ADGW - Fun Things to Do

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 Historical 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

Ride the Alyeska Tram and eat at the Seven Glaciers or Bore Tide Deli & Bar restaurants
Dine at the Double Musky Inn
Look for gold at the Crow Creek Mine
Visit Portage Valley where you can tour the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, hike to Byron Glacier, and take a Portage Lake/Glacier tour
Hike Bird Ridge for an awesome view of Turnagain Arm
Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Whittier

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)
Take a whitewater rafting trip on a portion of the Matanuska River

Parks Highway

Wasilla

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

Drive Hatcher Pass Road between Willow and Palmer including a visit to the Independence Mine State Historical Park

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 at 20,310 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