• How Large is Alaska?
  Alaska is 586,412 square miles, or about 365,000,000 acres. Is the largest state in the union: one-fifth the size of the Lower 48.

• How long is the Alaska coastline?
  Point to point Alaska is 6,640 miles. Including islands Alaska has 33,904 miles of shoreline.

• What is the highest and lowest temperature?
  The highest is 100 degrees F at Fort Yukon in 1915. The lowest was -80 degrees F at Prospect Creek Camp, 1971.

• What was the heaviest annual snowfall?
  974.5 inches at Thompson Pass near Valdez, during the winter of 1952-53.

• What about those Mosquitoes?
  There are at least 25 species of mosquitoes in Alaska. The females are the only ones that suck blood, which they use for egg production. The itch that follows comes from an anticoagulant injected by the mosquito. The pests are present from April through September in many areas of the state. In the bush they are at there worst in June, tapering off in July. They are most present in moist areas of slow-moving or standing water in bogs, fields, and forests. They are most active at dusk and dawn, low temperature and high winds decrease their activity.

• How can I see the bears at McNeil River?
  The McNeil River has the world's largest concentration of brown bears in their natural habitat. The Alaska Department of Fish & Game manages the sanctuary's bear viewing program. Small groups of visitors are escorted to a viewing area by an ADF&G guide and are limited to 10 visitors a day. All visitors must apply for a permit to visit the sanctuary. Applications are available after January 1 and due March 1 for the upcoming visitor season.
  Contact:
  Alaska Department of Fish and Game,
  Division of Wildlife Conservation,
  333 Raspberry Rd.
  Anchorage AK 99518-1599,
  Attention: McNeil River.

• Are there really ice worms?
  Yes, ice worms actually exist. These small threadlike, segmented black worms, usually less than 1 inch long, thrive in temperatures just above freezing. As far back as the 1880s they have been seen literally carpeting the surface of glaciers at dawn or dusk or on overcast days. When the sunlight hits them they burrow back into the ice.

• What is the Midnight Sun?
  Summer Solstice, June 21             Sunrise           Sunset                   Total Daylight Hours
                         Adak                     6:27 am           11:10 pm                            16:43 hours
                         Anchorage             3:21 am             10:42                                 19:21 hours
                         Barrow                  May 10th          Aug. 2nd                 84 continuous days sunlight
                         Fairbanks              1:59 am             11:48 pm                           21:49 hours
                         Juneau                   3:51 am            10:09                                 18:18 hours   
                         Ketchikan              4:04 am             9:33 pm                             17:29 hours
  
  Winter Solstice December 21        Sunrise               Sunset                    Total Daylight Hours
                          Adak                     10:52 am            6:38 pm                         7:46 hours
                          Anchorage             10:14 am             3:42 pm                         5:28 hours
                          Barrow              November 18th through January 24              67 days No Daylight
                          Fairbanks               10:59 am             2:41 pm                         3:42 hours
                          Juneau                    9:46 am              4:07 pm                         6:21 hours
                          Ketchikan               9:12 am               4:18 pm                         7:06 hours

Alaska Trivia

What is there to do in Alaska?

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