Alaska, the largest state in the American Union, is extraordinary and extraordinarily hard to visit.

The USA's northernmost state is positively heaving with spectacular wilderness areas, but you'll need to embrace a spirit of adventure to visit some of them.

Fishermen Brian Mattson and Doug Corl snagged this whopping 180kg halibut while out fishing in southeast Alaska.

If a wilderness holiday in Alaska is out of your reach, Katmai National Park's Bearcam is the next best thing.

It's like a giant chunk of chalk tumbled out of the sky, shattering on to a sparkling, turquoise glass floor.

Most Alaskans and Canadians have a bear story - tales of fearsome grizzlies, even polar bears. But a mix of the two?

Winter temperatures hovering near zero make Alaska feel almost tropical, writes Stacia Glenn.

In a restaurant in Alaska, Paul Rush has a tussle with the King of Crabs - and wins.

More than 20 years after hearing a song, Nigel Richardson sees the frontier city that inspired it.

Getting up close and personal to a glacier is an unforgettable experience, writes Brett Atkinson.

Despite Alaska having made history last week as the third US state to legalise recreational weed, I can confidently report that I'm yet to catch a whiff there, writes Jack Tame.

Prepare to let your jaw drop as you take in this northern state's grand vistas.

Pamela Wade goes north to Alaska for a taste of tourist-oriented gold-rush era hospitality.

Enjoy snow-capped ranges, striking glaciers and exotic wildlife from the comfort of a carriage, writes Pamela Wade.

New cruise line's winning formula puts creatures before home comforts, write Anne Z Cooke and Steve Haggerty.

Sometimes there's nothing like a chilly holiday to leave you feeling invigorated.

Looking for an unusual place to lay your head on your next holiday? From a trailer park to a school, something on this list should take your fancy.

It's a tough life being an Alaskan sockeye salmon.

If the annual cheese roll in England or wife carrying competition in Finland is too boring for you, here are five very strange ones that might be worth visiting, even if it's just to tweet a pic from.

The northern lights can be seen on dark, clear nights when charged solar particles strike the upper atmosphere near the North Pole.

Paul Rush steps out for a late night rendezvous with the cosmos.

Paul Rush steps out for a late night rendezvous with the cosmos.

Strange things are seen and done in the 'Land of the Midnight Sun', writes Paul Rush.

A cruise ship is the perfect way to see Alaska, much of which is inaccessible by land - but keep an eye out for falling ice from glaciers, writes Jared Savage.

Every December the North Pole Post Office in Alaska, receives a two-metre-high stack of mail daily.

Teaching youngsters to endure pain was once a necessary part of an upbringing designed to help them survive the harsh Arctic elements, writes Roger Hall.