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Fun Things to Do in Alaska
The various
towns/cities mentioned below are located on the maps
page.
DAY
TRIPS
Anchorage
area (including Eagle River)
- Canoe/kayak,
ride a bike, and hike at Eklutna
Lake
- Day
hike in Chugach State Park. Easy trails include
Thunderbird Falls (Mile 25 Glenn Highway), Rodak
Nature Trail and the Albert
Loop Trail (Eagle
River Nature Center at the end of Eagle River Rd), South
Fork Valley Trail (Mile 7.5 Hiland Dr. in Eagle River)
- Canoe/raft
part of Eagle River (between mile 7.5 Eagle River Road and the Briggs
Bridge along Eagle River Loop)
- Drive
to some very scenic overlooks that include views of Anchorage, Cook
Inlet, and the various volcanoes across Cook Inlet (e.g., Glen Alps Anchorage Overlook Trail (1/4
mile walk), Arctic Valley)
- Go
flight seeing (e.g., Chugach Mountains, volcanoes, Denali)
- Visit
an Anchorage
dog park
- Visit
the Alaska Native Heritage Center
- Visit the
Anchorage Museum of History and Art
- Visit the
Alaska Zoo
- Check
out one or more of the Anchorage
Markets where tasty produce is sold alongside some great Alaskan
gifts, collectibles, and crafts.
- Take
a Walking
Tour of Downtown Anchorage (check in with the Log
Cabin Visitor Information Center at 4th Avenue and F Street for
additional information)
Seward
Highway
Girdwood
/ Portage
Whittier
- Drive
to Whittier through North America's longest railroad-highway
tunnel
- Rent
a kayak and explore Prince William Sound
- Take
a wildlife/glacier tour
Seward
Glenn
Highway
- Hike
Bodenburg Butte (< 1 hour) for a great view of Knik Glacier and
the Mat-Su Valley (on Bodenburg Loop off the Old Glenn Highway in
the town of Butte near Palmer)
- Visit
the Musk
Ox Farm (just outside of Palmer)
- Visit
the West
Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer (call 907-745-4212
for tour times)
- Explore
the terminus of Matanuska
Glacier (Mile 102 Glenn Highway, with a free overlook
near Mile 100 Glenn Highway)
- Dine
at Sheep
Mountain Lodge (Mile 113.5 Glenn Highway)
Parks
Highway
Wasilla
- Visit
Iditarod
Headquarters
- Enjoy
a round of golf at the Settlers
Bay Golf Course followed by a great meal at the Cadillac
Cafe Clubhouse (Owned by K.C. Wilson, member of Alaska Dogs Gone Wild);
or maybe skip the golf and simply indulge yourself with a meal while
overlooking the Chugach Mountains and Knik Arm
Big Lake
(Mile 53 Parks Highway)
Talkeetna
(Mile 100 Parks Highway, then ~14 miles down Talkeetna Spur Rd.)
- Walk
around small town Alaska
- Take
scenic
flights in and around Denali National Park
- Visit
various art
galleries, go on a fishing charter, shop for gifts, and take in some
great views of the
Alaska Range including Denali (aka Mt. McKinley)
Other
MULTI-DAY
TRIPS
- Drive
to Homer
famous for many things including the 4-mile spit of land that juts
out into Kachemak Bay. While you are there, consider taking a ferry
or a water taxi across the bay to either one or both of two small and very quaint towns --
Halibut Cove and
Seldovia.
- Drive
to Whittier
and take a ferry to Valdez
looping back to Anchorage through Glennallen -- perhaps including
a side trip along the McCarthy
Road to the town of McCarthy and the Kennecott
National Historic Landmark within the Wrangell
- St. Elias National Park
- Drive
the Denali Highway (mostly gravel), which connects Cantwell with Paxson,
and then loop back to Anchorage
- Drive
or take the Alaska
Railroad to
Denali National Park, which is home
to North America's highest mountain Denali (aka Mt. McKinley) at 20,320
feet!
- Drive
the loop that goes from Anchorage to Fairbanks to Delta Junction to
Glennallen and back to Anchorage again
- Fly
or use the Alaska
Marine Highway Ferry System to visit Kodiak
- Drive
to the Arctic Circle (or even further north!) along the Dalton Highway
north of Fairbanks
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