Alaska in May is a magical place. The snow is melting, the long, harsh winter is over, and everything is bursting into life.
Animals are emerging from hibernation, while migratory birds and marine mammals are returning to their summer feeding grounds. So although May is regarded as shoulder season, you’ll still have an excellent chance of spotting all the wildlife on your bucket list.
This being Alaska, you’ll still need to pack for a cooler climate and prepare for all eventualities in the space of a day, from mist to rain to sunshine. But that’s normal for any time of year. Here’s what to expect and do when you’re planning to visit Alaska in May.
Long, Dry Days
Ketchikan
It may surprise you to know that May is one of the driest months in Alaska. In Juneau, expect on average 3.5 inches of rainfall in May compared to, say, August, which receives 6.4 inches. Even Ketchikan, famous for its rainy weather, gets 8.7 inches of rain in May compared to 11.3 inches in August.
Average daily highs are 48.9°F, with highs as warm as 58°F. There are 16 hours of daylight in Juneau. Fairbanks, further north, receives an even more impressive 18 hours of daylight as the summer solstice approaches.
Spring in Bloom
Mendenhall Glacier
Spring comes quickly in Alaska. While late April could still see snow on lower ground, the longer days of May means that leaves unfurl on the trees and wildflowers burst into bloom.
Look out for pussy willows and catkins, both a sure sign that spring is here. Spot pretty mauve shooting stars and draba, or whitlow grass, which adds splashes of yellow to rocks and tundra. Admire bluebells on the forest floors and dainty white star flowers, part of the primrose family.
Snow on the Mountains
Denali
Many of Alaska’s peaks remain snow-capped all year round and in May, there’s still a considerable amount of snow at altitude. On a clear, sunny day, you can’t beat the contrast of deep blue skies, the sparkling ocean, and jagged mountains draped in white.
One of the best ways to get a sense of the power of nature in the Alaskan spring is to take a ride on the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway, which has its terminus in Skagway. You’ll spot hanging glaciers, cascading waterfalls like Bridal Veil Falls in full flow as the snow melts, and as the train climbs toward the summit of the White Pass, patches of deep snow alongside the tracks.
White Pass and Yukon Route Railway
What’s interesting about making this journey when winter hasn’t quite loosened its grip is that it gives you a taste of the appalling conditions endured by the prospectors during the Gold Rush of the late 19th century. There was no cushy option of seasonal travel for these hardy souls.
On their quest to reach the Klondike, they made the trek over the treacherous White Pass in all seasons, many of them ill-equipped, with mud to contend with in summer and ice in winter. Dead Horse Gulch is a poignant section of the trail, where more than 3,000 horses and mules died.
Time for Layers
Exit Glacier
Summer may be around the corner, but this is still Alaska. Pack for every possibility. Layering up is the best way to go, ideally with breathable, wicking fabrics and lightweight fleeces that you can peel off when the sun comes out or when you work up a warm glow on a hike. You’ll need a light waterproof, too.
A beanie hat, thermal socks, gloves, and good walking boots are essentials. Bear in mind that if you want to go hiking in Alaska, some of the trails may still be slushy, so pack footwear that’s waterproof and has a good grip.
Happily, mosquito repellant shouldn’t be necessary if you’re visiting Alaska in May. Mossie season doesn’t start until later in the summer, when the nights are warmer.
Fewer Crowds
Seward
While Alaska’s vast landscapes appear to offer enough space for everyone, some of the coastal towns do get busy in the height of summer, especially during school vacation.
May, though, is a different story. As this is the beginning of the season and everything is just waking up, the tourism industry included, there’s a wonderful sense of having the place to yourself.
You may even find early-season bargains in souvenir shops. Always check for the “Made in Alaska” logo to ensure you’re buying an Alaskan souvenir that will support the local economy, rather than a cheap import.
Awakening Bears
Black bear
Bears in Alaska are emerging from hibernation by May, and they’re hungry. Females will give birth during the winter, inside their den, and feed the tiny cubs throughout the winter months. So in May, you have a good chance of spotting a mother with cubs.
Bears feed on clams in May, as the easy pickings of the salmon runs don’t start till July. They’ll also forage for grasses, other plants, carrion, and the young of mammals, such as moose.
There are all kinds of bear-watching excursions in Alaska. Later in the season, during the salmon runs, it’s relatively easy to spot bears plucking huge fish from rushing streams. In May, if you want guaranteed sightings, it may be easier to join an excursion to where bears are either resident or concentrated in the wild.
Fortress of the Bear, Sitka
From Sitka, you could visit the Fortress of the Bear, a non-profit sanctuary for orphaned bear cubs which would not survive alone in the wild. From Juneau, book a boat trip to Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary on Admiralty Island. There are 1,600 brown bears resident on the island, living in the wild, and the sanctuary has safe viewing areas from which to look for them.
Icy Strait Point is another wonderful place to search for bears in the wild. Join a guided hike to the Spasski River Valley and look for bears from three viewing platforms overlooking the river, a popular foraging spot.
Majestic Denali
Denali National Park
The visitor center and much of the road access to the vast Denali National Park open mid-May for the summer season. While it’s still very early in the season this far north and there may be snow on the ground, you still stand a good chance of seeing the Big Five: bear, moose, Dall sheep, caribou, and wolves. Excitingly, the moose are likely to have calves in May, and the Dall sheep may be nursing wooly lambs.
Denali flightseeing tours start in mid-May, and as this is one of the best months of the year in terms of weather in Alaska, you could be lucky enough to get the perfect shot as the clouds part, revealing the majestic, snow-covered peak in all its glory.
See Migrating Whales
Humpback whale
While there are resident pods of orca and dolphins in the island-specked Inside Passage, many whales you’ll spot in Alaska are migratory.
May is a great time to look for gray whales, which are en route to their summer feeding grounds in the north of the state. These graceful creatures breed off the coast of Baja California and head along the Inside Passage and coasts of southern Alaska with their calves in spring. Humpbacks, the most athletic of whales, often spotted breaching, or leaping right out of the water, are also arriving in Alaska by May.
Sitka, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, and Juneau are all good places for whale-watching in Alaska. Or take a day trip through the beautiful Kenai Fjords National Park. You can see humpback and gray whales here in May, as well as orca, dolphins, and harbor porpoises. Other mammals you might spot include sea otters and Steller sea lions, which are beginning to give birth to pups as May progresses.
Spot Migratory Birds
Puffin
Avid bird watchers should pack their binoculars as all kinds of migratory species are returning to Alaska in May. Look out for puffins, murres, and auklets on the rocky offshore islands, and black- and red-legged kittiwakes on the cliffs.
On the shores, you could see sandpipers, while Arctic terns start to build nests near beaches, meadows, and tundra. As you hike through the dense Tongass Forest, listen out for the summery songs of robins, thrushes, and warblers, as well as multiple species of sparrow.
Hike the Low Altitude Trails
Tongass National Forest
Hiking is available in Alaska in May, with a few caveats. The high-altitude trails will still be snowy or at best, slushy, with a lot of mud. It’s therefore safer to opt for lower trails or those on south-facing slopes. If you hike alone, take all the usual precautions to be bear-aware—and don’t hike a trail that is closed because of bear activity. The bears are both hungry and a little disoriented after months of hibernation.
An easy low-altitude trail is a guided or self-guided hike from Sitka through the dense Tongass National Forest, under a canopy of spruce and hemlock. Follow the Mosquito Cove Trail along the pebbly beach, stopping to look in the glass-clear tide pools, and then along a boardwalk into the Starrigavan Estuary bird-spotting area.
You’ll also cross a section of muskeg, or peat bog, a unique environment of thick moss and dense ferns. Keep a lookout for bald eagles on this hike; you can see them in the trees on the lookout for prey.
Mendenhall Glacier
In Juneau, join a trip to the Mendenhall Glacier. There are marked trails around the glacier lake, ranging from a 20-minute stroll to a more challenging five-hour hike, all with wonderful views of the mighty glacier inching its way down the mountain. The excellent visitor center here opens on May 1.
Other trails worth checking out include the Totem Bight State Historical Park near Ketchikan, where you can wander forested trails and admire intricately carved totem poles created by the Tlingit and Haida people of the Inside Passage.
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Anchorage
If your travels take you to Anchorage, make time to walk or cycle the 11-mile Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, a wonderful semi-urban trail that follows the coastline and tracks through leafy forest where you could see moose. On a clear day, there are views of distant Denali, too.
Try Seasonal Cuisine
Juneau
Alaskan cuisine is delicious at any time of year; people live close to the land here and it’s always easy to find seasonal produce.
In May, you’ll find Arctic char, halibut, and trout on restaurant menus. King salmon runs start towards the end of the month.
Although it’s not strictly crab season, you can join a fishing expedition from Ketchikan on a Bering Sea crab boat to learn more about crabbing and long-line fishing. The Aleutian Ballad found fame on TV, rocking and rolling in big seas, although your experience will be in the sheltered waters of the Inside Passage.
Bering Sea crab boat
Any creatures caught are released in the name of conservation, although you can still feast on king crab in any restaurant, the claws dripping in melted butter.
Toward the end of May, asparagus comes into season, gracing every restaurant menu. You’ll also find fiddlehead fern on menus, a delight when sauteed and served with hollandaise. And of course, Alaska’s famous craft beers and artisan coffee are available at any time of year.
Find Your Thrills
Dog sledding in Alaska
All the exciting Alaska activities you may have heard about are available in May. At Icy Strait Point, the ZipRider, the world’s largest zipline, will be fully operational. Fly over the treetops at speeds of up to 60 mph for the ultimate adrenaline rush.
Take to the skies from Juneau by helicopter and land directly on the Herbert Glacier, high on the Juneau Icefield. You’ll meet some of the 200 Alaskan huskies that live and train here all summer and learn from their mushers about the thrills of the famous Iditarod race. Then, there’s a chance to race across the snow with your own team of huskies—and even try mushing.
Flightseeing in Alaska
Are you ready to discover the beauty of the 49th state in springtime? Browse Celebrity’s cruises to Alaska and plan your next big adventure.
