Of all the states in the US, Alaska may have some of the coolest hotels, from budget cabin resort to luxurious wilderness lodges.
But much of that is just because it’s Alaska — and if you’ve been to Alaska, you’ll know the state has a unique blend of luxury, wilderness, adventure, and quirky businesses and personalities. And that means that many of the Airbnbs in Alaska are just as unique and outdoorsy as the state’s hotels. Whether you want to visit Alaska in June, July, August, or September, you’ll find no shortage of cool home rentals to be your basecamp for summer in Alaska.
When it comes to planning your trip, don’t forget that Alaska is enormous. In fact, just one of the state’s national parks (Wrangell-St. Elias) is larger than Delaware, Rhode Island, and Connecticut combined. So when booking an Airbnb in Alaska for a summer trip, be sure to take the home’s location (as well as how you’d get there) into account when planning where your trip. Alaska’s road network isn’t as extensive as other states, and you don’t want to book an Airbnb only to find out you can only reach it via boat or ATV.
These are the 11 best Airbnbs in Alaska for a summer wilderness escape.
We hope you love the spaces and stays we recommend! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay. Listed prices are accurate as of the time of publication.
June in Alaska is typically a month of transition from spring to summer. Weather can vary, but temperatures are usually in the 50s to 60s Fahrenheit during the day. June can still be quite rainy, but the daylight hours are long, especially after the summer solstice. It’s generally considered the shoulder season, with fewer crowds and lower prices than the peak summer months of July and August. Just keep in mind that some businesses may be closed in early June — though in most of the popular tourist towns, it should be summer as usual.
In June, the best towns to visit are those further south in the state, like Juneau, Ketchikan, Seward, Sitka, Homer, Kodiak, and Skagway. Higher-elevation areas (including Denali) may still have quite a bit of snow on the ground, depending on the winter.
If you can’t imagine visiting a place as unique as Alaska in June and staying in a plain old hotel, this adorable A-frame cabin could be a good pick. Unlike with many A-frames, it has two separate bedrooms with doors, instead of open-air lofted areas. That makes it great for couples traveling together. It was built in the 1980s but has since been updated, and has not just a large indoor living area, but a large deck and an outdoor area with a firepit.
Note that both bedrooms are upstairs, and there’s a steep flight of stairs to get into the house. So it may not be a good pick for anyone with mobility issues.
Lay down anchor at this Japanese-inspired cabin rental on Baranof Island (Chichagof Island) with views of Mount Edgecumbe and Sitka Sound. The bedrooms have wall-to-wall windows and Western furnishings, while the tea room is fitted with traditional Japanese tatami mats. There’s also a wrap-around deck with full-length sliding glass doors from where you have a short walk to a private beach. Book a stay for June, and you’ll be able to beat the summer crowds at Glacier Bay National Park.
Located on the Prince of Wales Island in Alaska’s Alexander Archipelago, this waterfront Airbnb satisfies intrepid explorers and travelers looking for some rest and relaxation. The cabin overlooks the ocean and the Canadian Rockies, with ample outdoor seating for those warmer mornings and evenings. June and July are the best times to stay for fishing activities, with salmon, halibut, and rockfish among the lineup. This is a fantastic addition to a trip through southern Alaska’s Inside Passage.
Shrug off the end of winter in Alaska at this Clover Pass Airbnb just north of Ketchikan with complimentary admission to the on-site sauna and hot tub. These facilities, along with the self-contained one-bedroom rental unit, overlook the ocean. The apartment is smartly turned out with a modern fitted kitchen and a spacious terrace with unobstructed views. Located 30 minutes from the city, you’re well-positioned for exploring cultural attractions, hiking trails, and fishing spots.
Alaska in July is busy as can be as its in the very middle of the summer tourist season. All businesses and activities are in full swing and basically anywhere in the state is accessible (well, as accessible as it can be).
Aside from crowds and cost, the only downside to July in Alaska is that the mosquitoes can be pretty annoying; in fact, there’s a running joke that Alaska’s state bird is the mosquito. Fortunately, it doesn’t get that hot in Alaska, so you’ll be fine wearing long pants and long-sleeve shirts most of the time, which should keep most of the mosquitoes at bay. And you’ll find that mosquito net face covers are the epitome of high fashion.
Airbnbs in Alaska can fill up fast in July, so try to book as early as possible since the state gets busy. Of course, “busy” in Alaska isn’t the same as busy in any popular mainland US city, so you don’t have to worry about hour-long waits for restaurants and such. But you may see a few more people than usual on the trails (or in fields photographing fireweed with you, which is at its peak in mid-July).
Alaska in July is a great time to visit Fairbanks, about four hours north of Anchorage. While it’s not technically in the northern part of the state, it is about as far north as most visitors go. It’s known for a long northern lights viewing season and winter activities like hiking with reindeer, but because it gets so cold and snowy, it has a rather short hiking window. July is a perfect time to go.
The Park Bus is one of the most unique Airbnbs in Alaska and is the perfect place to make your “Into the Wild” dreams come true (minus the ending). You’re likely to see wildlife like bears and moose just outside your windows, and it’s equidistant between Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs. Oh, and it’s not just any bus: it’s a former Denali National Park shuttle bus. It’s beloved by guests, considering it has perfect five-star reviews across all categories (and more than 160 reviews).
Towns around Anchorage are easy to visit year-round, with frequent direct flights from Anchorage to cities in the lower 48. But it’s especially nice in July, when the days are long and leave plenty of time for day tripping to nearby sites like the Crow Creek Gold Mine, taking boat tours past glaciers that depart from nearby Whittier, hiking in Chugach State Park, or looking for wildlife around the Eagle River Nature Center. You can even drive to the Kenai Peninsula in about 30 minutes.
There are more Airbnbs around Anchorage than anywhere else in Alaska, so you won’t hurt for options. But an especially good pick is the Timberland Treehouse Chalet in Girdwood, just a few miles from Alyeska Resort. It has a private hot tub and a big backyard, plus room to sleep 10 people. It’s a good pick for a group of friends planning a long weekend of hiking or fishing, since it’s only about 40 minutes from the airport. It’s one of the few Airbnbs in Alaska that works for a long weekend trip, especially since renting a car at the Anchorage airport is quick and east.
As the photos show, this Juneau Airbnb works a charm in all four seasons. Summer visitors will be able to hit the nearby hiking and biking trails before heading back to basecamp for a soak in the hot tub. From here and the patio, you’ll be able to look out for whales as they make their seasonal appearance in the channel while eagles soar overhead. The design of the cabin makes excellent use of windows to bring you even closer to the state’s wilderness.
This custom-built Airbnb in Moose Pass, two hours from Anchorage and 30 minutes from Kenai Fjords National Park, is designed to immerse you in Alaska’s natural beauty. Winter travelers may steal a glimpse of the northern lights but summer guests get to revel in the mountain views, top-notch fishing, and sightings of bears and other wild species. The treehouse is popular with honeymooners and the hosts recommend renting a boat or bringing a telescope to elevate your stay.
Spend your summer vacation canoodling husky pups at this dog-lover’s Airbnb in Alaska! The husky ranch has since closed, but the owner does still care for pups in the nearby Cooper Landing and welcomes guests to pop by during their stay. You’ll spend the rest of your time hiking through fields of wildflowers and cruising the glacial fields of Kenai Fjords National Park. The host is praised for her thoughtfulness and supply of essentials.
August is one of the busiest months for tourism in Alaska. Visitors from all over the world flock to the state to take advantage of nearly 19 hours of daylight and the warmest weather of the year (highs of 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit). It also tends to rain less in August, and when it does, it’s usually not too heavy (though that varies based on where you are in the state, of course). August is a great time to go backpacking or hiking in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, or go fishing for the state’s famous salmon.
August is also the start of viewing season, especially for seeing the state’s famous grizzly bears. Like July, Airbnbs in Alaska can also get booked quickly in July, so you’ll have fewer available options if you’re a last-minute planner.
Don’t be fooled into thinking Salmonfest is just a small get-together for fishermen. Salmonfest is the biggest festival in Alaska, held every August. The weekend-long celebration is Alaska’s version of Coachella, with camping, food and drink vendors, live music, and tons of entertainment. Past headliners include Old Crow Medicine Show, Greensky Bluegrass, Indigo Girls, Ani DeFranco, and more.
If you’re planning to attend Salmonfest but don’t want to camp, you’ll dig this roomy cottage with enough space for all your jam-band friends to crash for the weekend. It’s a high-end lakefront home with a pool table, a large deck facing the water, and a bright and airy living space. The owners also have a car available to rent, making it easy to get back and forth from Salmonfest.
By the way, if you visit during July, you’ll be smack in the middle of some of the prettiest fields of fireweed in North America. It’s especially photogenic along the drive between Ninilchik and Homer.
There’s no beating around the bush: people who visit Alaska in August often have one destination in mind, and it’s Denali National Park. But Denali’s hotels are really expensive, and book up quickly. So if you’re looking for Airbnbs in Alaska near the park, check out The Fireweed Cabin. It backs to the Denali Wilderness and is about 20 minutes from the park’s tourist center.
But what makes this cabin an especially good pick for Airbnbs in Alaska is that it’s in Healy, the closest town to Denali. So you have access to grocery stores and restaurants, unlike staying in the park. And Healy also has lots of good hiking trails, which may be a welcome break if you get tired of Denali’s mostly unmarked, unmapped trails.
This private cabin in Halibut Cove near Homer is as gorgeous as they come, with a prime location on a rocky shoreline overlooking the bay. Guests get a 700-foot-long private beach, and the owners can arrange kayak rentals and help with logistics, including recommendations on how to get there. There’s plenty of outdoor space, including multiple decks with an outdoor grill. Just note that it’s an open floor plan, so there’s not a lot of privacy between the sleeping areas. There is a second rentable lower level with more privacy, though — just ask the owners about adding it to the rental.
Halibut Cove is one of the most unique small towns in Alaska. And if you’re visiting Alaska in August, it’s worth taking the roughly 45-minute boat ride to reach the small town. You’ll need to bring everything you need with you as there aren’t any shops in the partially floating town, save for a post office, The Saltry Restaurant, and a coffee shop. Be prepared to kayak to get around (and to see plenty of bald eagles).
Standing between Talkeetna and Denali National Park, this is one vacation home that’ll wow the kids. Besides having the owner’s aircraft ornament the yard, you’ll get ringside seats to bush planes taking off and landing at the Talkeetna Village Airstrip. The rental also has an in-ground hot tub which is just what the doctor ordered after a day’s hiking in nearby parks. Main Street and the waterfront are just two blocks away, so you can strike a balance between dining out and cooking at home.
You’ll be the first to pass into Alaska’s prime national park while staying at this two-bedroom cabin eight miles from the closest entrance. A rental vehicle is essential while staying at this Denali hideaway, and you’ll need to stock up on groceries ahead of check-in. The host has decorated the house to feel like a proper home, with relics from all around the world and a stack of local guidebooks. There are a couple of eateries within driving distance and the kitchen is well-equipped to handle anything else.
September may still be warm in other parts of the US, but it’s solidly autumn in Alaska. Depending on where you are, snow is possible, and many of the summer tour operators have shut down for the year. However, there are two things you may be able to see in September in Alaska: early-season aurora borealis, and grizzly bears.
Starting in September, if you’re lucky, you can see the northern lights around Fairbanks. September tends to be the shoulder season around Fairbanks, so it could go either way for weather. It’ll probably be warm enough to hike, but snow is certainly not impossible.
But this unique Fairbanks cabin is one of the coolest Airbnbs in Alaska regardless of weather, and not just because it has a cozy barrel sauna. The cabin has a giant net hammock built into the second floor, making it the perfect cabin for lounging. There’s also an outdoor hot tub just for the cabin. It’s part of a small lodge that has a few other cabins plus a few treehouses, so if you have a larger group, everyone can book their own room but be in the same area. The entire lodge can accommodate up to 46 guests — Alaskan wedding, anyone?
If you want to visit Alaska in September to see grizzly bears, this is your spot. The modern and bright Airbnb is in Anchorage, which is where bear flight-seeing tours to Lake Clark National Park or Katmai National Park begin. Those tours are usually expensive, but at least this home isn’t, with a starting price under $100 a night. It also has a hot tub, which will feel good after a day spent walking around looking for bears.
While there’s a chance there could be other renters using it, the owners say that’s not very common — and hey, if there is another traveler in the hot tub with you, you’ll hopefully have good bear-viewing tales to share. The covered outdoor firepit is also a nice touch, especially on chilly September evenings.
Winter is the best time to book the Aurora Cabin for a chance of seeing the northern lights but the possibility of catching an early show during September exists. Even so, the sunsets, sunrises, and skygazing potential from this one-of-a-kind Alaska Airbnb is second to none. Besides the moonroof design, you have a kitchen, bathroom, and terrace at your disposal. The property is off-grid, which means care is needed to preserve water and power.
With views like these, you’ll struggle to peel yourself off the couch! This ultra-contemporary Airbnb near Anchorage is designed for modern travelers seeking home comforts on the edge of the wilderness. The Chugach Mountains loom in the background and you’ll appreciate the luxury of the hot tub, gas fireplaces, and hotel-standard bedrooms. Stay alert for early shows of the aurora borealis, meteor showers, and roaming wildlife.
Convince the kids they’re having a sleepover at Santa Claus’ house during your stay at this log cabin in the small town of North Pole. In fact, his “real house” — Alaska’s coolest gift store — is just down the road, as is Fairbanks Ice Museum. There’s a swinging bench on the porch for warmer evenings and a private cedarwood sauna for nippier nights. Deer, squirrels, bears, and moose frequent the surrounding area, so remember to take care with trash, maintain a respectful distance, and carry bear spray.
