Alaska's 8 National Parks: An Adventure in the State of Eight [Full Documentary]

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

If you want to see some photos from the trip, check out my photo gallery featuring photos from all 8 national parks: www.alexyn.com/photo-collections/alaska

[@John3.36]

Edit out the cussing, it was so trashy. Otherwise good documentary.

[@e.mma0]

That straight up felt like a documentary that I would watch on Netflix. SO well done!!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

That is such an awesome nice thing to say! I really appreciate that! I love seeing people enjoy this.

[@vanguardist]

As a media guy, I appreciate good production values. A multitude of cameras, nice music, graphics, and the voice over work is just right.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks! Put a ton of effort into it, glad people like it. Excited to show my kids one day that there dad wasn’t always lame.

[@Kellymightbedancing]

This video deserves way more views. I always film my travels to create artsy videos, and sometimes i vlog as well. I am traveling to alaska this coming summer, and this is making me soooooooooo excited!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Kelly, that was one of the nicest comments I’ve ever read online! Thanks and hope you enjoy Alaska!

[@Kellymightbedancing]

i just read that you have your itineraries. could you send them to me? [e-mail]

[@larrystrick1862]

@@Kellymightbedancing Plan itineraries around weather if possible.

[@troyottosen8722]

@@larrystrick1862 Try planning your Alaska itinerary around our Alaska weather? Good luck! Hilarious!🤣🤣😳

[@tannster04]

This is a well professional vid. It really does deserve all more views.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks! Just glad anyone watched it, I'm pretty stoked it got views from anyone outside my family lol

[@MePiertha]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo have you considered changing the thumbnail picture?

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

No, think I should? What would work best?

[@toastcrunchisbest1731]

Don’t judge just watch

[@tatmanhbui162]

Ly5

[@DavidRaji]

This is the best video on youtube

[@Rjxmd]

It really is

[@stellakim8024]

I agree

[@Arcticos0]

Great, high quality video. I was born in SoCal and have lived in Chicago, Virginia, and now am stationed in the Middle East. I miss the mountains and I dream of Alaska, thank you for putting together this amazing video

[@jimgreen3966]

RcoasterA, the term for pieces of the glacier coming off is CAV-ing (same as a mama cow having her calf), rather than CAL-ving. The little town next to Gates of the Arctic is ann-ack-TWO-vuck, rather than anna-TWO-vick (Anaktuvuk Pass) At 9:00, what you saw was a snowshoe hare, rather than a shoehorn hare. Denali is not the highest mtn. on earth, only highest in N. America, as 20,310 feet; Everest is 29,028 feet. The thing that makes Denali stand out is that it pops up out of a plain only about 2000 feet in elevation, whereas Everest is surrounded by peaks in excess of 15,000 feet. Kenai Fjords is pronounced KEEN-eye, rather than k'NYE, and the bay and glacier you kayaked in and to is Aialik = eye-AL-ick, rather than EYE-lick. The town you stopped in on the way to Kobuk Valley is Kotzebue = COTS-eh-bew (26 miles N of the Arctic Circle; syllable 3 rhymes with 'few'), but '-boo' is pretty close. The next one is Katmai, which is pronounced CAT-my, rather than CAT-may. Wrangell-St. Elias is nearly 6 times the size of Yellowstone. Great yodeling! : ))) Did any of you, like I did, stop to think how amazing it is that these 8 parks are in the same country as New York City (crowded), Orlando (Theme Park City), Tucson (hot desert) and Honolulu (tropical)? The variety in this country is mind-boggling. The foreign visitors who come here and spend their entire time in a large city miss so much. I agree with a comment below that this video should have FAR more viewers. Thanks very much.

[@metarus208]

Simply one of the greatest documentaries about national parks! And you guys are not even from NatGeo!

[@stellakim8024]

I know it’s way later than when you posted this but I’ve been searching KZbin for a long time because I’m planning to visit all 8 national parks in Alaska next year and I needed all the resources as much as possible and your the only one that I could find that covered all 8 parks. It’s such an awesome video! Thank you very very much for posting such an wonderful video.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

So glad it helped! Thanks so much for the kind words! Amazing how this video keeps chugging along.

[@od628]

This is how travel videos should be. Exquisite work! My wife and I are going to Alaska next year and this gets me pumped! Great job! Your efforts are still paying off four years later.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

That’s so kind to say, thanks so much! Enjoy Alaska!

[@outdoorsweetheart]

This is the best video on Alaska I seen. I was myself excited along when you all were running to see bear sight. That tells how good this video was for me every seconds.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

What a really nice thing to say! I showed my wife this (she’s the giddy girl) and she blushed and laughed. Thanks!

[@c2muchtv]

Thank you for such a great look at the parks in Alaska. We have completed 35 of the 61 so far. Stay Safe and safe travels.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Nice!!! What’s been your favorite park so far?

[@c2muchtv]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo My sons favorite so far is Zion, Utah. Mine was Black Canyon Of The Gunnison, Colorado. All of them have had their own awesomeness.

[@valsunshine4742]

Wow thank you for putting your heart into this and sharing this with the world! I have learned so much about Alaska!! Such an amazing video

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks!!! Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for such a thoughtful comment!

[@AbhiAnand-vn4rq]

This is amazing! Well done. Would love to visit one day

[@staceydavis867]

Wonderful job Alex! You are very talented! I thoroughly enjoyed this and need to visit all 8 of Alaska's National Parks as well. Can't wait to see your Antarctica one! Cheers!

[@jeffmorris993]

Hello, I’m in Denali national park today ( 8/31/19 ) and did visit Lake clark, Wrangell St Elias and Katmai. All great parks and all different. Lake Clark & Katmai you fly into on float planes. Lake Clark is seeing bears from a small tour boat with a very knowledgeable guide as you tour around the shore of Crescent Lake. We did see bears from the boat and the scenery is beautiful. Katmai national park is entirely a different way to experience and see bears...up close. You walk in the bears home...at times on the same trails the bears use. Katmai is a closeup up way to see bears. Brooks Falls is the place to go to see & photograph bears. Definitely a must see & experience national park. Wrangell is not easy to get to...drive the 60 mile gravel McCarthy road or fly into...I drove the road. The Root Glacier hike is amazing & the glacier and mountain views are stunning. Also take the Kennicott Copper company ‘Mill’ tour! If I had to list the parks in order I would put Wrangell St Elias 1st, Katmai 2nd & Lake Clark 3rd... but they are all great places to visit.🐻 the parks I would put Wrangell 1st, Katmai right behind and then Lake Clark.

[@gang1574]

Hi would you like to share your itinerary?

[@jeffmorris993]

@@gang1574 This trip was entirely a road trip driving from Northern Vermont to Alaska and then returning home through Canada. For the Alaska part I had big help from Viking Travel in Petersburg AK which who made All the AK reservations and connections for me. Itinerary was VT to Bellingham WA for the ferry. I got off in Juneau, flight to Glacier Bay for 2 days and then ferry back to Juneau. Another ferry to Haines AK. Overnight in Palmer AK and then on to Seward for Kenai Fjords. After Seward 3 days in Anchorage with all day flight trips to Lake Clark and then Katmai. Then 2 days in Wrangell St Elias at Kennicott Glacier Lodge. Then on to Denali for 2 days. After Denali I started heading back east through Tok and then into Canada for 8 days of driving back to VT.

[@gang1574]

@@jeffmorris993 Thank you very much! I feel the most difficult part for planning the trip is booking hotels/lodges and transportation connections. I will contact Viking. How did they charge this?

[@jeffmorris993]

@@gang1574 once all travel arrangements were acceptable to me I told Viking Travel to go ahead and make the reservations. At that time a deposit was required and paid. After All reservations and travel arrangements were made And confirmed the balance was due before the trip actually started. I Strongly recommend getting travel insurance Before the balance of the trip is paid for.

[@gang1574]

@@jeffmorris993 Thank you again!

[@chandanipatel4097]

insanely awesome video! And your google drive itineraries are so helpful! Hopefully we'll be able to visit all 8 as well

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks and best of luck to you!

[@joshuarogers8466]

What an awesome video, I really liked the cool facts about the parks dotted around the video. Well done. 👏👏👏

[@Matt-qq2dd]

Great video! Some of your pronunciations made me smile, i enjoyed it!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks Matt! I definitely have learned from this I gotta work on some pronunciations, stepping up my research next time. I meant well lol

[@TheWizomaniac]

What an awesome, comprehensive and informative video! Super helpful for trip planning! Would love more info on your time in Gates of the Arctic, such as what you were able to see and do in your one day there and how you did it, where you stayed etc. I want to add Gates to my itinerary but am not prepared or experienced enough for backcountry camping.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thank you! If are looking to add Gates of the Arctic but not looking for a prolonged stay, there are a few ways to about it. You can take a flight in from Bettles Alaska, or charter a trip into Anatuvek Pass like we did and stay as long as you’d like. Getting into the park from Anatuvek is as simple as walking to the end of town and going in any direction you want to enter the park. It’s not going to be cheap, but if you have the time, energy, and funds, you could make it happen without back country overnights.

[@willneverrememberit1]

Awesome video. We went to six of the parks in June 2018. We probably crossed paths somewhere. Last two Katmia and Glacier Bay coming this June.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

That’s awesome! Those are easy to get to compared to Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley. Visiting 6 in one go must have been a whirlwind. Wouldn’t be surprised if we crossed paths, small world. Enjoy the last 2!

[@jeffmorris993]

Great experience & video. I'm driving from Vermont to Alaska ( Alaska marine highway from Bellingham to Haines ) in August 2019. I'm visiting 6 parks...not visiting Gates of the Arctic & Kobuk Valley this trip but getting to the other 6 national parks. I'm definitely going to check out the walkway on the railway bridge on my way to Kennicott Glacier Lodge.!!

[@metarus208]

Please let us know how it goes. I am really interested to know how to Lake Clark, Wrangell and Katmai

[@AdventurousWay]

Wow, that was an amazing video! After learning video editing and editing our videos for the last year, I can really appreciate your video - it is so good! How long did it take you to edit it? The animations were great too!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Adventurous Way thanks! It took a while and because we did the trip over a period of a a year, I got started on the first part before returning. I’d say hundreds of hours went into editing it, but I enjoyed it!

[@OurNationalAdventure]

Fantastic video and adventure!

[@coloradoretreats]

LOL the fake train at 8:50

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Haha the Fairbanks train station had a model train there. Who needs a drone with a model like that for aerial footage

[@ericrudy]

Congrats on the beautiful video

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks! Really appreciate that

[@jeffcore7631]

Very well done, actually fantastic!

[@interestinglyenough7601]

This was SO awesome.

[@lovelylyssette]

Such a cool and detailed video

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks so much! Glad you liked it

[@JasonFiske]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

That’s super kind to say, thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@alexmorgan2955]

I think if u aren’t interested in Alaska u won’t see this video I stumbled with this checking out Alaska what to see do when this covid19 passes that’s why this video didn’t get enough viewers it’s a good video educational about all park in Alaska and it’s like done by professionals kind of video u see on National Geographic nicely done guys a well put together

[@metarus208]

awesome Alex

[@AnujGuruacharya]

Good video, certainly one of the best Alaska travel vlogs

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks! Really appreciate that.

[@martinime30]

Awesome video. 🤩

[@claytonhowell998]

Awesome video!! Is there anyway you could share your itinerary for your days in Katmai and Kenai Fjords? If so that would be great!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks and you bet! What’s your email? I’ll send it over.

[@claytonhowell998]

[e-mail] thank you so much!

[@edwardmiller6353]

Great video! Thanks!

[@r4ym1n13]

Which park was your favorite ? Awesome video. Thanks for the itenirary to help people plan their trip

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks! Probably a toss up between Katmai and Wrangalls, but they are all soo big that we only scratched the surface.

[@edwardw7571]

Love this video! My wife and I are visiting this summer and this video got us superhyped. Do you have recommendations on what camera to bring? We've only used our phones on vacation but would like to upgrade to a real camera for this trip. Thanks!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

We brought with us 3 cameras: A Canon Rebel T4i, and a Canon Mark 2 7D (Both SLRs) and a go pro Hero 3. I'm not saying you should use those, I think it's really up to you and how you best want to capture the memories. We obviously went with the idea of making a video because we love making videos, and took a ton of pictures (I have over a thousand) and use them for prints around my house. If there was ever a time to invest in getting a good camera and some lessons on photography before going, this would be the trip to do that though! Good luck and enjoy!!!

[@kellykrueger178]

Surfing for ideas as I am going on my 2 week AK trip this summer to hit several of the parks (lived there 7 years - but never went to ONE of the national parks!). Can I ask, what editing program did you use to put this video together? I do similar with some of my video / pics as friends and family love watching videos over looking at a photo book. However, your finished product is much nicer than mine! Tell me what to use to "step up" my game! Thanks!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Hey really appreciate that and sounds like you are going to have a blast this summer! I primarily used Adobe Premiere Pro, but also used Adobe after effects (for the intro and some transitions) as well as Adobe illustrator and Photoshop to create the vector arts. I used Adobe Audition to record my narration. So I’m short, Adobe, in long, Premiere (editing) After Effects (SFX), Illustrator (Vectors), Photoshop (Photos), and Audition (Audio). I also got my music and sound effects licensed if I didn’t make them myself. Man I’m exhausted writing all that, but I find it fun to put it all together.

[@kellykrueger178]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo Thanks so much for the response. You made sure my homework was cut out for me. I will get to studying!

[@eslnoob191]

After watching this video, here's how I feel about visiting Alaska's 8 national parks. Obviously I'd like to visit them all if I could, but this is how I rank my interest in going: Denali - definite yes. The mountain and surrounding landscape are absolutely incredible. No wonder it is one of America's oldest national parks. Gates of the Arctic - definite yes. Pure, untamed and rugged wilderness at the top of the world. Going there at all would essentially be an expedition. Glacier Bay or Kenai Fjords - maybe/probably yes. I put these two together because they seem to offer very similar sights with glaciers meeting the ocean. I'd probably go for Glacier Bay, though, if I had to pick just one. Wrangell-St. Elias - maybe yes. I loved the part of the video where you all were exploring the glaciers. It seems like a pretty extreme trip to get there, though. Katmai - maybe no. The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes certainly was surprising to see. I've been to plenty of parks featuring impressive canyons and eroded landscapes, though, so I'm not sure I would feel inspired enough to get out to such a remote place. Lake Clark - probably no. Honestly, it seems like a pretty underwhelming park to me. Yes, there's a beautiful lake surrounded by beautiful mountains and rugged terrain, but that started to seem commonplace after seeing all those peaks all across Alaska. Kobuk - probably no. In all honesty, it seems like an immense effort to reach an empty place where there's not much to see. I think Kobuk is one of those places where you go for the wildlife. I have read that it's an important area for migrating caribou, and I'm sure that witnessing that would be incredible. But, besides that, it doesn't seem worth it to essentially go on an expedition to such a remote and empty place, especially when Kobuk is compared to all the other places you could go in Alaska. I mean, even getting to see the Aleutian Islands seems a lot more impressive to me, personally. Feel free to agree or disagree! This is just my own opinion and based on my personal preferences! Wonderful video, by the way. I'd give it a hundred thumbs up if I could.

[@yourfriendlyneighborhoodsm4708]

Maybe no for Katmai? But... the bears 🐻

[@JohnJohnson-kg4ek]

I want to go to Katmai just for the bears

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

My wife (the blonde in the video) just said “this guy gets it, they need to be my friend” lol

[@JohnJohnson-kg4ek]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo Bears are my favorite animal!!

[@lauramoore6785]

i would say that the kenai actually needs to be further up on your list :) it's the most beautiful place i've ever gone. especially if you go through towns like seward to see it. so many beautiful hikes too.

[@GarryReyom]

Why doesn’t this have more views

[@pattiwalker9702]

Wanted to say how great this is - both photographic and knowledge based. Since I can't travel for awhile because of COVID-19, me and my friend have decide our next trip will be Alaska national parks. We have plenty of time for the planning and yours was the first video I found that rates a shout out (and worth saving to watch again and again)! I'm curious, what was the card game the three of you were playing on the train around Denali (around 11:43 time)? Thank you!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Hey thanks so much! I think the game we’re playing was Dutch blitz, but I can’t remember for sure to be honest... pretty sure it was Dutch blitz though

[@m.6343]

This is the way I love to explore Alaska or any other place. I did not have the opportunity to go this way and I took the cruise ship. I went with Cruise ship to Alaska and what I saw was not enough for me. Don't go with cruise ship to waste your time and your money. Try to explore your own way cause you will see more and enjoy more. Cruises just suck your money and demand more and more of you with their advertisement. Love your video. 😊

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks! I think for some, cruise ships might be the only way to experience this, but otherwise I think seeing it on your own is def the way to go

[@funkysnarf]

I was a guide at kayak adventures worldwide the season after you did the aialik trip! It's such an amazing place! Do you by chance remember who your guide was for the aialik trip?!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Hey that’s awesome! Luckily the shorter girl in the video kept great notes about the whole trip. Her name was Taylor, and she was great!

[@troyottosen8722]

Funky, I have been lucky to “work out on the Kenai Fjords waters daily” on a tour boat, including Aialik bay almost daily! On a clear day, hard to top anywhere! This is from a forty two years in Alaska guide.😉👍

[@daveweaver-soloadventures5589]

Awesome video! I realize this was 2 separate trips but how long in total were you in Alaska to visit all the parks?

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Hey Dave, thanks for comment! In all, if you include travel (we went from Virginia) it took 22 days (about 11 days each time up). I actually have very details travel itineraries I made that I have on google docs. If you are interested send me a message and I’d be glad to share.

[@daveweaver-soloadventures5589]

I can just try and figure it out from your video

[@courtneycouey8887]

Great video! About how much money per person did you guys spend?

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks! And good question. All in for both years you are probably looking at around $3500+ per person, but it's been a while and I don't recall specifically the number.

[@tahirrazzaq9494]

I loved this video and really enjoyed the narration and commentary. To each their own but I don't feel like 1 day in each park is enough. It felt more like a bucket list for you guys, which is awesome. but there's so much more to see and do in Alaska you can spend a lifetime there. We just spent 8 days in the Kenai Peninsula and I felt like that even that wasn't enough to see all the cool places but yeah definitely enjoyed this video! I LOL'd at the pilot on his phone for the Kobuk NP flight. Did you guys say anything? I wouldn't feel safe knowing pilots are on their phones.

[@dwighthires3163]

I loved this vid. What a great adventure even if it took 2 years and you only had 22 days to do it! You two couples are amazing. So sorry about your experience with GOTA. You mentioned a walking bridge under one of the trellised bridges on the road to MaCarthy. Can you please give me details of how to find this bride and the walking bridge access?

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

The bridge is on mile marker 17 (I just looked it up) of McCarthy road, called The Kuskulana Bridge. If you are heading towards McCarthy, pull over on the pull off after you go over the bridge, then walk back under the bridge. You’ll need a bit of a boost to get up the walkway, but it’s worth it! They also mention the bridge on the free CD the National Park service gives out while driving the road, you can get that at the ranger station before heading into McCarthy Road, it talks about the history of the bridge and how to get on the walkway. Hope that helps! Enjoy!

[@dwighthires3163]

thank you so much for the answer. You went the extra mile for me and I appreciate it. the news about the park CD was a bonus. Thank you @@AlexynPhotoVideo

[@citydroneimages]

Great video! Planning my Alaska trip now! Just curious - what rental company allowed you to drive on the McCarthy Road? I'm having a hard time finding one!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

I used a typical rental car place out of the anchorage airport (I just looked at my notes, and it appears to be Hertz). The road was not on it’s banned list of roads at the time. The road is a pain mostly early in the season after the road gets grated. After that, if you drive slow, you’ll be ok. It’s got a horrible reputation but isn’t as bad as it’s been in the past. If it would helpful, I can share a google drive link to our itinerary! Let me know, would be glad to.

[@citydroneimages]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo That would be awesome! Thanks!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Just added links to the profile of the video in the details. hope they are helpful!

[@vanguardist]

Could I ask you to share some info on the cameras and lenses and other gear you had? I’m going to Alaska in June 2020 and will want to record video, aside from my usual travel photography.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Sure! I used a mix of a few cameras, nothing crazy high end. A Canon 7D Mark II, a canon rebel t4i, a go pro 4, and an iPhone 7. We pretty much just filmed with what we had. I used multiple canon zoom lenses, a nifty 50, and rented a Signma 600mm lens. I took tons of pictures too that I have blown up on metal prints throughout my house, I’d high recommend a polarizing filter if you go. I just got an upgraded camera with 4K that I can’t wait to try for my next adventure. Hope you enjoy your trip!!! Message me if you have any specific questions, still have a ton of google docs saved with our itineraries and contacts.

[@frawldog]

Amazing

[@keeleroykim]

Did you hire any tour companies to visit all 8 national park in Alaska? We are planning to stay a month in Alaska this year

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Hey Kee, Great question! We did not, however I uploaded an itinerary and have it linked in the description that gives info on where we booked what from. It could help you out. Good luck and enjoy!

[@keeleroykim]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo would you email the link to my email address? Mine is [e-mail] Thanks

[@troyottosen8722]

What’s amazing is there are 9 thumbs down🤪I am a longtime Alaskan resident, I have determined that when you get thumbs down on Alaska vids, it’s either people who have never really seen true Alaska, or jealous ones who have never been up here. Simply, no place compares to Alaska except a few areas of northern coastal British Columbia and the Yukon, bothe next door to AK.😉👍

[@AFShing3]

Sorry I’m late but how much did this all cost

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

That’s a great question! We booked everything ourselves and I’d have to go back and check the exact amount, but between lodging and flights and ext, probably around 7500 a person I would guess is what we spent for the whole thing.

[@Hamadeen]

Like, approximately, How much did these trips cost I wanna do something like this one day and I wanna know how much do I need to save to do this. Thx in advance

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Hey! Check out the google drive here: docs.google.com/document/d/1GZR2iCr8ECL9-o8UX3efCciVnLGlTRc5uUEt2cem9Og/edit

[@Hamadeen]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo First of all, thank you for the really quick reply. Second of all, are the overall number (11000$) for you and your wife or just you or for all four of you guys Finally, thank you for sharing your incredible trip. This has motivated me beyond belief and is probably gonna be a video I will come back to in a decade or two (make sure not to delete it by then!!!) and confidently say that it was life changing.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

To be honest I can’t fully remember… it has the names of most places I got the stuff from, so it might be worth spot checking. So glad this inspired you! Best of luck in the future!

[@travisakin2638]

How did you find your flight to the Gates of the Arctic National Park? I’m interested in taking a trip up there for an epic backpacking trip but not sure where to begin.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

It depends how you are looking to get to the park. We flew into Anatuvuk Pass from Fairbanks, a small native village in the park that is only accessible by plans, which is in the center of the park. You can also charter flights to drop you off at certain points in the park. There are other small towns, like Bettles, that you can fly into. My best advice is to call around a bunch of places and charter a flight yourself if you can.

[@campbellj20]

You could also drive to Coldfoot and fly Coyote air from there.

[@jimgreen5788]

RcoasterA, beautiful video of a beautiful state. May I point out that, at around 5:00 into the video, you stated that Gates is the least visited in AK? As you can see by the attached list, it's #6 of the 8: Gates of the Arctic 11,000 annual visitors; Lake Clark 10,000; Kobuk Valley 3000--least visited of the total 62. I'm certain you found no polar bears, as they're strictly coastal animals. Shoehorn hares are actually horseshoe rabbits, and ptarmigans are TAR-mig-uns, rather than TAR-midge-uns. Denali is the highest mtn. in N. America; Everest is the highest on earth. However, the latter is surrounded by many mountains almost as tall, whereas Denali is alone, and juts out of surrounding land only several thousand feet above sea level. So, in many ways it's much more impressive. kuh-NYE N.P. is actually KEEN-eye (Kenai), Aialik Bay is eye-AL-ick, rather than EYE-lick, Kotzebue is COT-suh-bew (rhyming with 'few'), Katmai is CAT-my, rather than CAT-may.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Hey Jim, Thanks for the notes, and some fair feedback, but a couple things. Gates of the Arctic is listed as having more visitors officially than Kobuk valley, however when we spoke to the rangers, the way they count them relies on a lot of traffic from the Dalton Highway who basically just brush into it, but that those that actually venture into the park are only a a fraction of that, which they said made it the least visited. This was also in 2017 for what it’s worth. Regarding Denali, your right that Everest is technically the tallest mountain when measured by elevation, but Denali starts at a lower elevation and actually rises more feet from its base than Everest. Tried to explain that by saying “tallest mountain base to tip” but probably could have done a better job. You are totally right about the pronunciations. I pretty much just read all the research so never heard them pronounced. I honestly didn’t think more than a dozen people would ever watch this video, so it’s def something I’ll keep in mind next time just in case another video gets 20K plus views. I probably would have done some things different in hindsight if I would have known this would get so popular. Hopefully despite all that you enjoyed it!

[@jimgreen5788]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo , I did. Thanks!

[@od628]

Thanks!

[@thepretzel2]

Why didnt you try booking travel to Kobuk when you visited GOTA?

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Great question! It’s something we did try to do when planning early on, but at the time there weren’t many options that allowed that. To land via plane in GOA, pretty much any kind of small plane could land on the gravel airport strip in Anatuvek, but To get to Kobuk, we needed a special kind of plane that could land on the sand dunes, and we only found those being offered from 2 places, one of those being Kotzebue. However if you have a good way to get to both, please share, by no means did we go the only routes possible.

[@thepretzel2]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo From researching a trip to GOTA and KV, I did see the Bettles Lodge offers plane rides into both. Although, the prices for that are prohibitively expensive. Every package they offer to go into the parks is over 1 grand. Sorry for all the edits, this would hopefully be the last one: You can get info about Bettles Lodge either at their or by email. The site is bettleslodge.com/ and their email is [e-mail]/

[@N30N_907]

Did you know 7 of the 8 national parks are in the top 10 largest national parks the one left of is Kenai fjords

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Interesting fact! Did not know that!

[@AbdulRahimGreen]

Mt Denali the largest mountain on earth? Isnt that Mt. Everest? Or is Everest just the highest above sea level?

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Great question! Everest is higher above sea level, but it’s base also starts higher. Denali from Base to tip is taller, but starts at a lower elevation. Hope that helps!

[@toastcrunchisbest1731]

Witch was your favorite?

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Probably either Katmai or Wrangell St. Elias, although truthfully all were amazing in their own way

[@toastcrunchisbest1731]

The only one I haven’t gone to is gates of arctic and I’m so exited 🤗🤩

[@larrystrick1862]

At 15:20 I went into a dream state.

[@kimteacolney8067]

Yes.. zinchak👍👍

[@jamesmccue7021]

Sounded like you're gunning for Mike Rowe's narrator job

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Me and my 100 views are taking down that media mogul.

[@derekwilliams2429]

Road to Rechah.

[@fbksfrank4]

Termination dust.

[@myname5271]

It is Denali not Mt Denali

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Interesting, did not know that! Thanks for sharing.

[@oneroomschool6043]

Wanted to show to my students. Not with language. Too bad.

[@generalhades4518]

just one more reason to knuckle down so i can afford to visit the last wild lands

[@jordan9503]

i know its not a national park but the tongass should of been included

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

The first place in the video we went to was Mendenhall Galcier, which is part of Tongass, so it made the cut 😀

[@jordan9503]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo nice ! its sad that the tongass and chugach national forest don't get the same attention just because there not parks .

[@joeyindahl2593]

It definitely needs to be

[@justinho8063]

Dang no views no subscribers

[@Jules3855]

Good documentary but thumping music louder than voices. Cut the bass. Had to use subtitles. Turned off at 10 mins.

[@martinjones6348]

lmaooo @8:10

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Haha I had to call my wife in to say someone finally caught her slipping. We laughed pretty hard. Good eye

[@reeenzdyt4458]

This is TV show stuff

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Thanks! Not quite but appreciate it! Def has more people watch it than I expected

[@jeremykaleschenkoikov6993]

The women are absolutely beautiful, blue eyed beauty’s

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Wait till I show em this comment! ❤️

[@GarryReyom]

Dude you look like me

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Probably why I don’t have more views. Double self burn? J/K thanks for watching!

[@marktaylor136]

good video, not found of the foul language!

[@mikefingbond3888]

It's pronounced KEE-Nigh

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Your totally right. I wish I can go back and redo it!

[@alinashrestha6115]

Ever heard of Mount Everest the tallest mountain on earth.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Everest has Highest elevation, not tallest mountain from base to tip. It starts at a much higher elevation though. Def no slouch though!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Here’s a link explaining it: futurism.com/mckinleydenali-the-tallest-land-based-mountain-on-earth-yes-taller-than-even-everest

[@willshumway1627]

Ugggggh! Love the video, but your pronunciation of ptarmigans leaves much to be desired!

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Fair lol.

[@leesamichelle1796]

You only spent a couple hours in Gates of the Artic? Seems like spending so much money, and getting to one of the most remote parks in the world, and only spending a few hours is sad. :( Just surprised. I've never seen anyone do that. Most people spend a few days minimum to a few weeks.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Yea it was kind of an unfortunate scenario. We had planned to spend considerably longer and had a guide, but they cancelled when we got to Fairbanks. I didn’t show it in the video, but we actually spent a few nights in Fairbanks because we were supposed to be in GOTA at the time. We pretty much got frustrated and were like “we came this far, we have to see this place!” so even the plane ride over to the park flew low and over the park. I definitely would love to go back and camp/hike around there for days, but we just did the best with what we could do. I think what did us in, and why it got cancelled was because it was right before end of season and winter crept up fast.

[@leesamichelle1796]

@@AlexynPhotoVideo Oh wow. I would have been so heartbroken. But you did the right thing. I'm sure so much work went into planning all that! I would have gone for just a couple hours then too!!! Sorry that happened to you! Great video though! Amazing experiences!!

[@lostwildfree3492]

How did yall do all that research and STILL mispronounce Kenai, Katmai, mislabeled Denali and a bunch of other examples. You also barely step foot in each park, so congrats on feeling cool and blowing money but as far as learning anything of value, it seems lost on yall. But hey, at least you got pretty footage lmao

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Not sure if you were legit wondering or just wanted to throw some grievance, but I edited the video, and know, several years later, that some words were mid-pronounced. This video ended up way more popular than I would have thought, and just made it for fun, and haven’t earned a penny from it. Doing all my research without audio (books, travel guides, web) was the reason for the mispronunciations. Sorry if those offended you. All the best.

[@wallacethomas9844]

This is a great video, but every name is (comically) mispronounced. Doesn’t really detract, but it tells the Alaska viewer immediately that they are Cheechakos. Oh well, I was once. It’s not Kat-May, it’s Kat-My. Confession, I was busted last weekend in McCarthy for calling Donoho Peak Dono-Who. Oh well. Another 35 years and I’ll get it locked down.

[@AlexynPhotoVideo]

Guilty as charged