Girdwood enjoys its status as Alaska’s only true resort town. Just 45 minutes south of Anchorage , Girdwood is home to the luxurious Alyeska Resort, fun and entertaining festivals, and countless options for year-round outdoor adventure in gorgeous mountain surroundings. Read 7 Things to Do in Girdwood., ABOUT GIRDWOOD, Originally named Glacier City, Girdwood began as a supply camp for gold miners at the turn of the century. After the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake dropped the coast along nearby Turnagain Arm 10 feet, the town relocated 2.5 miles up the valley to its present location. Today Girdwood is a full-service community of about 2,000 that attracts skiers in the winter, hikers in the summer, and artists year…, THINGS TO DO, ALYESKA TRAM One of Girdwood’s quintessential experiences is to ride the tram at Alyeska Resort to the top of Mount Alyeska. The 60-passenger tram provides a scenic ride to the 2,300-foot level, where a bar, deli, fine dining restaurant, and museum overlook dramatic views of Turnagain Arm and seven glaciers nestled in the surrounding peaks. In the winter, skiers and snowboarders ride the tram to…, STAYING & EATING IN GIRDWOOD, There’s no shortage of places to stay and great food to eat in Girdwood. The quintessential lodging option is Alyeska Resort, a 300-room mountain resort located at the base of Mount Alyeska. The hotel features multiple restaurants, a spa, gear rentals, the Alyeska Tram, and close access to the area’s summer and winter activities. Girdwood also is home to a wide variety of B&Bs, vacation…, GETTING TO GIRDWOOD, Girdwood is located on the Seward Highway, a scenic 45 minute drive south from Anchorage . If you don’t have a car, Girdwood is also accessible by motorcoach , shuttle service, and the Alaska Railroad.
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Isolated and quaint, Halibut Cove is a small village of about 90 permanent residents nestled on the east side of Kachemak Bay., ABOUT HALIBUT COVE, There are no roads to Halibut Cove – in fact there are no roads in Halibut Cove. The community is only 12 miles across Kachemak Bay from Homer and the famous Homer Spit, which makes it an interesting side trip for anyone visiting Homer. Halibut Cove’s peak years date back to 1911 when it supported 42 herring salteries and a population of more than 1,000. After the salteries closed, most…, THINGS TO DO, To get to Halibut Cove, visitors can take one of the ferry services that cruise daily from the Homer Spit. Along the way ferries swing past Gull Island, home to some 16,000 nesting seabirds including puffins, kittiwakes, murres, and cormorants, and boat operators offer tours of the island for those interested in birding. Scheduled ferry departures leave plenty of time to explore the art…, STAYING & EATING IN HALIBUT COVE, Halibut Cove is home to two wilderness lodges that offer luxurious accommodations with stunning ocean and mountain views. There’s also a variety of guest houses, cottages, and cabins. Halibut Cove also offers a truly unique dining experience at the Saltry, a fine dining restaurant focusing on local fare and seafood perched right over the water on Ismailof Island. Reservations are required and…
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Hatcher Pass isn’t actually a town, but nonetheless, this alpine paradise features some unique lodging opportunities that show off the stunning views of the Talkeetna Mountains, gold mining artifacts, and prime year-round outdoor recreation activities including hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, berry picking, and more., ABOUT HATCHER PASS, Hatcher Pass is a favorite recreation area for residents of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Anchorage area , and is easily accessible from , Palmer, , Wasilla , and Anchorage . Its stunning panoramas are some of the most photographed views in the Mat-Su Valley ., THINGS TO DO, The main attraction of Hatcher Pass is 272-acre , Independence Mine State Historical Park, , a huge, abandoned gold mine sprawled out in an alpine valley. Within the beautiful bowl-shaped valley of the park are the remains of 16 buildings that were built in the 1930s by the Alaska-Pacific Mining Company, one of the leading hard rock gold mines in Alaska in its day. Closed in 1951 and now a state park, the mine and the company town that was built around it make for a fascinating tour.…
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Nikiski boasts an enviable location adjacent to , Captain Cook State Recreation Area, on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula , about 10 miles north of the bustling town of Kenai ., ABOUT NIKISKI, Nikiski is an oil and gas town, with onshore production facilities and offshore drilling platforms in Cook Inlet. The community’s more than 4,000 residents mostly work in and around this industry, and the discovery of oil on the peninsula in 1957 is what led Nikiski to grow from a small homesteading community to what it is today., THINGS TO DO, Nine miles north of Nikiski on the Kenai Spur Highway is Captain Cook State Recreation Area , a 3,460-acre state park that is one of the main draws for visitors to the area. This quiet state recreation area encompasses forests, lakes, rivers, and wide beaches along Cook Inlet and features incredible views of the Alaska Range volcanoes. The state recreation area is home to a campground, hiking…
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This quiet town off of the Sterling Highway boasts amazing views across Cook Inlet, fascinating Russian history, great salmon and halibut fishing, and a fun three-day music festival in early August., ABOUT NINILCHIK (DENA'INA ATHABASCAN: NIQNILCHINT), While it may be easy to drive by this small community while exploring the Kenai Peninsula , Ninilchik is worth the stop. There is plenty to love here starting with the stunning scenery and historic village charm of one of the Kenai Peninsula ’s oldest communities, 180 miles south of Anchorage and 35 miles north of Homer ., THINGS TO DO, One of most spectacular sights along the Sterling Highway is the Holy Transfiguration of our Lord Russian Orthodox Church in Ninilchik. Built in 1901, the historic bluff-top structure sports five golden onion-domes and commands an unbelievable view of Cook Inlet and the volcanoes on the west side of the inlet. Adjoining it is a Russian Orthodox cemetery. The original Ninilchik Village, dating…, HISTORY, The Ninilchik area was originally inhabited by the semi-nomadic Dena'ina people. Tribes of both the Kenai and Kachemak regions came together to fish in this resource-rich area, creating a rich blend of traditions and language. People of Russian lineage began settling the area in the 1840s, hoping that Ninilchik would serve as a retirement community of sorts for elderly workers that couldn't…
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Located along the George Parks Highway between Wasilla and , Denali National Park and Preserve, , it might be easy to miss the small town of Trapper Creek – but before you cruise by, consider making the side trip down Petersville Road for camping, fishing, and fantastic views of Denali., ABOUT TRAPPER CREEK, The community dates back to 1906 when gold was discovered on Cache Creek. Prospectors traveled up the Susitna River to Susitna Station and overland past Trapper Creek in search of their fortune. In 1920, the Alaska Road Commission turned an old trail into a wagon road from Talkeetna to Cache Creek, which later became Petersville Road., THINGS TO DO, Petersville Road winds 39 miles from Trapper Creek into the Dutch Hills through a homestead area notable for its spectacular views of Denali and numerous cabins that double as lodges and bed and breakfasts. Almost 20 miles from the George Parks Highway on Petersville Road is Forks Roadhouse. Established in 1900 to serve the of miners living in tent cities in the Cache Creek-Dutch Hills Mining…
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Sweeping westward from the tip of the Alaska Peninsula through the top of the Aleutian Islands , the Eastern Aleutians are located in one of the world's most beautiful, dramatic regions. Here, nestled among active volcanoes, sea-sculpted coastline, and mile after mile of wild landscape, the adventurous traveler can explore ancient Unangan village sites, visit agate beaches, view an array of…, AKUTAN (UNANGAM TUNUU: ACHAN-INGIIGA), Akutan is a scenic Unangan village on Akutan Island with a population of about 700 people who live beneath the active 4,275-foot Akutan Volcano. There are no roads in the village, but boardwalks provide easy paths through the small community. The community provides most visitor services and attracts adventurous hikers who wish to climb to the crater of the volcano, which is seven miles west of…, COLD BAY, Clustered around its namesake bay at the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, the community of Cold Bay serves as an important regional transportation hub and as the gateway to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge . The 417,533-acre Izembek National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1960 to protect some 142 species of birds, primarily the Pacific brant goose. Almost the entire North American…, FALSE PASS (UNANGAM TUNUU: ISANAXˆ), A picturesque fishing village, False Pass is located on the tip of Unimak Island. The mostly barren area is home to 27 of the 46 most active volcanoes in the U.S. The town attracts a small number of visitors who arrive aboard the Alaska Marine Highway ferry , which runs twice per month during the summer. Many visitors come to view wildlife, for fishing, or to become immersed in the Unangan…, KING COVE (UNANGAM TUNUU: AGDAAĜUXˆ) , A short hop across the bay from the community of Cold Bay is King Cove, a bustling fishing port of over 1,100 residents at the west end of the Alaska Peninsula. King Cove is a full-service community welcoming visitors drawn by wildlife viewing opportunities. Bears are abundant, and in the spring and early fall whales can be seen migrating through Belkofski Bay. King Cove was founded in 1911 when…
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Iliamna is a small community situated on the northwest shore of Lake Iliamna, the largest lake in Alaska and second largest freshwater lake in the United States (after Lake Superior). , ABOUT ILIAMNA (DENA'INA ATHABASCAN), Originally an Athabascan village near the mouth of the Iliamna River, the community was moved to its present location around 1935. Today, the mainstay of the economy for many of the 50 residents are the fishing and hunting lodges in and around Lake Iliamna and Lake Clark., THINGS TO DO, Located 30 miles south of , Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, , the town of Iliamna is one of the gateways to the 5,625-square-mile preserve, but its principal attraction is Lake Iliamna and the nearby rivers and streams. With a length of 75 miles and 20 miles wide, the lake covers 1,000 square miles and is home to the largest sockeye salmon run in the world. Other world-class fishing includes Dolly Varden, arctic char, lake trout, and grayling. The lake is…
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Located at the northeast side of Bristol Bay in Southwest Alaska and home to the world’s richest sockeye salmon fishery, the community of Naknek is all about fishing., ABOUT NAKNEK (YUP'IK: NAKNIQ), Accessible by road from nearby King Salmon , Naknek sits on the north bank of the Naknek River. The village comes alive during the red salmon run from mid-June to the end of July. Almost 70 percent of the world’s sockeye salmon is caught in Bristol Bay and Naknek is home to six salmon processors. Thousands of people flood the area during the fishing season, sending millions of pounds of salmon…, THINGS TO DO, The excellent fishing near Naknek isn’t just for commercial operators – several high-end fishing lodges offer guests the opportunity to fish for some of the pink, king, silver, and sockeye salmon as well as fly fish for rainbow trout, Arctic char, and grayling. Most of these lodges are all-inclusive and provide guides to help you get to the very best fishing spots. Charter boat operators based in…, HISTORY, The abundance of salmon attracted Yup'ik and Athabascan people to the region more than 6,000 years ago and Russian traders by 1821. The first salmon cannery opened on the Naknek River in 1890, and by 1900 there were 12 canneries in Bristol Bay.
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The spectacular scenery surrounding Port Alsworth is quintessential Alaska: tundra-covered hills, an array of mountains, glaciers, and coastline, the brilliant blue waters of Lake Clark, and two active volcanoes., ABOUT PORT ALSWORTH, Port Alsworth is community of about 130 residents, located on the east shore of Lake Clark about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage . It is the only community within the vast wilderness of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve , which makes Port Alsworth a major gateway for adventurous souls seeking a wilderness experience in the national park. The centerpiece of the area is spectacular Lake…, THINGS TO DO, Visitors who head into the vast wilderness of the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve are a mix of anglers, river runners, and experienced backpackers. There are no roads and few trails in the park but there are three federally designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers, which are popular with rafters, kayakers, and packrafters. These wild rivers feature spectacular scenery and rapids that…
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