Alaska Recreational Activities

Alaska is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and you’ll want to take full advantage of your time there. Although you’ll be hard at work, the long daylight hours seem to give most people an extra boost of energy. There is plenty to do besides hanging out at your quarters. Alaska towns may seem small compared to the urban life you’re accustomed to back home, but in the summer they come alive with workers and travelers from around the world. In addition to your walkman and personal library, you’ll want to pack along hiking boots, binoculars, a fishing pole, or any other sports equipment that might come in handy.

One Alaska summer worker found that his job interests carried over to his recreational interests:

“I could not believe how many salmon were in the rivers. It was a sport fisherman’s dream. I was in heaven!”

Every town in Alaska is surrounded by spectacular wilderness, often complete with hiking trails, small lakes, dirt roads for mountain biking, and remote forest service cabins for rent by the night. Softball leagues and barbecues are popular forms of social activity, not to mention the bars.

Also, because each region peaks at a different time, it’s common for fisheries workers to follow the migrations in search of employment. This is a great way to combine work with travel. Many job seekers head north a month before the season begins in order to do some exploring. Likewise, it’s possible to finish working in late July or August, then take the long way home in order to see the sights.

Another worker found that work and recreation are not mutually exclusive:

“After two months on a trawler I spent three weeks hiking and camping in Denali, and still put away almost $8,000 when I got home.”

Refer back to the section on traveling to Alaska for more information on recreational travel. We suggest you bring a good guidebook if you plan on doing any travel during your time off. You might also check out Alaska’s Official Travel website.