Early visitors to Alaska’s national parks and monuments couldn’t find much information to enhance their experience. Some forward-thinking park rangers created the organization in 1959 to address this critical need. The initial goals were to first provide the few books and pamphlets that already existed on Alaska’s natural and cultural heritage to visitors; and secondly to create new publications to fill the vast information gaps.
In the beginning it was only a handful of items. Our first “bookstore” in what was then Mount McKinley National Park offered 18 products. Total sales were about $500. From this humble beginning, Alaska Geographic now offers 14,000 different products in 48 public land locations with annual sales of over four million dollars.
With increased sales, providing information to visitors grew into a method of also financing educational programs. Earnings from bookstores and publishing, combined with membership dues and donations, support the educational efforts of Alaska’s parks, forests, and refuges. Alaska Geographic provides aid and services for Junior Ranger programs, volunteers, visitor center films, exhibits, visitor guides, and much, much more. All free to the public, made available to you by Alaska Geographic.
We at Alaska Geographic believe that the more you know about Alaska, the more you’ll care about the future of Alaska’s public lands.
