Southcentral
Anchorage, the Kenai, Girdwood, and the road and rail to Seward.
Wildlife
Go whale watching
Look for humpbacks, orcas, sea otters, and puffins from a day boat in summer coastal waters.
Summer · Seward, Whittier, Juneau, Valdez
Wildlife
Go birding
Eagles, cranes, shorebirds, and seabirds on boardwalks and coastal pullouts.
Shoulder · Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer
Wildlife
Visit the Wildlife Conservation Center
See bears, moose, bison, and other animals that cannot be released, on the Seward Highway.
Year-round · Portage, Seward Highway
Dog mushing
Mush on a glacier in summer
Fly to a snowfield and ride with a working team while the rest of the state is green.
Summer · Seward, Juneau, Skagway
Dog mushing
See the Iditarod start
Watch the ceremonial start on Fourth Avenue in Anchorage at the beginning of March.
Winter · Anchorage
Fishing
Catch a halibut
A guided saltwater day out of Homer, Seward, or another coastal harbor.
Summer · Homer, Seward, Valdez
Fishing
Fish salmon on the Kenai
Kings, sockeye, or silvers on the river people cross the state to fish.
Summer · Kenai Peninsula
Fishing
Stay at a fly-out fishing lodge
A floatplane, a remote river or lake, and meals you do not have to cook.
Summer · Southwest, Interior, Kenai backcountry
Hiking & mountains
Hike Flattop
The short, steep Anchorage classic with a view of the city, the inlet, and the Chugach.
Year-round · Chugach State Park, Anchorage
Hiking & mountains
Hike the Harding Icefield Trail
A long climb above Exit Glacier until the icefield fills the view.
Summer · Kenai Fjords, near Seward
Hiking & mountains
Walk on a glacier
Crampons, a guide, and blue ice under your boots. Several glaciers offer beginner trips.
Summer · Matanuska, Exit, Mendenhall
Rafting & water
Raft Sixmile Creek
Class III to V whitewater in the canyons near Hope, about two hours from Anchorage.
Summer · Hope, Chugach National Forest
Rafting & water
Kayak among icebergs
A guided paddle near tidewater ice in Prince William Sound or Kenai Fjords.
Summer · Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords
Glaciers & flightseeing
Cruise Kenai Fjords for a day
A boat from Seward to tidewater glaciers, seabirds, and whatever whales are in the bay.
Summer · Seward
Glaciers & flightseeing
Land a helicopter on a glacier
A short flight and a few minutes standing on ice you cannot drive to.
Summer · Southcentral and Southeast
Cruises
Ride the Alaska Marine Highway
The state ferry through the Inside Passage, with or without a car.
Year-round · Southeast and Southcentral coasts
Culture
Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center
A living cultural center in Anchorage for the Native peoples of the state.
Year-round · Anchorage
Food
Eat seafood that was swimming recently
King crab, salmon, halibut, and oysters, cooked simply, close to where they were caught.
Year-round · Coastal towns and Anchorage
Food
Have dinner at Glacier Brewhouse
Alder-grilled seafood and house beer in downtown Anchorage, a local table since 1996.
Year-round · Downtown Anchorage
Lodging
Sleep in a public-use cabin
A wood stove, bunks, and an outhouse on public land. You bring everything else.
Year-round · Statewide public land
Lodging
Stay at a wilderness lodge
A fly-in lodge with meals and a guide, used as a base for fishing, bears, or hiking.
Summer · Fly-in, statewide
Lodging
Stay at the Hotel Captain Cook
The downtown Anchorage hotel with the Crow’s Nest on the top floor.
Year-round · Downtown Anchorage
Scenic travel
Drive the Seward Highway
The 125 miles from Anchorage to Seward along Turnagain Arm and into the mountains.
Year-round · Anchorage to Seward
Scenic travel
Ride the Alaska Railroad
A dome car between Anchorage and Seward, or Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Summer · Anchorage, Seward, Denali, Fairbanks
Scenic travel
Visit Kennecott and Wrangell-St. Elias
The copper mill town at the end of the McCarthy Road, inside the largest national park.
Summer · McCarthy / Kennecott
Scenic travel
Stay up for the midnight sun
Around the June solstice the Interior barely gets dark. Use the extra day.
Summer · Fairbanks and north, statewide light
Scenic travel
Ski or ride the tram at Alyeska
Alaska’s main ski resort in Girdwood, with Turnagain Arm below the upper mountain.
Winter · Girdwood