Anchorage is fantastic destination with world-class adventure, but you don’t need to take our word for it. Alaska’s most populous city has racked up awards from major publications.
According to Bicycling Magazine, Anchorage’s extensive trail system is one of the best in the United States. Field & Stream magazine’s 2006 list of America’s top 20 best fishing cities notes Anchorage as an angler’s hotspot. Anchorage was listed at No. 16 in Runner’s World’s “The Best Running Cities in America.” In 2010, TripAdvisor put Anchorage in its Travelers’ Choice® Destinations Top 25, recognizing the city’s trails, hikes, activities and attractions.
Anchorage is recognized as a Tree City USA for its urban forestry. The American Hiking Society agrees, naming Anchorage second on a list of Top Trail Towns. The National Civic League recognized Anchorage as an All-America City in 1956, 1965, 1984, and 2002. It’s a distinction only 11 cities nationwide have received four or more times since its inception in 1949.
The accolades don’t end at the city limits either. The Glenn Highway, which connects Anchorage to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to the north, and the Seward Highway, which runs south out of Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula, are each designated as National Scenic Byways. The byways program recognizes roads with historic and cultural significance, as well as scenic qualities, something both roads have in stunning supply.
Just off the Seward Highway, the town of Girdwood – still part of the municipality – has a mountain of awards all its own. Girdwood was recognized by SmarterTravel.com in 2011 as one of “10 Great Mountain Towns.” Alyeska Resort got the nod from Travel and Leisure the same year as one of America’s Best Ski Hotels. News travels far; Australia’s Daily Telegraph newspaper also marked Alyeska as one of the top 10 up-and-coming ski resorts in the world.
