Must-See Day Trips from Anchorage, Alaska

Drive Turnagain Arm:

Perhaps the most picturesque drive in the USA - prepare to stop at any of the various turn-offs to snap pics. You’ll find yourself driving beside an endless stretch of calm, blue water, glistening mudflats and snow-capped mountains, and you might find yourself surrounded by wildlife as well. Alaska is teeming with wildlife, so be sure to pack your binoculars. During our various drives around (and flight over) Turnagain Arm, we saw mountain goats, a black bear and beluga whales! Sometimes when I need to calm myself, I picture the drives we took around Turnagain Arm and it always puts me in a better headspace. If you time your trip right, you might have a chance to see an incredible natural phenomenon, the tidal bore tide. During a five-day window which surrounds the new and full moons, surfers from around the world come to Alaska to ride the famous wave that rushes into Turnagain Arm, reaching up to 10 feet high and traveling the entire 40-mile length of the waterway.

Experience Girdwood & Alyeska Mountain Resort:

This ski resort town is a popular tourist destination, and for good reason! Mount Alyeska receives an average of 669 inches of snow per year and is home to 1,610 skiable acres and 76 named runs, including the longest double black diamond run in North America. No matter what time of year you visit, make sure to take their tram 2,300 feet up and breathe in the fresh air while looking out over the surrounding glaciers, mountains and Turnagain Arm. While you’re up there, grab a meal at the Seven Glaciers, an AAA Four Diamond Award-winning restaurant that is consistently recognized for its wine selection. If you visit on a chilly day, sit back and prop your feet up at the various campfires lit around the resort, and don’t forget to pose next to the avalanche warning signs!

From the resort, consider taking the free shuttle over to Crow Creek Mine to pan for gold! Or swing by The Bake Shop. Just outside of the resort, this bakery is known for its sourdough pancakes, sweet rolls and delicious soups!

If you’re hanging around town for dinner, we highly recommend a stop at the Double Musky Inn for cajun-inspired steaks and sea food! This was probably our favorite meal in all of Alaska. Get there early. Wait times can be excessive and no reservations are accepted. Don’t forget to order the Double Musky Pie for dessert!

Winner Creek Trail

Alaska is never lacking in hiking options, but one of our favorites departs right from the grounds of Alyeska Resort and takes you into Chugach, America’s northernmost rainforest. It was a pleasant, moderate, 3-mile hike through lush greenery. The first two miles were on a human-constructed boardwalk that would wind through the tall trees and ferns; the last mile was a decline that led to Winner Creek Gorge. Typically, this gorge is able to be crossed via a “hand tram” – aka a metal cage that you get into and then pull yourself across the gorge using the available cables. Unfortunately for us, the hand tram was closed when we visited, but that just means that we’ll have to come back. Regardless, it was a beautiful trail that we’re happy to recommend. Don’t forget your bear spray and bear bells!

Relax and Refresh at Alyeska Nordic Spa:

After your hike, take a dip in the cedar hot tubs and cold plunge hydrotherapy pools at the Alyeska Nordic Spa, a 50-,000-square-foot facility nestled in between the mountains and surrounded by the alpine Chugach rain forest. After you’re done hitting the baths, visit the exfoliation cabin or detox in their saunas and steam rooms. A hot, cold, rest, and-repeat cycle is suggested. This Scandinavian-inspired indoor/outdoor spa opened on the grounds of the resort in the Fall of 2022 and operates year-round. All-day access passes even allow guests to arrive and leave at their convenience.

Whittier, Alaska:

The tunnel to Whittier only opens to cars at certain times of the day. It is a one-way, 2.5-mile tunnel that goes through a mountain and is shared with Alaska’s railroad system; at specific times during the day, it is opened to car traffic, so prepare to research the times and wait in line with the other cars preparing to make the journey. With a population of just-under 300 citizens – most of whom live in one residential building – Whittier has been nicknamed ‘a town under one roof.’ Whittier gets its history from its beginnings as an American military encampment. It is now a tourist town with a harbor where cruises, glacier tours and other outdoor activities such as kayaking, jet-skiing and hiking leave from. When visiting Anchorage, I highly recommend a day trip to this unique and rustic Alaskan town!

26 Glacier Tour:

This tour, departing from Whittier was one of the highlights of our trip to Alaska! We boarded a big boat in Whittier and then took off into the Prince William Sound for the afternoon to see up to 26 glaciers. Taking any boat through an area of the world as picturesque as the Alaskan coast is going to be stellar no matter what, but Phillip’s Cruises made their tour a special experience. Throughout the 5-hour tour, they fed us complimentary salmon chowder and hot chocolate, and they had other food available at their snack bar. We treated ourselves to a reindeer hot dog and a coke with 400-year-old glacier ice in it. When we weren’t eating, we were braving the cold outside to see the sights! That day, we got to see some incredible glaciers and waterfalls; we listened to the glaciers calving and watched the falling pieces hit the water while harbor seals resting at the foot scrambled out of the way. But the highlight of the entire day came when our captain announced that we were en route to a pod of orca whales that had just been spotted. It was our first time seeing orcas in person. My wife literally has an orca tattooed on her arm, so seeing them in real life was practically a spiritual experience for her. We followed the pod of three whales for nearly forty minutes, watching them glide over the water amid a curtain of rainfall. It was brilliant, and my wife may have cried. It was a day well-spent!

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Though Alaska offers many opportunities to see animals in the wild, we absolutely loved the Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center. Just one hour from Anchorage, the AWCC sprawls over 200 acres, focusing their efforts on rehabilitation of injured and orphaned animals. During our visit, we were able to see moose, bison, brown bears, arctic foxes, wolves, porcupines, bald eagles and so much more. It practically guarantees you an opportunity to catch a glimpse of your favorite Alaskan wildlife while being surrounded by glaciers and the beautiful alpine scenery. The AWCC is even open during the winter, allowing you to tour the 1.5 mile loop on your cross-country skis, riding a fat bike or by renting a Kicksled for just $5.

Polar Plunge at Eklutna Lake

Take a polar plunge in this glacial-fed lake! It’ll be one of the most gorgeous bodies of water you’ve ever dunked yourself into. It was in the middle of July and we were the only ones in the water that day - and for good reason, it’s not exactly a recreational swim. As you take the gorgeous walk to the beach, you’ll be warned of how ‘hypothermia kills’ are posted on signs along the trail. These signs give advice on how to Polar Plunge safely. Follow their advice, but don’t let them deter you! Test your limits and take the dive. Even if you decide not to take the plunge, this lakefront still has some great hiking trails to experience.

Hatcher Pass

Hatcher Pass is nestled in the Talkeetna Mountains, about a 90-minute drive from Anchorage. We went on a drizzly, gray day and were stunned by how much the weather and landscape combined reminded us of Iceland. Hatcher’s Pass has plenty of scenic pull-offs and hiking trails; we stopped when we found anything of interest, which led to some impressive photo ops. What piqued our interest most was Independence Mine State Park - an abandoned gold mine that still stood among the mountains. We walked around the abandoned buildings, learning about Alaska’s gold rush history and the conditions of the mine workers. In the late summers, the pass is also a popular spot to pick blueberries, so don’t forget a bucket!

We continued to explore two more weeks across Denali, Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula, but Alaska is such a vast state; even after spending a full month there, we still left with so much unseen. It’s important to keep in mind: the time of year you visit Alaska can affect your itinerary options greatly. Some of these recommendations may not be accessible when you visit, but as seasons change, new opportunities open. The beautiful summers and midnight sun may fade away, but those polar nights bring the Northern Lights along with them! One thing is certain, no matter when you go, there is always magic in the air in Alaska.