Ride the Rails
Catch a train from Anchorage for a unique Alaska experience featuring picture-perfect views, abundant wildlife watching opportunities, and a dose of local history.
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Thrill seekers will delight in this adventure. Prepare for a good time on a mammoth scale – scale a glacier, hop on an ATV, ride a horse and learn the secrets of Alaska’s state sport!
Zip down city sidewalks on a Segway tour of downtown Anchorage. Or play disc golf on one of the great courses set in scenic parks. Westchester Lagoon has a nine-hole course, just minutes from downtown Anchorage, while the 18-hole course at Kincaid Park offers the prospect of moose watching.
Grab a reindeer sausage from a downtown cart and follow the sounds of live music to nearby Peratrovich Park for a picnic packed with some midday tunes. After that, head to Flattop Mountain to climb Alaska's favorite peak. Shuttle and guided hikes are available or just check out the stunning views from the scenic overlook just steps from the trailhead.
Enjoy small plates and sample world wines at a bistro in casual Anchorage eatery or sate a hearty appetite with a local beer and halibut tacos or a salmon quesadilla at a brewpub.
Enjoy summer scenery and wildlife on the drive to Girdwood along Turnagain Arm. Even in the dog days of summer, fun in the snow is just a few minutes away. Catch a helicopter to a glacier for a thrilling dog sled ride across a pristine glacier.
Dig into a fresh salad full of Alaska veggies or try the soup and sandwich of the day at a local lunch spot. Afterwards, drive up to the Chugach foothills for an encounter with polar bears, musk oxen, wolves and many other cold climate and exotic animals inhabiting a natural boreal forest at the Alaska Zoo. Head up the mountain further to Turnagain Overlook for a great place to gaze over the city.
Fish Ship Creek in the heart of downtown Anchorage for some urban angling for kings and silver salmon beneath the midnight sun. If you missed the salmon runs in June and August, head farther upstream for trout or inland for Dolly Varden and grayling.
Find backcountry adventure on an all-terrain vehicle. Rev up and motor to the mighty Knik Glacier or head farther down the road for a hike near Matanuska Glacier, which once covered the entire city of Palmer. Today, this magnificent glacier is approximately 24 miles long and four miles wide at the terminus, averaging approximately two miles in width overall. Guided climbing and instructions are available on site.
Get an up-close look at a hardy beast that survived the frigid depths of the Ice Age at the Musk Ox Farm near Palmer. The soft wool of musk ox is called qiviut (pronounced kih-vee-ute) and is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool.
Find a warm fuzzy knit from qiviut back in Anchorage. At Oomingmak, hats, scarves and other items knit by Alaskans spread across the state are for sale. Look closely and you’ll see that each item incorporates a traditional Alaska Native design or pattern. Walk a few blocks for a dinner paired with stunning views of Cook Inlet at a popular restaurant with a view.
Catch a train from Anchorage for a unique Alaska experience featuring picture-perfect views, abundant wildlife watching opportunities, and a dose of local history.
A road trip north of Anchorage via the Glenn Highway means abundant opportunities to hike, bike, visit local historical and cultural sites, and explore Chugach State Park.