Alaska is the largest and northernmost state in the United States.
Nicknamed “The Last Frontier”, it is known for its vast wilderness, extreme climate and diverse wildlife.
Alaska offers plenty of mysteries and curiosities that make it an intriguing topic for riddles. In this article, we have compiled 41 riddles about various aspects of Alaska along with their answers.
These range from riddles about Alaska’s geography and climate to its history and culture. Solving these riddles allows you to take a fun tour of Alaska facts and trivia. So let’s get started!
Riddles about Alaska’s geography
Riddle 1
I’m a 65 million acre wilderness of glaciers, mountains and rivers in Alaska. I’m home to Denali, North America’s tallest peak. What am I?
Answer: Denali National Park and Preserve
Riddle 2
I’m an active volcano on the Alaskan Peninsula. I erupt on average every 15 to 25 years. Sailors in the 18th century named me after a Irish lord. What volcano am I?
Answer: Mount Veniaminof
Riddle 3
I’m a narrow inlet of the Bering Sea on the southwestern coast of Alaska. I’m named after an explorer who mistakenly thought I was a river. What am I?
Answer: Bristol Bay
Riddle 4
I’m a river in south-central Alaska, known for my powerful rapids and role in the Klondike Gold Rush. What river am I?
Answer: Yukon River
Riddle 5
I’m a chain of islands off the south coast of Alaska, renowned for their natural beauty and abundant wildlife. My most famous island is named after a young native woman buried there in the 18th century. What islands am I?
Answer: Alexander Archipelago, Baranof Island
Riddle 6
I’m a narrow waterway in the Alexander Archipelago, named after a British naval officer. I separate the Alaska mainland from Baranof Island. What strait am I?
Answer: Peril Strait
Riddle 7
I’m a mountain range in eastern Alaska, containing some of the highest coastal mountains in the world. I’m an extension of the Rocky Mountains. What am I?
Answer: Chugach Mountains
Riddle 8
I’m a tall, thin mountain in Denali National Park, named after a prospector who disappeared while searching for gold. What peak am I?
Answer: Mount Hunter
Riddle 9
I’m a glacier-filled bay on the southeast coast of Alaska. I was named after George Vancouver’s ship. What bay am I?
Answer: Glacier Bay
Riddle 10
I’m a massive icefield in southeast Alaska, covering over 1500 square miles. I’m partly located within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. What icefield am I?
Answer: Bagley Icefield
Riddles about Alaska’s climate
Riddle 11
I’m an extremely cold wind that blows down from Alaska’s interior to the coasts. I can drive temperatures down to -60°F. What frigid wind am I?
Answer: Arctic wind
Riddle 12
I’m a winter phenomenon in Fairbanks where temperature inversions cause heavy fog and ice crystals to be suspended in the air. What am I called?
Answer: Freezing fog
Riddle 13
Because of my tilted axis and far northern location, parts of Alaska experience this astronomical phenomenon where the sun does not rise for days or months in winter, and does not set in summer. What am I?
Answer: Polar night and midnight sun
Riddle 14
I’m a pattern of high and low pressure systems that brings warm, moist air north from the Pacific to Alaska in winter. My winds can raise temperatures up to 50°F in one day! What phenomenon am I?
Answer: Chinook wind
Riddle 15
I’m a cold climate phenomenon where a layer of ice forms under the snowpack, making travel very difficult. What am I called?
Answer: Glaciation
Riddles about Alaska’s history
Riddle 16
I’m an indigenous people living in southwest Alaska, known for my semi-subterranean homes called barabaras. Who am I?
Answer: The Yup’ik
Riddle 17
I’m an indigenous group living in interior Alaska, known for my fishing skill and birch bark canoes. I was the first Alaska Native group encountered by Europeans. Who am I?
Answer: The Athabaskans
Riddle 18
I’m the native Alaskan name for Mount McKinley, meaning “the great one.” What am I?
Answer: Denali
Riddle 19
I’m a narrow strip of land connecting the Seward Peninsula to the Alaska mainland. I was crossed by prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush. What am I?
Answer: Nome Portage
Riddle 20
I’m a native Alaskan heritage center in Anchorage. I feature replicas of indigenous Alaskan dwellings and cultural demonstrations. What am I?
Answer: Alaska Native Heritage Center
Riddles about Alaska’s economy
Riddle 21
I’m a giant oil field on Alaska’s North Slope near Prudhoe Bay. I was discovered in 1968 and helped transform Alaska’s economy. What am I?
Answer: Prudhoe Bay Oil Field
Riddle 22
We’re a fleet of crab fishing boats featured on a popular Discovery Channel show. What are we?
Answer: The Deadliest Catch
Riddle 23
I’m a luxury cruise line that offers voyages along Alaska’s Inside Passage and glacier-viewing tours. What company am I?
Answer: Princess Cruises
Riddle 24
I’m an Alaska Native corporation created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act to promote economic development. I’m the largest Alaskan-owned company. What am I?
Answer: CIRI (Cook Inlet Region Inc.)
Riddles about Alaska’s cities and culture
Riddle 25
I’m Alaska’s largest city, known as the aviation crossroads of the North. I hosted the famous Iditarod sled dog race finish line until 2020. What city am I?
Answer: Anchorage
Riddle 26
I’m a city in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, originally founded as a utopian agricultural colony in the 1930s. What’s my name?
Answer: Palmer
Riddle 27
I’m a city in the Alaska Panhandle, famous for my restored Gold Rush-era downtown. Juneau is my next-door neighbor. Who am I?
Answer: Skagway
Riddle 28
I’m a city on the Kenai Peninsula, known as the salmon capital of the world. What town am I?
Answer: Soldotna
Riddle 29
I’m an annual sled dog race run in early March from Anchorage to Nome. I commemorate a famous 1925 serum run. What famous race am I?
Answer: Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
Riddle 30
I’m a Native Alaskan blanket made from trimmed furs and decorative skins. Coastal peoples like the Tlingit traditionally made me. What am I called?
Answer: Hudson’s Bay Blanket
Riddles about Alaska’s animals and wildlife
Riddle 31
I’m North America’s largest land carnivore, known for my creamy brown fur. You can find me roaming Alaska’s interior forests and tundra. Who am I?
Answer: Grizzly bear
Riddle 32
I’m a large member of the deer family with enormous antlers. Bulls of my species spar during the fall rut. What Alaskan animal am I?
Answer: Moose
Riddle 33
I’m a horned mountain sheep adapted to live in Alaska’s rugged terrain. My curved horns help me navigate precarious cliffs. What animal am I?
Answer: Dall sheep
Riddle 34
I’m the official state land mammal of Alaska. I’m the largest member of the weasel family and have a distinctive black-tipped tail. Who am I?
Answer: Alaskan Malamute
Riddle 35
I’m a salmon species that travels all the way from the ocean up Alaska’s clear streams to spawn. My meat is prized for its rich red color. What salmon am I?
Answer: Sockeye salmon
Riddle 36
I’m a seabird named for my short, fleshy, bright orange bill. I nest in large colonies on Alaska’s coastal cliffs. What am I?
Answer: Tufted puffin
Riddle 37
I’m Alaska’s state bird and the largest North American grouse species. I have colorful facial wattles and a tail that fans out during courtship displays. What bird am I?
Answer: Willow ptarmigan
Riddle 38
I’m a gray whale that migrates from Baja California to Alaska every year, passing California in spring and winter. What am I named for?
Answer: The gray whale’s yearly north-south migration
Riddles about Alaska’s natural resources
Riddle 39
I’m a soft, shiny, silver-white metal that played a key role in the Klondike Gold Rush. What precious metal am I?
Answer: Silver
Riddle 40
I’m a fishing method used to harvest salmon running upstream to spawn. Fishermen build dams with me to trap the fish. What am I?
Answer: Fish wheel
Riddle 41
I’m a hardy, cold-weather tree species harvested in Alaska for my strong yet flexible wood. What kind of tree am I?
Answer: Sitka spruce
I hope you enjoyed this tour of Alaska trivia and facts in the form of 41 riddles! From the glaciers and mountains of Denali to the salmon runs of Bristol Bay, Alaska’s stunning wilderness, rich history and thriving modern culture make it a truly unique place.
Solving these riddles requires knowledge of Alaska’s diverse geography, climate, animals and resources – plus a bit of lateral thinking! Let me know if you have any other favorite riddles about America’s last frontier.
