9. Go wild in one of the country’s largest state parks.

The 495,000-acre Chugach State Park contains a whopping 155 peaks, a utopia for hiking and mountain biking, plus ice climbing come winter. Go deep with Greatland Adventures’ private, all-day hiking trips to the park, or take a kayaking excursion on Eklutna Lake with Lifetime Adventures. The best part? You can drive from the center of Anchorage to some of the park's trailheads in just 20 minutes.