Scenic Drives South from Anchorage

First stop, the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge at Potter Marsh, a 2,300-acre (920 hectare) wetland. Interpretive displays of animal and plant life make this a favorite spot for bird watching. When the salmon are running, watch them swim underfoot as they enter the refuge from Turnagain Arm.

Continue south and look for the Beluga Point Interpretive Site, a great spot to search for beluga whales and enjoy stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Nearby, at Bird Creek, watch local anglers jockey for position to hook a salmon.

Directly across Turnagain Arm is the gold rush settlement of Hope. To the left at Mile 104 is Indian Valley Mine. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it provides an introduction to the area's gold rush history. Admission charged.

Take the Alyeska Highway to Girdwood, a town with its own gold rush tales. A three-mile drive on a gravel road through a thick spruce and hemlock forest leads to Crow Creek Gold Mine, the site of an 1888 gold mining camp also on the National Register of Historic Places. Open mid-May through mid-September. Admission charged.

Girdwood is also home to Alyeska Resort. Stop for lunch, stroll along the European-style boardwalk for shopping, or schedule Alaska activities such as flightseeing, dog sledding or even paragliding. The terrain invites hiking and mountain biking in the summer months. Come winter, the community becomes a world-class ski resort and the ultimate playground for heli-skiing, Nordic skiing, and snowmobile tours.

At the Alyeska Prince Hotel take an enclosed tram to top of Mount Alyeska for spectacular views of Turnagain Arm.

Return to the Seward Highway and continue south for a stop at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. It's Alaska's only drive-through wildlife viewing park, home to bear, moose, elk, buffalo, and more. Admission charged; open daily, year-round.

Cross the Seward Highway to the Portage Glacier Highway. Walk along Portage Lake for a close-up look at the icebergs, or get close to the glacier itself aboard the MV Ptarmigan (admission charged). At the newly remodeled Begich, Boggs Visitor Center see fascinating demonstrations and displays of glacial and geological history. The award-winning glacier documentary, "Voices From the Ice," demonstrates a glacier's awesome power. Ask about the naturalist programs, guided hike, and self-guided walks. Open daily May-September, and Saturdays and Sundays, October through April.

Just behind the Visitors Centers, notice the toll road that connects Portage to Whittier, the gateway port to Prince William Sound. The 2.5 mile (4 km) is the longest highway tunnel in North America.

Follow the scenic Seward Highway south of Anchorage to reach the Kenai Peninsula. Fish for world-record-size king salmon, cruise past calving glaciers and explore small coastal towns.

Continue the Journey