Alaska doesn’t whisper. It roars.

Quite simply, Alaska is one of the most wild and rugged places on the entire planet and for those reasons, it’s also one of the most beautiful and inspiring places one can explore. Of course, the entire state is incredible and the coastal regions are utterly fantastic, but in today’s article we’re going to focus purely on the interior parts of America’s 49th state.

From endless mountain ranges and flowing glaciers to roaming wildlife and skies that come alive with the aurora, the interior of Alaska is one of the most visually overwhelming places a photographer can experience. It’s raw, untamed, and unapologetically wild. For passionate nature photographers and in my own experience, it’s heaven on earth.

Interior Alaska offers something rare: massive landscapes, iconic wildlife, and true wilderness experiences without the crowds found in more heavily trafficked destinations. Having photographed and explored iconic wildlife destinations in the lower 48 such as Yellowstone National Park, it can’t be understated just how remote and uncrowded Alaska really is.

Add bush planes, glacier landings, fjords filled with marine life, and a good possibility of photographing the Northern Lights, and you have a dream nature photography experience that feels more like a true expedition than a typical photo trip.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, be sure to check out the Backcountry Journeys ‘Interior Alaska, Denali & Prince William Sound’ Photography Workshop!

As I mentioned at the beginning, Alaska just might be my favorite place on earth. Having visited and photographed many incredible locations across the globe, Alaska has never lost its allure and magic in my mind. Not even a little…

Let’s dive into the specifics and cover exactly why the interior regions of the state are so special.

Denali National Park: Wildlife & Iconic Landscapes

No story or piece covering Interior Alaska would be complete without focusing heavily on Denali National Park. Not only is Denali the highest peak in North America sitting at 20,310 feet above sea level, but this gargantuan mountain absolutely dominates the surrounding landscape. You can see it from hundreds of miles away and its sheer scale is something that cannot be effectively communicated with mere words and even images. Denali National Park is one of the crown jewels of North American nature photography flat and simple.

Home to rugged landscapes and a thriving intact ecosystem where wildlife still rules, Denali offers unparalleled opportunities for both wildlife and landscape photography. Moose wander the tundra, grizzly bears forage in open valleys, caribou migrate across vast plains, and wolves—if you’re lucky—appear as ghostly figures in the distance.

Photographically, Denali is a masterclass in scale. Subjects are often small against immense backdrops, making composition and storytelling just as important as technical skill.

Staying in Denali Village allows for prime access to the park and its surrounding viewpoints, while guided wildlife excursions position you in the best possible locations for ethical, impactful wildlife encounters. Every day here feels cinematic—soft light, moody weather, and dramatic terrain constantly reshaping the scene.

Talkeetna & the Alaska Range: Classic Alaska Vibes

Located due south and a little to the east of Denali national park sits the relatively small town of Talkeetna. Simply put, Talkeetna is pure Alaska. If you want the unaltered local experience, then this is the place to find it.

This historic village offers some of the most photogenic views of the Alaska Range anywhere in the state. When conditions align, Denali rises like a monolith above the surrounding peaks—especially magical during sunrise and sunset.

This portion of any Alaskan journey slows things down just enough to let you soak it all in. Riverbanks, panoramic viewpoints, and golden-hour mountain light create ideal conditions for classic landscape compositions and creative exploration.

Massive Glaciers – Up Close and Personal

Interior Alaska isn’t just about seeing glaciers from afar—you have the opportunity to walk alongside and maybe even on top them. And these glaciers aren’t just small fields of ice and snow like you might find further south. The glaciers of Alaska are on a whole other scale entirely! If you haven’t noticed already, scale, and specifically large subjects, are a theme in Alaska. They say “everything’s bigger in Texas” but if that’s true then everything is absolutely massive in Alaska!

One of the most scenic and impressive glaciers in the region is the iconic Matanuska Glacier. This glacier, the largest accessible by road in the United States, is a dynamic, ever-changing subject. Ice caves, deep crevasses, flowing textures, and towering seracs provide endless compositional opportunities.

Photographing a glacier at ground level allows you to focus on detail, scale, and abstract forms—contrasting beautifully with the grand aerial and mountain views earlier in the trip.

Prince William Sound: Marine Wildlife, Fjords & Ice

As if the terrestrial landscapes and subjects weren’t enough, Alaska also offers an entirely different type of environment and ecosystem. Perhaps they’re not truly interior, but there are many fjords, sounds, and inlets that bring the Pacific Ocean up close and personal with towering peaks and cliff faces. On the Backcountry Journeys ‘Interior Alaska’ workshop, we visit and explore one of the very best: Prince William Sound.

A boat-based photography tour through the sound opens the door to dramatic coastal scenery and thriving marine life. Glaciers spill into the sea, waterfalls cascade down steep fjord walls, and wildlife appears at every turn.

From humpback whales and sea lions to puffins, eagles, and even coastal bears, Prince William Sound is a wildlife photographer’s dream. The combination of icy blue water, towering glaciers, and dynamic subjects creates some of the most visually striking imagery in Alaska.

This day alone would be the highlight of most trips—and here, it’s just one chapter of a much bigger story.

The Aurora Borealis: Alaska After Dark

When night falls in interior Alaska, if all the conditions align, the show may just be getting started. There’s the very real possibility of photographing the Aurora Borealis—a bucket-list experience for photographers around the world.

Interior Alaska is hands-down one of the best places on earth to see and photograph the Aurora Borealis. With practically no light pollution, stunning locations at high latitudes, and fewer clouds and overcast conditions than the coast, the Northern Lights can be downright spectacular. Watching ribbons of green, purple, and pink light ripple across the sky above snow-covered mountains and spruce trees is something that stays with you forever.

With Fairbanks as both the starting and ending point for the BCJ ‘Interior Alaska’ trip, this workshop maximizes your chances of witnessing—and photographing—the Northern Lights in one of the best aurora zones on Earth.

Flying Over the Last Frontier: Bush Planes & Glacier Landings

There are photography moments… and then there are “I can’t believe this is real life” moments. As someone who absolutely loves flying in small aircraft and seeing the world from above, I am obsessed with the bush and float planes in Alaska. Not only are they often-times one of the only ways to get from one location to another but they are exciting and just downright awesome!

Few experiences rival the thrill of climbing into a small Alaskan bush plane and lifting off into an endless sea of mountains, icefields, and braided rivers. From the air, interior Alaska reveals patterns, textures, and scale that simply don’t exist from the ground.

During the BCJ ‘Interior Alaska’ workshop, you’ll take part in a flight-seeing adventure around Denali—culminating in a glacier landing. Touching down on a living, moving river of ice is a surreal experience, and photographing it from ground level after seeing it from the sky is something most photographers only dream about.

The combination of aerial perspectives, massive glaciers, and towering peaks creates a visual story that is uniquely Alaskan—and utterly unforgettable.

Interior Alaska with Backcountry Journeys—A True Alaskan Expedition

This 9-day / 8-night journey is designed to be immersive, intentional, and deeply rewarding. With a small group size (up to 5 guests), expert instruction, and carefully chosen locations, you’re never rushed—and never just “checking boxes.”

From wildlife-rich valleys and volcanic mountain ranges to glacier landings and icy fjords, every day builds on the last. You’ll come away not just with incredible images, but with a deeper understanding of Alaska’s ecosystems, light, and storytelling potential.

Trip Highlights at a Glance:

• Bush plane flight-seeing & glacier landing

• Denali National Park wildlife & landscapes

• Talkeetna & Alaska Range panoramas

• Matanuska Glacier exploration

• Prince William Sound marine wildlife boat tour

• Wrangell Mountains & Alaska Range vistas

• Northern Lights opportunities

• All guided by Backcountry Journeys’ expert photography team

Discover the Last Frontier for Yourself!

Interior Alaska is not a place you simply visit—it’s a place you experience with all your senses. The scale humbles you. The wildlife surprises you. The light changes you.

If you’ve ever dreamed of photographing glaciers from the air, bears beneath massive peaks, whales in icy fjords, and auroras dancing overhead, then book a ticket and set out on this adventure for yourself. Whether you want to join a guided photography workshop or figure out the details for yourself, you simply can’t go wrong in the Final Frontier!

The ‘Interior Alaska, Denali & Prince William Sound’ Photography Workshop is one of the most complete and adventurous nature photography experiences we offer, and spots are limited.

Come explore the soul of Alaska with us—and bring home images that tell a story as wild as the land itself.