Seward offers big nature and bigger adventures, with calving glaciers and seabirds as the soundtrack. Sail Kenai Fjords National Park for waterspouts, tailfins, epic icefields, and tufted puffins on shale cliffs. Hike past glacial waterfalls, tackle the Harding Icefield trail or the easier Exit Glacier loop, and take in stunning views of Resurrection Bay's deep glacial waters and towering cliffs.

Alaska's Hoonah Island is an epic land of humpback whales, bountiful bears and legends of the indigenous Tlingit told for thousands of years. A rugged paradise big on nature, you can kayak the coast, hike the Tongass National Forest, flight-see Glacier Bay and eye the waves for pods of orca and sea lions on scenic sailings. Cook up a feast with coho salmon or king, snow and Dungeness crab, and take in an eagle's-eye-view of the world while ziplining over the forested slopes of Mount Hoonah.

Rush into Skagway to discover the Yukon and Klondike goldfields, a tiny frontier town at the base of the Coastal Mountains. Meet sled dogs, learn to lead with "mush," and pan for history at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. Hike the Chilkoot Trail, bike a rainforest path along the Taiya River, and ride a gold-rush-era narrow-gauge railroad on the White Pass and Yukon Route. See bald eagles, brown bears, and a rich history that includes Wyatt Earp.

This lesser-traveled wonder embodies the Last Frontier: vast terrain, few crowds, and wild nature. At Anan Bear & Wildlife Observatory, brown and black bears feast on pink salmon for a few frenetic weeks each year. From town, walk to Rainbow Falls, jet boat the Stikine River, and watch Bald Eagles ride currents above glaciers and jagged peaks. Then ponder 3,000-year-old Tlingit petroglyphs at Petroglyph Beach.

Vancouver, surrounded by mountains and the ocean, is a vibrant haven for outdoor lovers and cosmopolitan travelers. Its neighborhoods-Stanley Park, the West End, Gastown, Yaletown, and Chinatown-blend scenic pathways with rich arts, food, and culture. Famous as a filming location, it offers old-growth cedar forests, dramatic landscapes, and abundant wildlife: a big city perched on the edge of wilderness.