United States, North America

Alaska in August

Tundra turns gold and red, bugs fade, and from late month the aurora returns to dark skies. A superb month that quietly starts the wind-down.

BestMild, highs near 63F (17C), rainier on the coast

Snow and ice on Denali, Alaska — AlaskaPhoto: Rickmouser45, CC BY-SA 4.0

The straight answer

August is one of the best months of the year to visit Alaska. Tundra turns gold and red, bugs fade, and from late month the aurora returns to dark skies. A superb month that quietly starts the wind-down.

Weather: Mild, highs near 63F (17C), rainier on the coast
Crowds: 4 of 5
Prices: 4 of 5

What August is like in Alaska

August is mild, with highs near 63F (17C), but rainier on the coast. The tundra turns gold and red, bugs fade, and from late in the month the aurora returns to dark skies. Salmon runs continue and wildlife is still active. Crowds and prices ease from July, and the season quietly starts to wind down.

This is a superb month for families, photographers, and anyone who dislikes mosquitoes. Late August into early September is one of the best value windows of the year. Pack for rain on the coast. If you want the midnight sun, June is better.

Make the most of August

What is especially good about Alaska this month.

Fall color on the tundra

Late August turns Denali's tundra gold and red. It is one of the prettiest times to ride the park bus.

Aurora returns

From late in the month, dark skies return to Fairbanks and the Interior, bringing the first northern lights.

Fewer bugs

Mosquitoes fade, making hikes much more pleasant.

What to pack for August

A waterproof jacket and pants
Warm layers for cool nights
Waterproof hiking boots
A camera for fall color

Our timing tip

Aim for the last week of August for fall color, returning aurora, and shoulder prices before Denali's buses stop in mid September.

Book Alaska for August.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Alaska
Opens a hotel search for Alaska in August, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for August
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Alaska
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Alaska
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Alaska for August. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in August

Salmon runs and peak bear viewing

June through September, peaking in July

The salmon surge is the engine of the whole ecosystem, and July at Brooks Falls is its most famous image.

Things to do in Alaska

Full guide

Denali National Park

Private cars are barred beyond the road's first stretch; park transit and tour buses run roughly late May to mid September, and that is the season. Book buses and nearby lodging early.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Kenai Fjords glacier-and-whale cruise from Seward

Day boats run roughly May through September to calving tidewater glaciers, with whales, otters, and puffins en route. Dress for 20 degrees colder than Anchorage.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Bear viewing at Brooks Falls or Lake Clark

Fly-in day trips put you at close, managed range from wild brown bears. July is the famous salmon-run peak at Brooks Falls; book far ahead.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

The Alaska Railroad

The Anchorage-to-Denali and Anchorage-to-Seward runs are two of the world's great train rides, operating on a summer-heavy schedule with limited winter service.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

An Inside Passage cruise

Glacier Bay, whales, and roadless towns like Juneau and Ketchikan. The season runs roughly late April to October; May and September sailings cost less.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Matanuska Glacier and the Glenn Highway

A day-trip-scale taste of glacier country from Anchorage, with guided glacier walks available in season.

Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Shift to the shoulders: the first half of June or the last week of August into early September delivers most of peak Alaska with noticeably fewer people and better prices.
In cruise towns, the crowd is the ship schedule. Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan swell by thousands at midday, so do town sights before 10am or after 4pm and spend midday on a trail or the water.
Book the bottlenecks first: Denali buses, Brooks Falls lodging and flights, and Kenai Fjords boats sell out for peak July weeks months in advance, while the rest of the trip can be planned around them.
Drive-it-yourself Alaska beats the package-tour flow: the Kenai Peninsula, the Glenn Highway, and Hatcher Pass are spectacular and largely ignored by the motorcoach circuit.

Know before you go

Most of tourist Alaska effectively closes from October to April. Wilderness lodges, glacier day boats, seasonal hotels, and many restaurants in cruise towns shut entirely, and skeleton winter schedules replace summer transport.
Denali's park road runs on a hard season: transit and tour buses operate roughly late May to mid September, and private vehicles are barred beyond the first stretch of road year-round. Note also that a landslide has closed part of the road in recent years, so check the park's current road status when planning.
Cruise season runs roughly late April to October. Outside it, ships are gone and the most ship-dependent towns, Skagway above all, go into hibernation with many businesses shuttered.
Winter is not closed everywhere: Anchorage and Fairbanks function fully year-round, and Fairbanks builds a real winter economy around aurora tourism, dog mushing, and the Chena Hot Springs road.