Stretching nearly 2,000 square miles, the Municipality of Anchorage reaches from the village of Eklutna north of downtown, past Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson – the state’s largest military installation – through metropolitan Anchorage, south to the mountain town of Girdwood and on to Portage Glacier.
While most neighborhoods in Anchorage itself aren’t defined by strict geographic borders, areas like downtown, Eagle River, east Anchorage, Girdwood, Midtown, Spenard and south Anchorage definitely have distinct personalities.
With so much space and so many communities, Anchorage defies easy categorization. The city is Alaska’s most populous, yet has vast undeveloped areas. Some of Anchorage’s best spots are its untouched natural spaces. Anchorage is bordered on the east by the third largest state park in the nation, Chugach State Park. This half-million-acre park holds some of state’s most accessible camping, hiking, biking and skiing.
At the southern edge of the city, the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge holds 32,000 acres and is one of the most popular wildlife viewing areas. Visitors can watch three salmon species return to Rabbit Creek to spawn. As many as 130 bird species call the refuge home or stop during their annual migrations. Moose, muskrats and beavers also frequent the marshy areas, and mink and hares roam the refuge. Not all of Anchorage’s natural sights are alive; the area also provides easy access to 60 named glaciers.
The city of Anchorage got its start in 1915 as headquarters for the construction of the Alaska Railroad, but other areas of the municipality have even earlier origins. Girdwood and Indian have a rich Gold Rush history. The spirit houses in the village of Eklutna mark the blending of Russian and Dena’ina Athabascan customs in the early part of the 19th century. At Beluga Point, between downtown Anchorage and Girdwood, archeologists discovered evidence of humans from 6,500 years ago, the area’s first recorded settlement.
