James H Barker Photography

Nature lovers love communing with nature at every opportunity. One such opportunity is an outdoor excursion on the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail. This trail offers alpine-style backpacking over the course of its 27.3 miles. Along the way, you can enjoy truly stunning views of the mountains and other scenery that includes several summer wildflowers, alpine azaleas, forget me nots, and lots more.

In addition to offering many recreation trails for day hikes, the Chena River State Recreation Area is a popular destination for fishing, boating and canoeing. The exceptional scenery and calming effect of the water also make it a desirable destination for nature lovers who just want to relax and breathe in the area's natural beauty.

While visiting Alaska is a truly unmatched experience, hearing a perspective from one of the state's most highly regarded residents will shed a new light on various aspects of the area that you might have missed. Fortunately for tourists, that person is Mary Shields. The popular Alaskan Tails of the Trail with Mary Shields is an opportunity to share a personal home visit with this celebrated Alaskan musher and author. Her insights focus on her famous sled dogs, but Shields also is a splendid storyteller and her accounts of various events of Alaska's past are quite entertaining.