There’s no view more epic than the one you’ll find on an Alaska flightseeing tour

At 663,268 square miles, Alaska is by far the biggest state in the union. But only four states have fewer road miles.

It makes sense that one of the best ways to see Alaska is by air on one of the charters that specialize in flights into the rugged and spectacular Alaska Range. You’ll enter the wilderness cathedral of mountains surrounding 20,310-foot Denali, the tallest peak in North America, and perhaps land on one of the mountain’s glaciers.

Prices for flightseeing vary widely, from about $250 to $1,000 — or more, depending on the length of the trip, the departure point and whether the tour includes a landing. That might seem steep, but on a bluebird day, few trips deliver such gawk-worthy moments as you soar past sheer granite faces and above glaciers.

And while Denali may be Alaska’s best-known flightseeing tour, the options don’t end there.

Bear viewing

Rust’s and Regal Air are among the Anchorage flight services that cross Cook Inlet to Chinitna Bay in Lake Clark National Park and the Brooks River in Katmai National Park in search of brown bears feeding on salmon. Trips from Anchorage generally depart in the morning and return about 10 to 11 hours later, and run about $1,000 or more per person.

Typically, Regal pilots make early-season scouting flights. Usually, the grizzlies are up and about by May 10, and the season runs into September. The company provides a preflight safety briefing in Anchorage. At Brooks, the brown bears may walk beneath the boardwalk (spanning the river). But passengers never approach closer than 50 feet.

Knik Glacier

Knik River Lodge glacier tours start less than 60 miles from Anchorage, leaving from Knik River Lodge at the end of Knik River Road in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The lodge’s front lawn doubles as a helipad for helicopters that take groups of two or three people to the Knik Glacier, a five-minute flight away. Perhaps the most popular trip is dog sledding on the glacier after a landing. En route, you’ll see the Knik Glacier in all its glory as well as Lake George and a couple of the feeder glaciers. (Tours range from about $350-$680.)

Girdwood grandeur

Less than an hour south of Anchorage is the ski and recreation community of Girdwood. Alpine Air, operating since 1991, will fly you above the Mount Alyeska tram to land on glaciers or to Prince William Sound in search of calving glacial ice. In peak season, helicopters depart regularly from the Girdwood Airport. You can take a 30-minute flight, but the 60-minute tour with a landing on Colony Glacier is even more fun. A walk on the glacier — and a sip from a glacial stream — will help you cool off in summer months. (About $320-$470; glacier dog sledding tours are also available.)

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the nation’s largest national park, featuring 14 of the 20 tallest peaks in North America. You can take a regularly scheduled flight from Chitina to McCarthy on the edge of the park to avoid driving the gravel-surfaced McCarthy Road, which is slow going (allow up to three hours) but scenic; flying in from Chitina is typically even more spectacular. A Wrangell Mountain Air flight may take you into the mountains and through the Fourth of July Pass if weather permits.

You’ll see rock glaciers and maybe some critters. On the other side of the pass is giant Root Glacier. You’ll fly right past the old copper mine structures in neighboring Kennecott before landing in McCarthy. Flights range from 50 minutes to two hours. ($300-$475)

If you’re driving, you’ll park at the McCarthy footbridge, then make your way over to the airport and fly from there.

Columbia Glacier (Valdez)

The 400-square-mile Columbia tidewater glacier has retreated nearly a dozen miles since 1982, but there’s still plenty of ice, and the warming climate has triggered a surge of calving, during which large pieces of ice break off and splash into Prince William Sound.

A convenient way to see it is to book a flight to Valdez with Ravn Alaska. Try to get a window seat on the left side of the plane. When you land in Valdez, you can circle back by boat on a charter for a Columbia Glacier view from the water. Other Valdez flight services offer tours of Columbia and the Valdez Glacier as well.

Juneau

Commercial flights into the state capital of Juneau can offer great views of Mendenhall Glacier. But several companies offer helicopter tours, typically an hour or two. And if you want a double-shot of Alaskan on a single trip, book one that includes dog sledding on a glacier.

Most helicopter tours require that three seats be booked before the flight, potentially an issue if you’re traveling alone or as a couple.

Juneau Shore Tours offers an Icefield Excursion package ($359), recommended for those looking to see Alaska from a bird’s-eye view but not necessarily interested in dog sledding. TEMSCO Helicopters offers an array of trips, too.

On most of the tours, you’ll get a nice view of downtown Juneau, including the popular Mount Roberts Tramway, which leaves from the cruise port. On most trips, you’ll see the exposed deep-blue ice that’s the face of Taku Glacier, a sharp contrast to the muddy Taku River.

Denali

Those are some highlights for Alaska flightseers, but Denali trips remain at the top of many must-see lists. You can catch a flight right out of Anchorage, but that’s more expensive than driving north to Talkeetna and flying with K2 Aviation, Talkeetna Air Taxi or Sheldon Air Service. The companies offer a selection of tours that include views of the Ruth Glacier, the Wickersham Wall, the climbers’ base camp at Kantishna Glacier and the Denali summit (weather permitting). Prices range from about $255-$425 or more if the tour includes a glacier landing.

Particularly memorable is a tour that includes a glacier landing. Most pilots favor Ruth Glacier, because it is so spectacular and the runway is well-marked. But the clouds move in and out quickly, so several other glaciers are available if the Ruth is socked in.

While a little more spendy, helicopter flightseeing offers an alternative. Enclosed in Plexiglas with no wings to peer over, even trips as short as 30 minutes can provide exceptional views.

Wherever you want to see, there’s probably a flightseeing business nearby. Among the locales where tours are offered: Kenai, Soldotna, Tok, McCarthy, Homer, Girdwood, King Salmon, Talkeetna, Juneau, Ketchikan, Fairbanks, Skagway and Kantishna.