximately 1 bear to every 21 people.

10. Barrow, Alaska has the longest and shortest day. When the sun rises on May 10th, it doesn’t set for nearly 3 months. When it sets on November 18th, residents don’t see the sun for nearly 2 months.

11. It is illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while they are moose hunting in Alaska.

12. The lowest temperature recorded in Alaska was -80 degrees Fahrenheit at Prospect Creek Camp in 1971.

13. Alaska has more than 100 volcanoes.

14. Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the United States combined, roughly 34,000 miles.

15. Dog mushing is the state sport of Alaska, which was once the main mode of transportation. The Iditarod dog sledding race is the state’s largest sporting event.

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