Glacier Adventure

Catch a flightseeing tour, ride a snowmobile, lace up your hiking boots, or climb aboard a glacier cruise. There are 60 glaciers within 50 miles of Anchorage, and countless ways to experience them all.

Day 1

Explore the lay of the land with a flightseeing tour of Chugach State Park or distant Denali. Catch a plane at Lake Hood (the buzzing floatplane base directly adjacent Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport), then spend a few hours enjoying expansive aerial views of snow-capped peaks and sparkling glaciers — you might even find yourself landing on a glacier for a photo op against a glittering backdrop of ice.

Then drive out to Eklutna Lake to see the source of Anchorage’s glacier-fed tap water. Kayak, bike, or take an ATV tour: Eklutna Glacier itself is visible from the end of the 13-mile Eklutna Lakeside Trail. 

Day 2

Head south to Girdwood: Hop aboard a helicopter tour to explore the surrounding glaciers, dine at Seven Glaciers Restaurant, or book a snowmobile tour or Alaska Train ride out to Spencer Glacier. In the summer, hikers can enjoy panoramic views of Raven Glacier from a scenic overlook 3.5 miles up the Crow Pass Trail. 

Day 3

Follow the Seward Highway south to the tip of Turnagain Arm, the Portage Glacier Highway and the entrance to Portage Valley.

Stroll the Trail of Blue Ice to enjoy towering views of surrounding glaciers, then head to the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center to learn more about the natural forces that shaped the region’s stunning landscape. The flat, fast trail to Byron Glacier (3.2 miles round trip) leads to close views of cavernous ice caves; for a picturesque perspective of Portage Glacier, board the mv Ptarmigan for an hour-long, iceberg-lined tour across Portage Lake.

Soak up the sunset over Turnagain Arm on the 1.5-hour drive back to Anchorage.