Alaska is such a draw to the travel, wildlife and nature photographer with endless animals and landscapes to photograph but custom trips can be expensive and costly. In this guide I will help you find awesome places and things to do during your stay in Alaska without the need for a travel guide. You will see wildlife, landscapes, glaciers and ice tunnels found nowhere else in the US.

I recommend spending around two weeks and going either at the very start of the season around early May or at the very end of fall which in Alaska is mid September. Take a flight to Anchorage and start your adventure there, I would highly recommend getting a 4×4 and from a car hire company that will let you go off road (more on that later). While the train is a fun option you will miss out on some scenery only accessible by car. 

Everything in this photography guide to Alaska has been tried and tested, I will include all the links to tours, things to do, locations and other important sites to visit as best I can to the map at the bottom of the page. This list is in no way extensive, Alaska is a huge wilderness and full of adventures; these are just a few of the places I can recommend to do within two weeks. 

Make sure you are aware of some of the military posts in Alaska before using a drone too and remember you can’t use a drone in any national park in the US. 

Before you ask why I didn’t include Lake Clarke, well in the peak season the level of tourism is through the roof, in my opinion everyone goes there and takes the unique feel of the shot away. At peak times you are only allowed an hour at a time too. Personally I would avoid it.

Couple of notes about Alaska, photography stores are in their few so hunt down everything you need and where possible have back ups of everything. I was cut short with a broken tripod RC2 plate and one place near Denali wanted $250 for a tripod that weighed more than my car and about the same age too. Now anytime I go I will make sure I have a few of the small easier to carry supplies.  So let’s crack on, here is my photography guide to Alaska from the experiences I have had there. 

If you want to see the map for all the places I mention in the guide and many more, then click here or scroll to the end of this post. More information about the Northern Lights and how and when to see them can be found on my guide here.

A road much less traveled and off the beaten track for many tourists but has a glacier worth visiting Caribou Creek Recreational Mining Area which overlooks the Matanuska Glacier. The Matanuska Glacier can be walked on as access is easy from the road and trail head, if you are going when the ice is at its peak take some cleats for your shoes or ice grabs. 

The Richardson Highway runs from the Glenn Highway end all the way up to Fairbanks passing the entrance to the Denali Highway at Paxon. Along the road you will see some of the pipelines that run all the way to Yukon and up to Deadhorse at the north of the state. 

Loads of chances to see wildlife in the creeks and gorges as you drive through them, and one place to stop off is the Castner Glacier Ice Cave which is accessible from Castner Creek on the west side of the road. It’s best to visit in the early part of the season as the ice starts to become unstable in September. This unimproved road is located at mile 217.3 on the north side of Castner Creek. The road ends after 1/2 mile, turning into an unimproved foot path heading up the side of Castner Creek. A 1/2 mile hike leads you to the Castner Glacier. This trail is not maintained and not marked. Travel upon the glacier is not recommended.

One of the highlights for any trip to Alaska is driving the Denali Highway, which is a long 132 mile road and 80% of it is a pretty ruff road way, just enough for cars to pass (even in an RV). The Denali Highway runs from Paxson to Cantwell and has a few campgrounds and hotels, think basic here, along the way. The entire trip has plenty of opportunities to take pictures and find wildlife such as bears and various deer. One of the lodges along the way offers photo tours by ATV but the campgrounds are amazing with views of the night sky like no other if you happen to hang around for an overnight stay. 

Just be aware that the road is hard going and you will need a 4×4 at the very least and check your car hire company lets you drive it. I’ve used GoNorth RV hire which has great customer service and decent prices with pick up in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Make sure you are fully aware of all the terms and conditions before you hire as it can get costly.

You can do the drive with just a single stop but I would recommend at least 2 nights to drive it, especially if you are coming from Fairbanks down the Richardson Highway via Paxson. Make sure you have a full tank of fuel too as fuel stops are very limited from the Cantwell end of the Denali Highway. The road is only passable in season, so make sure you don’t try in the winter. If you have time stop at Tangle Lakes for camping, the view is stunning.

This road is drone friendly too but check the local small airports before throwing your drone up, flying under 400ft still applies and keep your distance from airstrips. 

There is a single 92 mile road accessible by bus that goes into the park, you can book tickets for the various bus tours from the Denali Visitors Center where you can buy permits to camp out as well. Many of the buses are free to Savage River and Alpine Pass that are near mile marker 15 which is the furthest point you can access the park in your own car if you wanted to drive in. Alpine Pass has lots of Moose, Bears and Dhal Sheep to see. More information on Savage River can be found here. 

Denali is also trail-less so make sure you are prepared with a GPS device if you are going off the bus to explore. Also educate yourself about bear behavior as well as the chances of an encounter are extremely high. 

Wonder Lake is nearly a full trip into the park along the 92 mile road, the trip takes around 5 hours so be prepared with food and drink. Reflection Pond is close by and both offer stunning views of Mt McKinley / Denali in the background. You will need to book your bus tickets for this in advance of getting to Denali, you can do so online here. If you are looking to stay out in the park you can book for Wonder Lake Camp Ground at less than $20 a night, which is an absolute steal !

For a trip into the park you will need a 400mm lens at least for wildlife and if you are looking to do landscape then a 20mm to 50mm should see you well. Just make sure you are prepared to see every kind of animal, always keep your distance, normally you will not have to venture too far off the road to see everything you need anyway but in case you want to wait then be prepared. Most buses will stop and turn side ways to get shots of bears that walk the road looking for ground squirrels and the narrated buses will stop and show you any Moose sightings. 

Below are a few links to the local trails close to the park entrance, while low on photography value the map is useful for getting around the entrance to the park.