National Geographic asked renowned travel writers from all over the world where they would take their dream hike. It’s no surprise that the raw beauty and protected wilderness of Alaska made the list… twice. These are two of the most picturesque hikes in the world, according to the experts. The author and environmentalist Terry Tempest Williams chose to follow a caribou herd on their long migration across the arctic. Survivalist Bear Grylls chose the Solomon Gulch Trail in Valdez. These two hiking adventures are very different, very far apart, and feature epic views of the Alaskan wild.
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Follow the Caribou on their Arctic Migration (Gates of the Arctic National Park/Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve spans 8.4 million acres in the Brooks Range in Northern Alaska, making it the northernmost park in U.S. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Preserve (ANWR) is 19.3-million-acres of arctic coastline and untouched wild tundra, including the special grounds where the caribou have their calves.
Trekking through the tundra above the Arctic Circle is a dream come true for some, but will probably remain a dream for most. For an easier place to get, you can head to Valdez, accessible by the road system or by the Alaska Marine Highway.
The trail follows the beach, then rises up the craggy rocks. Grizzly bears, or North American Brown Bears to be scientifically correct, frequent the area in the summer to feast on the abundant salmon and blueberry, raspberry, and salmonberry patches.
