Adventuring in the 49th State
​What to Do & See in Alaska
(Hover over each photo for details)

Anchorage

The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is an 11 mile long trail that runs from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park. Enjoy views of Cook Inlet as you walk or bike, and watch out for moose!

Just a 20 minute drive from downtown Anchorage, Flattop Mountain will quickly transport you into the wilderness. The moderate-difficult hike takes less than two hours, and rewards you with sweeping views of Anchorage and the Church Mountains from the peak.

Kincaid Park is a 1,500 acre park located inside the city of Anchorage. You'll find what locals refer to as "the beach" at the end of a 2 mile hike along a paved path and down a bluff. Excellent views of Fire Island & Cook Inlet, and fun rock collecting.

Arctic Valley is a 20 minute drive from downtown Anchorage. Here you'll find excellent hiking, wildlife viewing, and blueberry pick in late summer, along with a spectacular sea of fireweed.

The summer days in Anchorage are long, and glorious. Peak summer daylight occurs in May, June, and July when days are as long as 18 hours. Sunset on these days doesn't happen until after 11 PM, with twilight keeping it light 24 hours a day.

Anchorage boasts more than 100 miles of trails that connect all parts of the city. They're great for walking, running, or biking in the summer months, and make for excellent cross country skiing or snowshoeing in the winter.

Westchester Lagoon is just one of many public parks in Anchorage. The lagoon is great for kayaking and paddle boarding in the summer, or simply lounging by the lake and enjoying a warm (65 degrees) summer day. It's also maintained as an outdoor ice rink in the winter.

Eklutna Lake is a 30 minute drive from downtown Anchorage. The glacial fed lake is a vibrant blue, and it's waters are cold year-round. Rent a kayak to cruise around the lake, or a bike to trail ride around the lake. Watch out for high winds and bears- both frequent the area.

Anchorage is bordered by Chugach State Park, home to about a half million acres of wilderness and mountains. Hikes like this one to Wolverine Peak offer a bit of wilderness just minutes away from the city.

Visit Anchorage in March to witness an event equivalent to the Super Bowl of Alaska. Watch mushers depart downtown Anchorage for the legendary Iditarod sled dog race, stretching 1,000 miles to Nome on the Bering Strait coast.

Fall colors in Alaska are spectacular. Once the summer fireweed blooms and "goes to cotton" the colors change to vibrant shades of red and gold.

Winter is dark and cold in Alaska. The darkest time in Anchorage happens from November to January, when maximum daylight is only 5.5 hours. On those days, the sun rises after 10 AM and sets before 4 PM. The dark nights are great for viewing the aurora borealis, even from right inside the city.

Mat-Su Valley, Hatcher Pass, Talkeetna, Denali

Independence Mine State Historical Park is an old mining operation within the Talkeetna Mountains, near Hatcher Pass. Take a step back in time with a self-guided tour of the old gold mining shanty town. You can also pan for cold in the chilly creeks nearby.

The Alaska State Fair is an annual tradition held every August in Palmer, Alaska. There you'll find a wide array of fair foods with an Alaskan flair, along with agricultural displays like 1,000+ pumpkins and 120 pound cabbages.

Take the Alaska Railroad north to Denali. It's especially spectacular in late August and early September when the fall colors are in full array. The train even has an old fashioned dining car where you can enjoy breakfast or lunch.

Denali National Park is known for it's spectacular wilderness, but the dining in downtown Denali is exquisite too. Check out the king crab leg pizza and locally brewed craft beer at Prospector's Pizzeria & Alehouse.

Take a shuttle bus along the 92 mile road through Denali National Park. It's the only road into the park, and is closed to private vehicles. You'll see grizzlies, dall sheep, moose, caribou, and many other species. Beware- the road is mostly gravel and is often steep and winding.

Hatcher Pass is about a 45 minute drive from Anchorage. The pass connects the town of Palmer and Willow via a 60 mile long mountain pass. Makes for great skiing, snowshoeing, and sledding in the winter.

The Bodenberg Butte is a smaller mountain located in the Matanuska Valley. The easy hike provides excellent views of the valley and Knik Glacier from the top.

There are numerous hiking trails throughout Hatcher Pass. The best part about these, is that they're at the alpine level- or above the tree line. You'll not only get great views, but you don't have to worry about being surprised by a bear. If there's one in the area- you'll see it coming.

Gold Cord Lake is one of the many alpine lakes in Hatcher Pass. The trail is short and easy. You'll cross a footbridge and walk by some abandoned mining shacks before being rewarded with a spectacular view of the vibrant green lake, surrounded by gray rock.

The Ski Train is one of those "only in Alaska" experiences. You and your skis board the train in Anchorage and head north to Curry. That's the name of the town, but there's nothing there. The train drops you off in absolute wilderness where you can ski on untouched snow.

Are you a fan of "Into the Wild"? If so, be sure to stop by 49th State Brewing in Healy, just north of Denali. There you can pose with the replica "magic bus" used in the movie's filming.

Talkeetna, Alaska is a small town on the road system halfway between Anchorage and Denali. On a clear day, you'll get spectacular views of the mountain. Stroll around the town, and visit Nagley's General Store to visit Mayor Stubbs the cat, or hop on a flight seeing tour to Denali.

Turnagain Arm: Girdwood, Whittier, and Portage Valley

The 4 miles round trip hike up Portage Pass begins in Whittier. The moderate hike climbs 750 feet in elevation to the top of Portage Pass. From there you'll get sweeping views of Portage Glacier and Lake on one side, and Prince William Sound on the other.

Take an hour long cruise out to Portage Glacier, to get an up close view of the spectacular blue ice. If you're lucky, you'll see a piece of ice fall into the water- known as calving.

Travel through the Anton Memorial Tunnel, the longest tunnel in North America (2.5 miles), and you'll find yourself in Whittier. You'll instantly smell the salty waters of Prince William Sound. Look for bald eagles in the harbor and dine on freshly caught seafood.

The Trail of Blue Ice runs 5 miles through Portage Valley, along some of the brightest blue, glacial fed streams and lakes you'll ever set your eyes on. Enjoy the colorful wildflowers that bloom throughout the valley all summer long, and watch out for black bears.

Known as "Bird to Gird", this 12 mile one way bike trail runs along Turnagain Arm, ending in the town of Girdwood. The trail gains 300 feet of elevation along the way, providing great views of Cook Inlet.

A short and well marked trail in the Portage Valley will take you to Byron Glacier. You can walk right up to the glacier, and even walk ON it!

Alyeska Resort in Girdwood is the premier skiing resort in Alaska. The ski trails on the mountain turn to hiking trails in the summer months. Take the challenging hike up Mt. Alyeska for award-winning views of Turnagain Arm. If you make it to the top, you can ride the tram down for free.

Hope is a small town off Hope Junction Road in Turnagain Arm. There are some great places to hike and camp here, with excellent views of Cook Inlet.

The Upper and Lower Winner Creek trails in Girdwood are unlike many other trails on Turnagain Arm. There you'll find America's northernmost rainforest. The trail is lush, green, and damp. Watch out for black bears that roam the area!

Kenai Peninsula: Seward, Cooper Landing, and Homer

Take a float down the beautiful turquoise waters of the Kenai River, world famous for it's salmon fishing. In addition the beautiful waters, you're also likely to spot an abundance of wildlife. Some of the largest brown bears in Alaska live near the waters of the Kenai.

Wildlife is abundant along the Kenai River, especially brown bears. You may spot a bear on a river float, fishing expedition, or hike along one of the many trails in the area.

President Obama visited this glacier in 2015. Exit Glacier is located in Seward, and is the unofficial poster child of climate change in Alaska. Wooden signs mark where the glacier has retreated over the years, which is part of the Harding Ice Field.

Homer is a town on Kachemak Bay at the end of the Kenai Peninsula. The town is known for it's "spit", a long strip of sand with hotels, shops, and restaurants. Homer is filled with wildlife like otters, whales, and jellyfish.

Lowell Point Beach is located just outside of Seward, Alaska along Resurrection Bay. The water is turquoise and the sand is white-ish. It's one of the only beaches you'll ever go to with a "Beware of Bears" sign.

Miller's Landing is a campground in Lowell Point. In addition to great camping sites, there's also plenty of kayaking, fishing, and hiking.

Take a cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park in Resurrection Bay to see glaciers, sea lions, seals, eagles, orcas, otters, and more. The views are spectacular and the bay is filled with wildlife galore.

There are sea otters everywhere in the Seward, Alaska harbor! You'll only need to take a view steps to spot a handful of these cute creatures as they float around munching on mussels and oysters.

Seward, Alaska is about 2.5 hours south of Anchorage. There are tons of good restaurants and shops in the harbor to explore. Many cruise ships make a stop in Seward. It's most famous for it's annual "Mount Marathon" every July 4th when runners race straight up the nearby mountain.

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