1. Downhill Skiing
Anchorage has a full range of downhill experiences, from beginner-friendly Hilltop and the wide-open bowls of Arctic Valley, to the groomed slopes and double-black diamond downhill runs of Alyeska Resort. Heli-skiing and snowcat trips are your ticket to untouched backcountry powder in the Chugach Mountains.
2. Look Overhead
Auroras are Alaska’s spectacular wintertime light show. Mysterious and moving, this phenomenon fills the sky with indescribable colors. Many hotels offer northern lights wake-up calls, so guests catch the northern lights at their peak.
3. Power In The Powder
Most people call them snowmobiles, Alaskans call them snowmachines. Call it what you will, it’s fun. Take a guided tour to a Gold Mine or speed through the snow to glaciers, or rent a machine and explore miles and miles of trails.
4. Puck Luck
The Alaska Aces hockey team battles ECHL foes in Sullivan Arena. The Aces won the championship and hoisted the Kelly Cup in 2006 and 2011. The University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves takes on other Division 1 teams from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
5. Skinny Skis
Anchorage is a world-class winter cross-country skiing destination with 105 miles (168 kilometers) of groomed, lighted trails throughout the city. Kincaid Park is a skier's paradise, with more than 30 miles (50 kilometers) of trails.
6. Something Fishy
Fishing action in Southcentral Alaska doesn’t stop once the seasons change. King salmon will take a lure in January just like it’s July, so bundle up and head south to Homer and tackle the challenge. Or grab an auger, and fish the frozen lakes and ponds for trout or arctic char.
7. Make A Splash
Fend off winter's chill and ride the waves or the MasterBlaster at H2Oasis, Alaska's indoor water park.
8. Run with the Big Dogs
Hop behind a sled team and explore Alaska’s state sport: dog mushing. Tour of a local kennel and see if you have what it takes to run the Iditarod.
9. Warm Up
Getting chilly? Grab a toasty drink and curl up in a comfy chair. Anchorage leads the nation in coffee shops per capita. Or grab a mug of cocoa or spicy drinking chocolate.
10. Toboggan Time
Relive snow days gone by at sled hills in Anchorage’s Parks. Sledders can get their rush courtesy of snow and gravity.
11. Choo Choo
Ride the winter rails with the Alaska Railroad’s Aurora Train. Weekend service leaves from Anchorage on Saturday and heads to Fairbanks, returning on Sundays.
12. Become Bigfoot
Hike to places high and low with a pair of snowshoes and poles. See summer trails in a whole new way, and explore areas beyond the reach of summer hiking.
13. Encore
The snow is coming down, but the curtain is going up. With a hometown orchestra and opera company, and hundreds of playhouses, theater troupes and musical acts there’s always something on the marquee in Anchorage.
14. Slide Along
Want to skate or play some pickup hockey? Anchorage has indoor rinks and outdoor skate ponds worthy of Norman Rockwell. Westchester Lagoon, Goose Lake, Cheney Lake and Jewel Lake are perfect for figure eights or a game of shinny. Cuddy Family Midtown Park near Loussac Library is home to a 400-meter speedskating oval as well.
15. Curl Up
Hefty stones glide across ice as teams scrub frantically to steer them; learn-to-curl classes are offered at the Anchorage Curling Club’s two-lane facility on Government Hill. You can also catch demo days on the ice in Town Square.
16. Get Crafty
Talented artists display their wares year round, and winter craft fairs are the perfect opportunity to shop for works from traditional Alaska Native art to thoughtfully made modern handicrafts.
17. Chip off the Old Block
Carvers employ chainsaws and hand chisels to bring delicate designs to life out of solid ice. Even if you don’t catch the masters at work, their art is displayed in Town Square as long as weather permits.
18. Winter Celebrations
We know how to make the most of winter snow, and three of Alaska’s favorite events take place in late February and early March. Anchorage Fur Rendezvous started in the 1930s as a sporting event timed to the return of miners and trappers, but now incorporates team snowball fights, outhouse races, snowshoe softball, and a Pamplona-style Running of the Reindeer. The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race® takes over downtown Anchorage on the first Saturday in March as dog teams speed down Fourth Avenue on the first miles of the “Last Great Race.” That same weekend, the Tour of Anchorage takes cross-country skiers through Anchorage’s parks and greenbelts in a community ski event for all. It's the ultimate Winter Trio.
19. Get in Gear
So you think a bicycle is a summer-only mode of transportation? Riders in Anchorage will quickly show you cycling is possible 365 days a year with the use of studded tires or a specially made fat-tire snow bike.
20. One Horse Open Sleigh
Go dashing through the snow with a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city, or trot through the woods to a secluded stop for hot cocoa and fondue.
21. Social Climber
Grab some crampons, ice axes and head up a frozen waterfall. Learn the ropes with a beginner’s lesson, pick up new techniques or book a daylong ice climbing trip with an experienced guide.
22. Get Wild
Learn how Alaska’s animals have adapted to arctic conditions with a trip to the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage or the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Portage. Chill out with musk ox, moose, eagles and porcupines.
23. Best Fests
Toast Alaska’s breweries at the Alaska Beer & Barleywine Festival in January or get in tune with the Alaska Folk Fest. The Anchorage International Film Festival features the works of talented Alaska directors, crew and actors.
24. Get Away
Unplug at your own cabin in the woods. Rent one of the state-run cabins and enjoy snowshoeing, skiing, and snowmobiling.
25. Get over It
See the Anchorage Bowl, Chugach State Park and the Mat-Su from a different perspective on a flightseeing tour from Anchorage. Take off from Merrill Field, the city’s general aviation airport or from frozen Lake Hood in a plane equipped with skis.
