Alaska is truly one of the world’s most beautiful places. Many of those who visit today are drawn by the beauty of nature and abundance of outdoor activities available. In the late 1800s floods of people were drawn to Alaska for another reason; gold. Many new settlements were established as a result. Many of these settlements, Fairbanks, Juneau and Nome, still exist today.

When you visit Alaska today, you will find evidence of the state’s connection to gold mining just about everywhere you go. From locally held events like Fairbanks Golden Days to the gold nugget jewelry and painted gold pans you’re sure to find in local gift shops.

While many consider gold prospecting a thing of the past, there’s still gold in Alaska’s hills and streams today. In fact, just recently a huge gold and copper deposit was found about 235 miles southwest of Anchorage, near Lake Iliamna.

If you plan to visit Alaska you might want to consider doing a little gold prospecting of your own. You never know what you might find. One of the most popular techniques for finding gold is panning. During the gold rushes of the 1800s, this was the preferred method used by prospectors. In Alaska today there are still a few places where you can pan for gold and not worry about being accused of claim jumping. These are public areas open to the general public for recreational gold panning and sluicing but you cannot file a claim. The Bureau of Land Management office and the Department of Natural Resources office in Fairbanks will provide information on these areas, including maps.

Before you get started, you’ll need to pick up the necessary prospecting supplies. You should be able to find what you need at local mining supply shops and discount stores. Please be thoughtful about the tools you select and the methods you use in your search for gold. Avoid anything that might impact negatively on nature and the environment.

OK, are you ready to find your fortune? The following areas are open to the general public for recreational gold panning and sluicing. You are allowed to use gold pans, metal detectors, sluice boxes and rocker boxes in these areas.

Bachelor Creek: Located 80 miles North of Fairbanks just past Montana Creek on the Steese Highway, this is a remote area that does not provide camping facilities. Once you get there you will need to hike about 4 miles to the mining area.

Nome Creek: Located north of the Steese Highway in the White Mountains National Recreation Area, there are three campgrounds in the area. Facilities such as restrooms (outhouses) and drinking water are provided, but a recreation fee is charged. Gold was first discovered here in the early 1900s and has a rich history of gold finds.

Pedro Dome: Located approximately 25 miles north of the city of Fairbanks, this is where Felix Pedro discovered gold in 1902. The area is relatively small, about 1 acre in size. There are no restrooms (outhouses) and you will need to bring your own drinking water and food.

A couple of more areas you can try are Caribou Creek and Dalton Highway.

Some of these areas are very remote. In addition to your prospecting supplies you will need the necessary outdoor supplies and equipment. If you’re really not looking for a wilderness experience, but you still want to enjoy the excitement of finding gold, there are other options available.

There are several companies located in the Fairbanks area which have tours of mining towns and areas. These companies generally provide you with everything you need to do a little panning. Some even “stock” the sand so that you can be assured of not going home empty handed.

Here are a couple you can check out:

Klondike Gold Dredge Tour Company, Skagway, Alaska
El Dorado Gold Mine, 1.3 Mile Elliott Hwy, Fox, AK 99709
Chicken Gold Camp & Outpost, Box 70, Chicken, Alaska 99732

One way or another, I’m sure you will have a lot of fun prospecting for gold in Alaska. And who knows? You just might go home with a couple of gold nuggets.

The weather patterns in Alaska can be extreme and quite unpredictable. You may be bathing in the sunlight for weeks before being blown out into the Pacific. The temperatures vary from a high of 100 degrees to a low of negative 80 degrees. Make sure you know what to expect depending on the month you choose to travel in.

June – August
The summer months are perhaps the most exciting time of the year. The sun shines nearly all day long here making for some very short nights. The sun energizes people as it refuses to go down. June 21st is the longest day of the year and it shines for 21 hours in Alaska that day. Even throughout the summer, you can expect some longer than normal daylight hours. June is the driest and the best month in the summer to travel. Alaska is generally warm depending on where you go. In the Arctic it is of course cooler than in the southern region. In the Artic, the snow could stick around until mid-June making for a cold and muddy experience up through the trails in the mountains. July is warmer than June is but not nearly as wet as in August. August is the rainiest time of the year so make sure to pack a raincoat and umbrella.

Summer does have one drawback while all the tourists flood to Alaska, high prices. The tourist industry has but 90 days to make all of the money they can to live on for that year. Working 3 months and having 9 months off pushes them to make as much money as possible and the higher the prices the better for them. July is the busiest travel month and this is where they make most of their money. From mid-June to mid-August is where the bulk of the tourists come to experience Alaska and it really drops off before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. Cruises are very popular from May to October.

May & September
These 2 months are still particularly good for travel. May is when the earlier tourists start flying in or coming in on cruises. By September, things are calming down and the remaining tourists are hoping to steal the last good deal of the year. May is warmer than September but this can vary. It depends greatly on where you travel. The farther north you go and the earlier in May you decide to travel; you will experience more chilly weather along with snow and mud. Alaska does not have a spring, they have a “breakup” where the snow and ice start to melt and cover everything with mud.

September can be a hit or miss month. You could experience warm and dry weather but the opposite is very true too. September can throw a foot and a half of rain on you while the sun barely peeks out. The weather patterns can be unpredictable but the sights could be the best if you catch it just right. The lights reflected from the snowy tundra and the boreal forest prompt an amazing display of bright, vivid colors in the sky.

October, November & April
These transition months take us from the busy summer months to the colder months in the winter. Tourists find little to do during this time. October is very wet and November is the start of winter however there is still not enough snow to ski or enjoy other winter activities. April is the end of winter when the snow melts and the mud forces many places to close.

December – March
The winter is the most exciting time of the year when anything that can be done with snow and ice is. February though mid-March is the peak of the winter where the sun gives you longer days. Many activities happen including skiing, snowmobile races, ice carving, snowshoeing, dog mushing and more. Winter is also the time for Anchorage’s Fur Rendezvous in February and Iditarod Dog Sled race in March.

Alaska, with its immense tracts of pristine wilderness, is quite possibly the most beautiful state in the USA. The name itself is based on the Eskimo word meaning “great lands,” which only begins to describe its near limitless coasts, countless inland waterways and great snow-capped mountain ranges.

Alaska has diverse features and extreme climates
The most impressive aspect of Alaska is its size. It covers nearly 600,000 square miles (1,500,000 sq. km.) with over 33,000 miles (55,000 km) of shoreline and 1,800 islands. The interior has over 50,000 glaciers, 3,000 rivers and three million lakes. It contains 17 of the 20 highest mountain peaks in the USA including the 20,320 feet (6,194 meter) Denali.

Alaska’s two “panhandles” reach southward to embrace the warm Pacific Ocean currents which bless them with surprisingly moderate climates for such northern lands. On the western handle, the volcanically active Aleutian Islands extend over 1,000 miles into the northwestern Pacific where they enjoy cool summers and only moderately cold winters. The eastern handle extending down along the coast of northern Canada enjoys cool summers, mild winters and the most rainfall in North America.

The Interior plateau of Alaska suffers an extreme continental climate with surprisingly warm summers and fiercely cold winters. Temperatures can reach 100 F (+38 C) in the summer and drop below -55 F (-48 C) in the winter. The North Slope along the Arctic Coast is classic arctic tundra, a treeless semi-desert climate with extremely cold winters.

Summer days and winter nights become very long at these high latitudes. As you travel further north in Alaska, the summer days can stretch up to 22 hours. Alaskan natives call this “the land of the midnight sun.” Equally long winter nights often bring spectacular displays of dancing celestial lights known as the Aurora Borealis.

Alaska has lots of attractions and few people
Alaska is very thinly populated with less than one person per square mile. Most of the population is concentrated in a few cities and towns along the coast. The native population includes the Inuit living primarily along the coast of the arctic Bering Sea, the Aleuts living on the islands of the western panhandle, and Native Americans (Indians) living mostly along the eastern panhandle. The current population also includes many migrants from the “lower 48″ states plus European and Asian immigrants.

The scenic attractions of Alaska can be divided into several distinct areas with the city of Anchorage roughly at the center. Copper Valley, Mat-Su Valley, the Kenai Peninsula and Chena River State Recreation Area are all located near Anchorage, and are readily accessible by car or ferryboat. Many excursion cruises and charter boats depart from Anchorage, Seward or the nearby port of Homer to visit the beautiful Kenai fjords, Kodiak Island with its large population of wildlife, and Prince William Sound. It is also possible to visit the Aleutian Islands of the southwest panhandle from there, but that requires a much longer boat ride or a commuter flight.

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