Alaska 101
home community map denali national park bearfoot travel guides

Alaska Trip Planner

TRIP STARTING POINT:
Anchorage

Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula have many of the best developed systems of services, parks, campgrounds and trails in Alaska. Add to that they have the best roadside fishing in the state and you’ve got a combination you’ll find hard to resist. No matter what your interests are: fishing, history, Native culture, photography, hiking, rafting, birds, or just traveling around... Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula offer ample opportunity to follow those interests.

You’re going to have to pace yourself when you travel. Long summer days and distances wear everyone out. Plan to stay put every few days so you don’t have to pack and unpack all the time.

When you find a place you really like, stay there, even if you didn’t plan to at first. Stop frequently while traveling to take in the view. Leave time for hiking and checking out small shops and museums. And remember, Alaskan stories are in front of every campfire.

1 DAY FROM ANCHORAGE
• Head North to Eagle River & Eklutna for Hiking
Just take a short drive north up the Glenn Highway, take the turnoff to Eagle River, and follow the signs to the Eagle River visitor center. You’ll find trails with both short and long hikes here. A little farther down the road is Eklutna. The Eklutna River is developing as a salmon fishery, but more interesting is the Eklutna village and church, both of which offer tours.

1 DAY FROM ANCHORAGE
• Hike, Bike, Fish and View Wildlife in Turnagain Arm

Traveling south down Turnagain Arm, you have opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing and wildlife viewing. At Girdwood, you’ll find you can take a tram to the top of the mountain, go snowmobiling out on glaciers for a day, raft, hike and bike.

1 DAY FROM ANCHORAGE
• Take a Cruise in Whittier

People often travel south to Whittier to get out into Prince William Sound, which is filled with glaciers and wildlife. Cruise companies offer day packages that include transportation.

1 DAY FROM ANCHORAGE
• Visit Hope for Fishing, Rafting, and Relaxation

Hope isn’t really that far from Anchorage. It takes a little over an hour of driving south to get there, and it offers fishing, some great rafting, and the ambiance of a real Alaska town, where you can kick back and enjoy yourself.

1 DAY FROM ANCHORAGE
• Visit Seward for a Cruise

Several cruise companies offer packages where they’ll take you south to Seward, go out on a cruise, feed you, and take you back to Anchorage in one day.

1 DAY FROM ANCHORAGE
• Head North to the Lower Mat-Su Valley for Tours and Activities

Visit Downtown Palmer, Musk Ox Farm, Hatcher Pass, kennel tour.

1 DAY FROM ANCHORAGE
• Eastern Mat-Su Valley Tour

Tour through Palmer & Sutton, then to Mat-Su Glacier on the Glenn Highway, where you can drive down and take a tour. The road has been widened, so drive on to Sheep Mountain and Eureka for great mountain views and possible hiking. Plan for a 3-hour trip back.

1 DAY FROM ANCHORAGE
• See the Sights, Fish or Take A River Trip in Talkeetna

Head north to Talkeetna for basic sightseeing, flightseeing or a river trip. Feeling lucky? Bring your fishing pole. Try a lake for rainbows or streams for salmon.

1 DAY FROM ANCHORAGE
• Slide South to Cooper Landing for Fishing or Rafting

If you call ahead and arrange with a guiding or rafting service in Cooper Landing, you can travel down to Cooper Landing and back in a day, and have an adventure on the Kenai River.

2-3 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Explore Anchorage and Turnagain Arm

Tour the Anchorage museums, go to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, go shopping and eat a good meal downtown, and in the evening go for a walk on the coastal trail. The next day, travel south to Girdwood and have an adventure.

2-3 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Glenn Highway Gander

If you’re here at the end of August, you’ll want to spend a day at the state fair in Palmer. Further to the northeast, there are hiking and photography opportunities in the high country from mile 100 to 150 of the Glenn Highway. Lake Louise is beautiful with the opportunities of a very large lake. The centrally located town of Glennallen, heart of Copper River Country, has supplies and a bank so you can plan your next move.

2-3 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Head North for Lower Matanuska-Susitna Valley Adventures

It’s fun to spend a day hiking around Hatcher Pass, especially when the berries are ripe. Plus, you can fish in local rivers and lakes. Salmon fishing is good, and rainbow fishing in Mat-Su lakes is excellent. Canoe and boat in Big & Nancy lakes.

2-3 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Upper Matanuska-Susitna Adventure

Travel north to the Parks Highway! There are plenty of guided scenic, wilderness and fishing trips on the Big Susitna, Talkeetna and Deshka rivers. Talkeetna is fun to visit, and there are short train trips out of there. You can flightsee and land on a glacier.

2-3 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Travel South along the Railroad for Hiking, Rafting, Cruises, Fishing and More

Girdwood, Whittier, Hope, Moose Pass, and Seward are all easy to spend a couple of days in. There are campgounds all along the way and plenty to do. You can go up to the tops of glacier covered mountains; hike into history just like a miner in 1896; raft down wild rivers; cruise or kayak deep into fjords where those same mountain glaciers come crashing into the sea. All this before you even get to the salt water halibut and salmon fishing.

2-3 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Kenai River Fishing Expedition

The communities of Cooper Landing, Moose Pass, Sterling, and Kenai are close enough that you can stay in a hotel or cabin in one, and travel to the other for the day. The upper and lower Kenai offer quite different experiences, and different fishing.

2-3 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Mosey on Down to Homer

Make the southern trip to Homer a leisurely drive. There are plenty of places to stop for the night, go fishing, take pictures, or go clamming.

3-5 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Make Anchorage Your Home Base for Day Trips

Use Anchorage as your base for seeing Alaska. You’ll probably end up taking day trips both north and south. Try some of the 1-day Anchorage trips listed above, always returning to Anchorage in the evening.

3-5 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Decamp and Head North for Fishing in the Lower Mat-Su Valley

In fishing season, you’ll probably want to spend several days on the rivers. Check the Willow section for more. If you’re in an RV, you can park for awhile and use Big Lake, Willow or Houston as a base as you travel around and restock.

3-5 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Tally-ho Talkeetna Tour

It’s fun to spend several days in the Talkeetna / Trapper Creek / Denali State Park area. Denali views abound, and when you're not catching up on your fishing, you can fly around the mountain with one of the many Talkeetna flightseeing operators.

3-5 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Travel South toward Seward for Camping and other Outdoor Activites

Lots of people from Anchorage would love to spend a week in this part of the Kenai, camping right by the ocean, fishing whenever they want. Adventures in Girdwood, Whittier, Hope, Moose Pass, and Seward keep Anchorage folks coming back here every weekend. Just take your time and don’t rush through.

3-5 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Settle Down in Kenai River Area for a Week of Fishing

A longer trip fishing on the Kenai Peninsula gives you time to fish for rainbows and dolly varden as well as salmon. You can drift or raft on the upper Kenai or take the ferry and fish the Russian River. The lower Kenai is where you’ll want to fish for kings. If you’re staying in Soldotna or Kenai you can also charter fish for a halibut.

3-5 DAYS FROM ANCHORAGE
• Southern Kenai Peninsula Vacation

Bear viewing and halibut fishing are the principal activities of guides in this area. But there are also plenty of things you can do as you travel on your own, from clamming in Clam Gulch or Ninilchik, to kayaking, to simply walking the beaches of this beautiful country.


TRIP STARTING POINT:
Copper River Country

The Eastern side of Alaska, along the Richardson, Glenn and Taylor Highways is less well known and less commercially developed than much of the rest of the road system. You’ll find it offers you genuine glimpses into the Alaskan lifestyle, uncrowded streams and lakes and rural hospitality. No matter what your interests are: fishing, history, Native culture, photography, hiking, rafting, birds... East Alaska offers ample opportunity to follow those interests. As in the rest of the state you’re going to have to pace yourself. Long summer days and distances wear everyone out. Plan to stay put every few days so you don’t have to pack and unpack all the time. When you find a place you really like, stay there, even if you didn’t plan to at first. Stop frequently while driving to take in the view. It’s wild country, so remember it is easier to hire a guide to take you into the country than to hire one to rescue you out of it. Leave time for hiking and checking out small shops and museums. Remember, Alaskan stories are in front of every campfire.

1 DAY FROM COPPER RIVER COUNTRY
• Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Ramble

Check out the visitor center at Mile 107. It’s possible to take a shuttle bus in and out of McCarthy/Kennicott in a day, but that makes for a grueling day. Best to see what the rustic communities of Copper Center and Kenny Lake have to offer.

2-3 DAYS FROM COPPER RIVER COUNTRY
• Copper River Country Tour

It is easy to spend several days fishing and recreating on local rivers. Ask at the visitor center in Glennallen about flightseeing.

2-3 DAYS FROM COPPER RIVER COUNTRY
• XL Wrangell-St. Elias Exploration

You can fly or drive into the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, and spend several days in McCarthy and Kennecott. Be sure to stop at the Park visitor center in Copper Center when you travel through the Copper Valley.

3-5 DAYS FROM COPPER RIVER COUNTRY
• Glenn Highway Campout

Both the Glenn Highway and Lake Louise area have good lodges that you can use as a base camp for seeing the country.

3-5 DAYS FROM COPPER RIVER COUNTRY
• RIchardson Highway River Rendezvous

There are two wild and scenic float trips that take several days. The Delta trip starts at Tangle Lakes and goes to Black Rapids on the Richardson. The Gulkana trip starts at Paxson Lake and goes to Sourdough on the Richardson.

3-5 DAYS FROM COPPER RIVER COUNTRY
• XL Copper River Country Fishing Vacation

Here for a week? You’re probably fishing for rainbows, salmon or grayling in the Copper Valley’s uncrowded streams and lakes.

3-5 DAYS FROM COPPER RIVER COUNTRY
• Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Holiday

Spend several days in comfort at Kennecott and McCarthy. Or, head out into the wild parkland with a backpack.


TRIP STARTING POINT:
Denali National Park

1 DAY FROM DENALI NATIONAL PARK
• Discover Denali Park and Surrounding Area

See the visitor center & dog kennel demonstration. Then travel north to Nenana, or maybe just stay in Denali and enjoy the guided walk to the beaver pond.

2-3 DAYS FROM DENALI NATIONAL PARK
• Denali Park Exploration

First day: Orient yourself at the visitor center, make reservations, and take a short, guided hike. Second and third days: Take a guided backcountry hike from the bus. (There are plenty of activities, from rafting to flightseeing nearby in Healy and Cantwell, with nice places to eat and shop.)

3-5 DAYS FROM DENALI NATIONAL PARK
• XL Denali Area Expedition

You can easily spend at least five days in the park. If you take the Park bus to Wonder Lake, you should camp there for the night. There are plenty of opportunities for major adventure in and out of the park, including rafting, hiking, authentic Alaskan dining, retracing the path (in Healy) of the guy in John Krakauer's "Into the Wild," and flightseeing.


TRIP STARTING POINT:
Fairbanks

1 DAY FROM FAIRBANKS
• Stay in Fairbanks and Explore the Golden Heart City

Check out Pioneer Park and University of Alaska. Travel downtown.

1 DAY FROM FAIRBANKS
• Travel North to the Place Where the Sun Doesn't Set

Van tours can take you up to the Arctic Circle (where the sun doesn't set in the summer) and back in a day.

1 DAY FROM FAIRBANKS
• Richardson Highway Rush

Heading south out of Fairbanks, detour into North Pole (where Santa lives), then travel on to Delta Junction. Rika’s and Sullivan roadhouses are very interesting, and you will appreciate the fact that Delta has a visitor center with bathrooms. Now travel south, enjoying spectacular views all the way to Paxson, where Sean Penn was recently sighted filming a movie. Farther south, there's a visitor center in Glennallen staffed by friendly locals, and a National Park Service visitor center at Mile 107 of the Richardson Highway. Take a look at the Copper Center Museum when you get to the community of Copper Center. If you're really rushing, you'll get to Valdez by the end of the day. Otherwise, make the Richardson Highway trip longer than a day.

2-3 DAYS FROM FAIRBANKS
• Extended Exploration of Fairbanks, Alaska's Largest Northern City

Take a couple of days to explore Fairbanks in depth. Try a riverboat or gold mine tour, go to Pioneer Park. Also, Fairbanks has many museums. There’s wildlife viewing and birding at Creamer’s Field and the Bird Observatory.

2-3 DAYS FROM FAIRBANKS
• Far North Holiday

Fly to Barrow and back (make sure to plan in advance). Or take a drive out the Elliott or Steese Highways, or the Chena Hot Springs Road. Check at the downtown visitor center about overnight accommodations. (Photo, Northern Alaska Tour Company)

3-5 DAYS FROM FAIRBANKS
• Fairbanks Fandango

Lots of tourists spend at least five days in the city of Fairbanks, using it as a base for shorter trips and traveling, resting and resupplying.

3-5 DAYS FROM FAIRBANKS
• Northern Alaska Expedition

You’ll remember a trip to to the rural communities of Barrow or Nome - or a travel adventure up the Dalton Highway - or a flight into Alaska river towns, like Fort Yukon, for the rest of your life. There are many national preserves, refuges, and parks in northern Alaska.


TRIP STARTING POINT:
Tok

1 DAY FROM TOK
• Tok Cutoff Southern Tour

Excellent views of Mt. Sanford. Plan to stop at the National Park Service visitor center at the beginning of the Nabesna Road. There are campgrounds and B&B’s along the route, with gas at Mentasta.

1 DAY FROM TOK
• Chicken Chase

Head north to the famed community of Chicken. You’ll be ready to stop when you hit it, but the fact that there's gas here may mean you'll be tempted to move on. If you stay overnight, you’ll have to camp. It’s a long, hard drive from Chicken to Eagle. Our recommendation: don’t attempt to travel the remaining distance in the dark or in heavy rain.

2-3 DAYS FROM TOK
• Taylor Highway Trip

Take a day to travel to Eagle. You can camp at Chicken on the way. Once at Eagle, your problem will be where to stay. There is a BLM campground. If you want a room, call ahead for reservations from the Tok visitor center.

3-5 DAYS FROM TOK
• Taylor Highway International

If you make reservations, you can travel from Eagle to Dawson City (Canada) and back on Gray Line’s Yukon Queen (a riverboat). This requires at least one night in Dawson City. With some effort you can float between towns on the river.


TRIP STARTING POINT:
Valdez

1 DAY FROM VALDEZ
• Valdez Visit

Valdez has enough to keep you busy for many days, but plan to spend at least one day here, enjoying what this city has to offer. Take a glacier cruise or go hiking, fishing, kayaking, or rafting.

2-3 DAYS FROM VALDEZ
• Prince Willam Sound Exploration

Several days in Valdez gives you time to take a cruise in Prince William Sound, hike, go kayaking or rafting, or go fishing.

3-5 DAYS FROM VALDEZ
• Settle Down in Valdez

Once travelers set up an RV in Valdez, they have so much fun they have a hard time leaving. Take a ferry to Cordova, or travel north to McCarthy and Kennicott.


Alaska101.com | Alaska Travel & Vacation Information by Bearfoot Travel Guides
EMAIL ncountry@gci.net | WRITE TO Northcountry Communications, 2440 E. Tudor Rd #122, Anchorage AK 99507
CALL 1-800-478-8300 | FAX 1-800-478-8301
Alaska101
privacy policy

© Northcountry Communications 1990-2010. | Site design by Luke Weld.