Bright Lights, Strong Traditions Most of Anchorage’s 291,000 residents live on a jutting peninsula. The city is hemmed in by the mountains, ocean, military bases, and a state park. Because space is tight, many workers live in Wasilla or other bedroom communities. Anchorage is not the state capital, but most businesses in Alaska have an office here, including state agencies based in Juneau. You can find the log cabin Visitor Information Center at 4th Avenue. This photograph shows events at the Native Heritage Center, also located downtown. + Click here for a map of downtown Anchorage. + Explore Alaska's native heritage through the arts and in the towns of Nenana and the Copper River Region. |
Click here to get the Anchorage road map. 1. International Airport Road takes you to and from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International airport. The best way to get to it is on Minnesota Drive. 2. When you’re leaving the airport, take the first exit on Minnesota to go to south Anchorage and the Kenai. Take the second exit to go to downtown Anchorage and north to the Glenn Highway. 3. The Seward Highway runs north-south through Anchorage. Take this highway to go south to the Kenai Peninsula. 4. You're ready to go driving in Anchorage! (Photo, deeptea) |
4th & 5th Avenues are the heart of the downtown district, popular with visitors and Alaskans alike. You can drop in at shops, eat a reindeer hot dog, enjoy the flowers, go to the visitor center, and walk around. |
Anchorage has doubled its size in 20 years. Its population is rapidly changing. And the steady need for land for housing and businesses has led to something you won’t see in other parts of Alaska. You won’t find many historic buildings left in Anchorage. The town’s only “house museum” is the Anderson House at 420 M Street in Elderberry Park. There is an historic walking tour of Anchorage. Check at the visitor center. |
 
Captain James Cook traveled around the world. He explored Cook Inlet in Alaska in 1778. That same year, he reached Hawaii - where he annoyed the locals so much that they killed him. The famed captain is honored worldwide by 429 statues and monuments. You can see him near Elderberry Park in Anchorage, gazing out to sea. It's not surprising, given how many monuments there are to him, that there are identical Cook statues elsewhere. You can see this very same statue in Kaui, Hawaii, where Cook came ashore. And, you'll also find this monument in Whitby, an English city where Cook worked for a shipping firm. |
Basics About Driving
in Anchorage 
Anchorage's Historical
Legacy
Alaskans spend their winters catching up on social and community events. There’s ice-skating at Westchester lagoon, with firewood in burn barrels to warm your hands. In the still-wintry but bright days of spring, everyone gets out and does things. By mid-February, the days are getting significantly longer. That’s when the “Fur Rondy” is held. It had its beginnings when miners and trappers came to town to trade their furs, get supplies, and swap stories. The Fur Rondy has a 3-day race for small, fast sprint dogs. The Iditarod, a 1,000 mile dog sled race to Nome, starts on 4th Avenue in Anchorage on the first Saturday in March. Iditarod dogs are heavier, bigger dogs trained for the longer haul. Of course none of the dogs are as big as the ones the miners used. The photo above shows the very popular snow-carving contest. 4th Avenue is filled with snow for the dog races. + Read more about the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in the Wasilla section. |
Anchorage is one of the few cities in the world where salmon swim right through town. There are 3 good places to catch salmon within the municipality. 1. Ship Creek: Shown in the photo, Ship creek runs right behind the Ulu Factory and the Comfort Inn at the bottom of the hill from the center of town toward the railroad yard. Be sure to get your license and a king salmon stamp before you head down there. (Photo: deeptea) 2. Bird Creek: Just a half hour – 26 miles – south of town on the Seward Highway. There’s a new parking lot for fishermen on the mountain side of the highway, right before you get to the creek. Both of these streams are slippery and muddy, so stay on the bank. 3. Eklutna: Eklutna is 26 miles north of Anchorage. It has salmon. Don’t trespass on private property. + The fishing's also great in Cooper Landing, a town just south of Anchorage. + Head north for more great Alaska fishing along the Parks Highway. + The Copper River, to the northeast, is also full of delicious Alaska salmon. |
Here are some easy places to get outdoors in Anchorage. Tony Knowles Coastal Trail: Access it from downtown, from Earthquake Park or from Westchester Lagoon. + Click here for a map of Anchorage bike and walking trails. + Valdez, Alaska is another great biking town. + For Alaska hiking, don't miss Denali State Park, a trail-filled park just north of Anchorage. |
The official city of Anchorage covers 1,698 square miles. It has a large amount of parkland and trail corridors. As a result, there are a surprising number of wild animals roaming the city. The Alaska Zoo and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage are also good places to see Alaskan animals. Moose: Moose are easier to view in Anchorage than in Denali National Park. In the summer, walk or bike the coastal trail between Point Woronzof and Kincaid Park. Moose are dense here because the airport has a fence to keep them off the runway, and they tend to gather when they hit the fence. In the fall, you can see bull moose fight in Upper Campbell Creek at the Glenn Alps viewing platform. Bears: Fish & Game says that about 80 black bears spend part of the summer near residential areas in the Anchorage Bowl. About 4 or 5 brown bears are seen in residential neighborhoods. In Greater Anchorage there are about 60 brown bears and 250 black bears. You have a good chance of spotting bear scat on the Eklutna Lake Trail. Wolves: There are 5 wolf packs in Greater Anchorage. Two are in the Anchorage Bowl. The 5 packs are: Ship Creek pack, Elmendorf/Fort Richardson pack; Eklutna pack; Girdwood pack, and Portage (or “Twenty Mile”) pack. Beavers: See beavers at the Eagle River Nature Center, Westchester Lagoon and Campbell Creek. Dall Sheep: Dall sheep come down to the Seward Highway near Beluga and Windy Points (Mile 108). Watch for traffic jams. Birds: You can go birdwatching at Potter Marsh, Westchester Lagoon, and along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Ravens play in the north wind at Point Woronzof and owls can be seen at Kincaid Park. + Visit Fish & Game’s website, www.wildlife.alaska.gov. + Read more about Alaska Wildlife in the Alaska Wildlife section. + Read about Alaska's Marine life in the Marine Life section. (Moose photo: Gary Lackie, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center) |
At least 1,000 moose live within the Anchorage city limits. These massive creatures can be seen crossing busy highways, browsing off ornamental trees in people’s yards, and hanging out in parking lots. In the fall, aggressive bulls will frequently stop bicycle traffic on city trails. You should also be careful if you run across a cow with a calf. Although the local newspaper makes a popular humorous yearly calendar featuring photos of urban moose in funny predicaments, the animals are at least as dangerous as a large domesticated bull. + Read more about Alaska Wildlife in the Alaska Wildlife section. |
In Alaska, Russian and Indian traditions can be seen in the church yards. Eklutna Historical Park, 26 miles north of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway, has a cemetery that shows the blending of both traditions in a uniquely Alaskan style. Eklutna dates back to 1650, and is still home to members of the Dena’ina Indian tribe. There are tours of the church and the village. + More about Russian Influence and History in the Kenai section. |
Here are some places you can see Native culture in your travels around Alaska: Anchorage: Alaska Native Heritage Center, the Alaska Native Hospital, the Alaska Museum, and Wells Fargo Bank on C Street. Cooper Landing: K’Beq Heritage site. Website here. Closed in 2021 to remove spruce beetle killed trees from the site Fairbanks: Wells Fargo Bank on University Avenue, UA Museum, and World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. Farther Afield: Two museums in Valdez. Tours of Nome, Barrow and smaller villages are available. |
The Silver Hand Logo The Silver Hand logo was designed to authenticate arts and crafts made by Native artisans. You have to be an Alaska Native to use the logo – but not all Native artists attach it to their work. |
Winter is Time to
Play 
Fishing:
An Hour from the Baggage Claim
Only in Anchorage:
A Thousand Moose on the Loose
Eklutna
Cemetery 
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ALASKA 101
BEARFOOT GUIDES
DENALI 101
