It isn't just the mountains, sparkling lakes and glaciers that draw travelers to Alaska but the magic in the land, its mystical boreal pull. It's a place that ignites the imaginations of people who live in the city but long to wander into the woods.

The expansive grandeur of the state will help you put the size of your snowshoes in perspective as you marvel at the sight of a brown bear at full amble, or kayak past a tidewater glacier shedding icebergs the size of small cars. And it needn't cost you a fortune.