| Alaska's Regions |
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For those with a naturalist streak, few places on earth compare with the wonders of Southwest Alaska. Brown bears amble along the hills and plains, and more than 240 bird species inhabit Alaska's Southwest region. The region's terrain ranges from a landscape of volcanoes in Katmai National Park created by the 1912 eruption of the Novarupta volcano, to the windswept Aleutian Islands that make a 1,000-mile sweep toward Asia.
The vast expanse of land that makes up Southwest Alaska creates an extremely diverse region for all forms of wildlife, from the smallest of migratory birds on the Pribilof Islands to the Kodiak brown bear, one of the world's largest carnivorous land mammals. Viewing wildlife is certainly a highlight of journeys to this region.
The Alaska Peninsula extends 550 miles into the Pacific Ocean. In the west, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve offers a wilderness of seacoast, mountains, glaciers and lakes filled with trophy-sized rainbow trout. The Katmai National Park and Preserve is an excellent place to view brown bears. Visitors can hike riverside trails to photograph brown bears and fly to other locations in the region to take advantage of the finest sockeye fishing in Alaska.
Past the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, the Aleutian Islands begin their 1,000-mile sweep toward Asia. These incredible windswept islands, now the location of numerous national wildlife refuges, were the theater for a 19-day battle between Japanese and American troops in May of 1943.
Bristol Bay is home to the world's largest source of red salmon. The salmon are enticed by the area's rich freshwater spawning streams that flow into nearby rivers and bays. Many cultures meet in this land including Eskimos, Aleuts, and Athabascans. Visitors can find delights in all seasonal activities – fishing in the summer, skiing in the winter, and cultural events year-round. The parklands and remote sites that make up the area are accessed only by floatplane or boat. Lodges and outfitters offer guided and unguided adventure opportunities.
Finally, visitors can fly from Anchorage to the Pribilof Islands to see the world famous wildlife colonies on St. George and St. Paul Islands in the Bering Sea. Over 240 bird species, including colorful puffins, have been seen on rocky cliffs and grassy tundra. A nesting population of 2.5 million birds makes St. George the host of the largest known sea bird colony in the Western Hemisphere. St. Paul's beaches also play host to an amazing number of fur seals.
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