The 49th state has 54 million acres of national parklands, thanks in large part to the Carter administration. But so much green goodness can be overwhelming, so we enlisted the help of John Baston, a guide with who has led trips in all eight of Alaska鈥檚 national parks. He agreed to a round of rapid-fire word association to pin down what鈥檚 great about each one.
National Parks Centennial
See the complete list of 100 reasons to love the parks (and a few things we’d improve)Kobuk Valley: Sand dunes
Gates of the Arctic: Backpacking
Glacier Bay: Kayaking
鈥婯enai Fjords: Gulf of Alaska
Lake Clark: Giant lakes
Wrangell鈥揝t. Elias: Enormous
Denali: Highest mountain
鈥婯补迟尘补颈: Bears