Best Places To View Fall Colors In Alaska

Everyone has a favorite season to visit Alaska, whether it’s the endless daylight of summer’s midnight sun or winter’s dazzling snow-covered landscapes. However, one of Alaska’s best kept seasonal secrets is our beautiful fall season. Late August through early October bring a wash of colors, with purples, reds, yellows and oranges lighting up the forests, mountains, and tundra. Autumn in Alaska is also the only time where you can enjoy all of summer’s activities like hiking, wildlife viewing, fishing, and more while having a chance to see the northern lights (viewable during aurora season from mid-August through mid-April). Shoulder season travel deals, reduced accommodation and airfare rates, and less visitors are an added bonus during this beautiful, fleeting season.

While fall can come and go quickly, it’s worth the effort to time your Alaska vacation just right. Colors begin to change first in the north, with the Arctic and Interior regions welcoming autumn in mid-August through mid-September. The Southcentral region sees peak colors in September, while colors in the Inside Passage and Southwest regions change a bit later, in late-September and early October. 

Cottonwood, birch, and alder trees glow golden yellow, while low-bush blueberry and highbush cranberry bushes turn a brilliant red. Lichen and other tundra plants carpet the hills and mountains with a brilliant patchwork of yellows, reds, and oranges. It’s truly a sight to behold. Here are a few of our favorite spots across the state to view fall colors in Alaska:

Southcentral Region: 

Glenn Highway

One of the top scenic drives in the Southcentral region and a National Scenic Byway, the Glenn Highway travels north from Anchorage 180 miles to the town of Glennallen. After passing through Palmer, the road parallels the Matanuska River and offers views of mountains in all directions. You’ll be treated to fall colors wherever you look, but be sure to stop at roadside pull-offs near Chickaloon for views of King Mountain and the Glacier View area for sweeping views over Matanuska Glacier and the valley and mountains beyond. You can continue on to Eureka Summit, the highest point on the Glenn Highway, to see the colors stretching across the tundra with epic mountain backdrops. 

Image

Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass, a stunning alpine playground in the Mat-Su Valley, is one of the most scenic day trips from Anchorage and is a prime spot for soaking up fall colors. The rugged peaks of the Talkeetna Mountains soar over alpine valleys and glacial rivers, with several hiking trails to choose from to help immerse yourself in fall’s vibrant colors. Or, wander the paved paths through the fascinating mine ruins at Independence Mine State Historical Park to imagine what it was like for miners to live here year-round during the mine’s operation in the 1940s. 

Image

Turnagain Arm

Directly south of Anchorage along the Seward Highway is Turnagain Arm, a coastal arm off of Cook Inlet that stretches along the northern end of the Kenai Peninsula. The Seward Highway hugs the edge of Turnagain Arm for 50 miles, offering non-stop views of coastal scenery, glaciers, and the Chugach Mountains – with plenty of pull-offs to stop and enjoy the scenery. Birch and aspen trees perched on the mountainside turn a brilliant gold and seem to shimmer with the coastal breeze, especially around sunset. 

Image

Kenai Peninsula

Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula is a large road-accessible peninsula dotted with coastal and riverside communities and a prime destination for hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, road trips, and so much more. In autumn, it’s an ideal destination for a fall colors road trip, with trees glowing yellow and mountain hillsides brilliant with orange and red tundra. Two top scenic spots for viewing colors are Turnagain Pass, a mountain pass on the Seward Highway offering roadside access to 360-degree views of tundra and mountains, and Kenai Lake, where fall colors pop against the turquoise-blue waters. 

Image

Interior Region:

Denali National Park and Preserve

One of the most spectacular displays of fall colors in Alaska is catching the brief period of autumn brilliance in Denali National Park. Vast stretches of tundra turn orange, red, yellow, and purple – carpeting immense stretches of valleys and mountains that seem to go on forever. Pair that with chances of seeing bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and other wildlife against the colorful backdrop for a truly unforgettable autumn experience. You can take a narrated bus tour deep into the park on the Park Road (tours run through mid-September) or take your own vehicle or the free shuttle on the first 15 miles of the Park Road.

Image

Road Trips from Fairbanks

If you’re visiting Alaska’s Golden Heart City, the best way to take in autumn’s golden hues is on a road trip. Head east on Chena Hot Springs Road for fall colors in Chena River State Recreation Area, where you’ll find hiking trails across the rolling terrain – and be sure to take a relaxing dip at Chena Hot Springs once you reach the end of the road. Head north on the Steese Highway for views of the White Mountains, with pull-offs at several summits along the way to take in the panoramic vistas. Or, check out the Elliot Highway, gateway to the White Mountains National Recreation Area. Highlights include the Wickersham Dome Trail and Grapefruit Rocks that give you sweeping views over the rolling landscape. 

Image

Arctic Region:

Brooks Range

Adventurous travelers looking for fall colors in Arctic region will find spectacular sights in the Brooks Range. This remote mountain range is accessible by the Dalton Highway, a rugged road with very limited services that travels north across the Arctic Circle to Deadhorse. Most rental car companies don’t allow you to drive their vehicles on this road. If you’d like to venture north on the Dalton Highway, be sure to find a rental car company that allows travel on this road or join a guided tour from Fairbanks. Fall colors in the Brooks Range come early, around mid-August to mid-September, with purple, red, yellow, and orange foliage blanketing the alpine tundra and trees against a backdrop of rugged granite peaks. Head north from the town of Coldfoot to Atigun Pass and Galbraith Lake for some of the most scenic spots. 

Image

Inside Passage Region:

Mendenhall Valley

Head to the Mendenhall Valley in the state’s capital city, Juneau, for fall colors and glacier views. The road-accessible Mendenhall Glacier is a popular destination year-round, with several hiking trails that provide picturesque vantage points of the valley’s namesake glacier and lake. Wander through the dense temperate rainforest of the Tongass National Forest – the largest national forest in the United States – to see cottonwoods ablaze with yellow and low-lying foliage glowing with orange and red hues. Take a hike on the Photo Point Trail or Nugget Falls Trail for some of the best views of Mendenhall Glacier. The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center is open year-round but has limited hours in October, so be sure to check their schedule before visiting. 

Image

Southwest Region:

Lake Clark National Park & Katmai National Park

Two national parks in Alaska’s remote Southwest region are prime destinations for autumn bear viewing. Lake Clark National Park and Katmai National Park are both accessible by flightseeing day trips from Anchorage and Homer. Travel aboard a small bush plane to lakes and rivers where bears congregate in the fall for one last chance to feast on fish before their long winter hibernation. Most flightseeing day trips to these areas run through mid-September, allowing you to view the bears with fall’s first colors in these breathtaking national parks. 

Image