Turn at the Tesoro Gas Station to head to this funky little ski town at the base of Mt. Alyeska. This is home to Alaska’s biggest ski area. There are (4)four main areas for activities and eating which will be described below.
1. Crow Creek Road- Road to the Wedding!
Crow Creek Road is located 2 miles up Alyeska Highway on the left side just as you get a straight on view of the ski mountain and just before crossing Glacier Creek. Shortly after turning on Crow Creek is The Double Musky Restaurant, a long time favorite renown for its New Orleans style meals and the famous Pepper Steak. https://www.thealaskalife.com/location/double-musky-inn/ Further down the road on the right, maybe 3 miles or so from the beginning, is the trail head for Winner Creek Gorge Trail. There is barely a pull off here so look closely for the sign. It may also be marked as the Iditarod trail. This trail ultimately leads to the Alyeska Hotel about 3 miles away, however, just 1 mile down the trail from Crow Creek Road you will find the gorge and a hand tram. Take the tram across the gorge and continue to a wooden bridge about .2 miles away. Here you will cross a roaring creek running through the gorge.http://www.alaska.org/detail/winner-creek-trail However, if you choose to follow Crow Creek Road all the way to the end you will find a spectacular trail, Crow Pass Trail. The whole trail is a 21 mile through-hike to Eagle River on the other side of Anchorage. The challenge of the through-hike can be crossing Eagle River where the water is often knee deep. The best part of the trail is at the beginning in Girdwood. From Girdwood the trail is moderately strenuous but is certainly worth the effort, especially after the first 20 minutes when it opens up to a huge scree filled valley with mine ruins. At the head of the valley is a waterfall that must be crossed to get to Crystal Lake and the origin of the raging stream that you have been following. Shortly after passing the glacier fed lake is a boggy area. Continue through the bog and soon you will see the valley open up to a prehistoric looking area just being uncovered by Raven Glacier. The trip to here and back to Girdwood is approximately 8 miles and with limited sightseeing I’d estimate 4 to 6 hours. This one is worth it! https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/alaska/crow-pass-trail-to-crystal-lake-and-barnes-mountain
KATIE AND JOE’S WEDDING SITE!
Just beyond the Winner Creek trail but before the end of the road is a well marked road on the right to Crow Creek Mine. Be aware that there is a free bus shuttle that will take you all over Girdwood. The schedule is on the website under “Glacier Valley Transportation”. This would come in handy if you wanted to hike Winner Creek Gorge Trail all the way through to the Alyeska Hotel.http://www.crowcreekmine.com/
2) Girdwood Town Center
Just before crossing Glacier Creek is the older retail section of Girdwood starting with the corner grocery/liquor store. The town center is a good area to park and walk around. Next to the grocery store is the Silver Tip Grill. Close quarters in there but decent food. The Black and Bleu Burger is one of my usual’s. Just around the corner from the Silver Tip and by the post office is Chair 5 Restaurant. This is a local favorite for late night pub food with that old ski area vibe. Just after crossing Glacier Creek on your way to the ski mountain is Girdwood Brewery, the only brewery in town. Closes at 8 by state law and there is no food other than a possible food truck. Nice outdoor seating with fire pits.
3) Ski Area
Not much happens here during the summer. Several small retail shops stay open including La Bodega which has a very knowledgeable beer staff. The Girdwood Bake Shop is also in the basement below the Sitzmark and has reasonably priced food with a lean toward “natural”. Jack Sprat Restaurant has a good reputation and a rustic outside seating area facing the mountain. Food prices seemed a little on the higher side but was fresh and creative.
4) Alyeska Hotel
This 307 room hotel was originally built by a Japanese corporation and opened in 1994. It has recently been purchased by a Canadian family. It is worth going inside to take a peak at the polar bear and northern lights display above the lobby. Check out these photos! https://www.alyeskaresort.com/hotel There are four restaurants in here as well as a Starbucks. For a small fee you can ride the tram up to the top of the mountain for a day hike or dine at the most spectacular location for a restaurant. Two dining options at mountain top, a deli and the upscale Seven Glacier Restaurant. I believe your tram ride is free if you eat at the Seven Glacier. Note: the Winner Creek Trailbegins across from the base of the tram and is partly boardwalk.
Heading south from Anchorage you will be driving one of America’s Most Scenic Highways, the Seward Highway, which traces Turnagain Arm. This route begins in Seward at mile 0 and ends in down Anchorage at mile 127.
Turnagain Arm got it’s name from one of Captain Cooks crew in 1776 who had just explored Knik Arm looking for the Northwest Passage. Knik Arm ended at a river and guess what, so does Turnagain Arm. Turnagain!
Keep an eye out for cars pulled off to the side of the road and people staring at the rocky mountain edges. Chances are there will be Dall Sheep grazing above.
Seward Highway Highlights
McHugh Creek Park– A very short hike up the trail will yield a nice overlook of Cook Inlet and the beginning of Turnagain Arm. There is a spider web of wooded trails that start here also.
Beluga Point Pull Off– Paved area on the water side of the road. Good location to observe Beluga whales when they are in the area chasing fish as well as a popular place to watch kite surfers as they play in the prevalent winds.
Windy Point Pull Off– Another pull off on the water side but this is for mountain viewing. Dall sheep can often be found here. There is a short scrambling trail here.
Bird Creek Campground and Day Use Park– Located on the water side across the street from the Essential Gas Station. Nice paved walkway/bike trail along the water that actually runs all the way to Girdwood. Good place to stretch the legs.
As you leave Girdwood and head south on the Seward Highway you will see several dilapidated cabins and buildings as well as ghost trees. These are the direct result of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake that measured 9.2. This was the second largest earthquake ever recorded in the world and the largest to hit the Northern Hemisphere. The land along the head of Turnagain Arm sank about 8 feet and the resulting tsunami killed a total of 139 people including 16 people in Oregon and California. The only road that leads to Seward, Hope and the rest of the Kenai Peninsula was destroyed at that time.
Highlights South of Girdwood:
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a good way to view local wildlife in a more natural setting. Just about everything you’d expect to find in Alaska can be found here including wolves, caribou, bears, wolverine, lynx, porcupines, etc. They have recently raised and reintroduced wood bison in western Alaska where they once thrived. Adults $16 https://www.alaskawildlife.org/
Portage Glacier– The road to the Portage Glacier Visitor’s Center is quite beautiful but this area can get some of the worst weather. Pick your days! There are multiple campgrounds along the road as well as salmon viewing areas. The road divides as you get closer to Portage Lake and the visitor’s center. The road that veers to the right will take you to Byron Glacier and the boat to Portage Glacier. Byron Glacier Trail is the easiest way to get close to a glacier and enjoy those beautiful blue colors. The trail is only a few hundred yards from the parking lot. While you can no longer see the glacier from the Portage Glacier Visitors Center, you can get a $39 ticket to take a boat ride to the face of the glacier. Details on the Portage Area at: http://www.alaska.org/guide/portage-valley
Whittier Tunnel- Gateway to Prince William Sound- Glaciers and Fishing! If you want to get transported to an unusual place to live with buildings that look like they are from the Russian Gulag era, this is your time machine. Whittier was developed as an ice free port to transport military equipment during WW11. The 2.5 mile narrow tunnel is shared with the train so you want to check the schedule before you go! This is North America’s longest highway tunnel and was built to withstand -40 degree temperatures and 150 mph winds! Round trip for a passenger vehicle is $13. Schedule and webcam in Whittier: http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/schedule.shtml After passing through the tunnel you will be amazed at the hanging glaciers and waterfalls in this narrow valley. As you exit the tunnel you will notice a public outhouse and trail on the right side. This is the start of Portage Pass Trail which terminates along Portage Lake, about 2 miles in. Near the half way point there should be an outstanding view of Portage Glacier. This is rated moderate with a 1,600 ft elevation gain. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/alaska/portage-pass Whittier is home to the large cruise ships as well as the famous “26 Glacier Tour“. Prices range from $109 to $159 which includes a meal and guaranteed NO SEASICKNESS! https://www.phillipscruises.com/cruises/26-glacier-cruise.php Both of these trips will burn up a full day. Whittier would also be a good place to book a saltwater fishing trip.
Train Ride to Spencer Glacier
This is a great way to spend the afternoon. You can hop on the train in Girdwood for a round trip $129 (1.5 hr) ride or drive south toward Portage to the train depot for a $89 round trip ride (20 min). https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ The Girdwood train leaves around 11 am and returns at 7:30. Once you arrive at Spencer Glacier you will find a level gravel trail that leads you to the iceberg filled lake in front of the glacier. The trail continues on toward the side of the glacier. There are extended excursions that can be added on such as a raft trip with some whitewater which connects up with the train again or you can kayak in the lake. Check out more information at: https://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel-planning/destinations/spencer-glacier-whistle-stop
When one thinks of Alaska they often times envision great mountain ranges and the soaring peaks of Denali (formerly Mt McKinley). Many of you will soon realize that getting to Denali Park or other attractions in Alaska can gobble up large chunks of your day. You will find yourself looking at your watch and dashing from site to site. DO NOT CRAM TOO MUCH INTO YOUR TRIP! You will have to come back. I will be posting in the future a blog about the wonderful activities you can do or see between Anchorage and Denali Park. I honestly think it would take about three weeks to really absorb and enjoy yourselves just in the South Central area that is centered around Anchorage.
Camping / Hiking in Denali Park
I will start by saying that this is not like many parks where you drive to a pull off and hike a specified trail. The only road that goes into the park is 92 miles long. You can drive the first 15 miles. The rest of the park is reached by park buses that you may hop on and off. Information and reservations for the buses can be found at: https://www.reservedenali.com/tours-transits/transits/
There are a few designated short but pleasant hikes, mainly near the entrance, otherwise, Denali park is a trail-less system. There are 87 units that you must get a permit to camp in. Some of these units have a maximum of 2 people at a time! You must camp out of sight and at least a half mile from the road. Some of the valleys are so huge you could spend a full day hiking before you are clearly out of sight of the road. In these situations you can usually find a grove of trees or small hill to tuck behind. Information on backcountry camping can be found at: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/backpacking-guide.htm
If you are going to be camping in the backcountry, please be aware of the following: You need to be at the Denali Visitor Center early in the morning. It is located 1.5 miles in the park. You can request a unit permit at that time but no sooner than 1 day in advance. You must use a bear canister that can be borrowed from the park. You must watch a backcountry video and attend a safety talk. I would highly recommend a mosquito jacket and hat. I think I paid less than $20 for the jacket.
Campground Summary
There are 6 campgrounds located within the park. Reservations are highly recommended for the two areas you can access with your own vehicle, Riley Creek and Salvage. There is a third campground, Teklanika, which you may drive to but it requires a minimum 3 night stay. There are two campgrounds, Sanctuary and Igloo, that are tent sites only (7 each). These can only be reserved at the park and no earlier than two days in advance. The most remote campground is Wonder Lake which is located 85 miles into the park. It is associated with the iconic Ansel Adams photo of Denali. This is a tent only site and is accessed via the bus system. More information about the campgrounds can be found at https://www.reservedenali.com/camping-dining/camping-experience/Reservations are by phone: 1 800 622-7275
Two Day Plan Direct to Denali
I would highly recommend staying two nights near Denali and driving out the morning of the third day so you can enjoy the experience of the town. You will probably be exhausted after a full day in the park.
Assuming you leave Anchorage mid morning you should be able to drive to Denali Park in 4 to 5 hours (265 miles) and arrive early enough to be able to stage for the next big day. We usually buy groceries in Palmer at Fred Meyer or Safeway before heading North. I’d recommend topping off your gas tank in Wasilla to avoid “remote” gas prices. You certainly want to pull over at Denali View South to stretch your legs andcatch a view of Denali. On rare clear days you may see Denali while you are driving the Parks Hwy. Once you get to the park you may want to go to the Denali Visitors Center located about 1.5 miles up the park road to get information on the buses, etc for the next day.
1st NIGHT:
The least expensive way to stay near the park is to camp. Riley Creek Campground, one mile into Denali Park, is our place of choice. There are no hook ups but there is a store, laundry and showers available plus bus info and tickets. The hotels in Denali townsite are expensive. They are mainly connected to the cruise lines. Another option is to look for cabin accommodations. Here’s a starting point: http://www.alaska.org/destination/denali-national-park/cabin-rentals One thing for sure is you want to have reservations verses coming out of the park at night and trying to find something.
Dining Options in Denali:
Prospector-Voted the number one bar in Alaska. Incredible selection of Belgian ales plus darn good pizza. Family friendly.
Salmon Bake-I have no experience with dining here but they are owned by 49th State who also owns the Prospector.
49th State Brewery-Located about 10 miles north of Denali in the town of Healy. Pretty unique dining experience. Good food but usually crowded. They have a large courtyard with a bonfire and lawn darts and a frisbee golf basket and a replica of the bus from the book/movie INTO THE WILD. Worth going inside the bus where diary information is on display.
After Dinner Drinks and Dessert locations: Karsten’s located on the back side of the McKinley Chalet complex. Soaring ceilings, beautiful construction with an expansive deck out back with fire pits and a courtyard stage with folk music. They offer S’more kits! The Overlook Restaurant– Located on the hillside above the main townsite on Crow’s Nest road. The Denali townsite is only about 3 blocks long so it’s easy to get directions from a local.
2nd DAY:
Get going early! Head into the park and get your bus ticket. Go to Wonder Lake if you have the time. You may get off and on the bus at any of their stops. They usually stop long enough to take pictures and bathroom visits or you can catch another bus later on. Bus Reserve at: https://www.reservedenali.com/tours-transits/transits/
Side Trips – Anchorage to Denali
Got extra time to explore? This may be my specialty!
Anchorage Eateries and Pubs
There are plenty of places to eat in Anchorage but some of the ones we repeatedly go to are:
Center of town: Humpy’s-affordable, varied menu items, very casual. https://www.humpysalaska.com/ Glacier Brewhouse-Lovely building, slightly more upscale with open kitchen area, very good beer and chocolate peanut butter pie! https://www.glacierbrewhouse.com/
Notable Breweries-Anchorage Brewing Company started in 2012 in the basement of what is now 49th State Brewing. Former Midnight Sun brewer, Gabe Fletcher, shared the brewing equipment with Sleeping Lady and began to bottle unique beers which were typically corked. Won best new brewer in the world out of 1500 entries. His barleywine was rated as #1 in the world. Beautiful small brewery located in the south end of Anchorage. https://anchoragebrewing.company/King Street Brewing is across the street and feaures a large roof top deck. Neither of these breweries serve food. Midnight Sun does have food and some very top notch beers. They have produced “Alaska’s Most Wanted” series of beer which is an appropriate name! Worth collecting and stashing in the cellar. https://midnightsunbrewing.com/
PALMER
45 mins north of Anchorage. This is the state’s main agricultural area. Cute little town surrounded by jagged mountains. Suggested eats and drinks:
Vagabond Blueshttps://www.yelp.com/biz/vagabond-blues-palmer (Coffee shop, sandwich Vegan options) Palmer Ale Househttp://palmeralehouse.com/ (Outdoor seating if it’s a nice day). Bleeding Heart Brewery- I’d highly recommend the funkiest brewery you’ll ever visit:but there is no food unless a food truck happens to be here, Reportedly named by one of the brewers during a brutal breakup! You drive through farmland and then around a farmhouse to the equipment shed where the brewery is located. Grab a Beet IPA and sit outside around a wooden spool with chicken pecking by your feet and cows outside the seating area. They are still brewing in (16?) tiny, homebrew fermenters!!! https://bleedingheartbrewery.com/?fbclid=IwAR35MkAPgrwiMKxamkf-d_j98tRJjCRLxh7tiRZM0aqpHPJ_W6-ZOsms6jg#store
AND NOW FOR YOUR BIG DECISIONS! CHOOSE WISELY..
You won’t regret going straight to Talkeetna (2 hrs from Palmer). You may have a chance to land a tent camping spot at the end of the street in downtown with an outhouse (12 sites?). You can really go rustic if you like and hike along the river and pitch a tent along the bank. I like being around town at night as its nice to not have to drive if you are going to enjoy the night life.
OPTIONS: 1). Want to walk on a glacier? Take a right turn out of Palmer heading to Glennallen (and by the way, the only road out of Alaska!) for a 1.5 hr drive to Glacier View. This will eat up your day (est. 6 hrs including the drive to and from the glacier) and you will get into Talkeetna toward evening. The drive is wonderful and slightly scary due to huge drop offs! http://matanuskaglacieradventures.us/matanuska-glacier-summer-tours/ $30 self guided (my recommendation) but if you want a guided trip on the glacier it will cost you $100. This seemed to be the best deal if you want to do a combo – Class 5 river rafting close to Girdwood and a guided glacier hike at Glacier View. https://www.novalaska.com/tour-list/glacier-hike-amp-six-mile-creek-raft-combo
2). Hatcher PassOption 1-Wonderful mountainous area just outside Palmer (40 mins.drive). We go here at Thanksgiving time to ski around the abandoned Independence Gold Mine. There is an A-frame lodge by the parking lot at the trail head. Recommend going in for a drink after you hike but it’s spendy ($9.50(?) for a hot chocolate with schnops). Trail to the mine is only a quarter mile but you’ll put in an additional half mile around the buildings. Probably take 1.5 hrs depending on how curious you are.
Hatcher PassOption 2 Reed Lakes, one of our favorite trails.The trail head is just below the road to Independence Mine. You will turn on a pretty rough road called Archangel but it’s not much of a drive to the trail head. The main trail is 8.7 miles round trip but it is worth scrambling beyond the last waterfall to the upper most lake. This trail is basically all alpine. You edge along the mountain side overlooking a series of beaver ponds in the valley below and then scramble for about half an hour over and along a stream guarded by car size boulders before it opens to a high alpine lake and waterfall. I would estimate you will be on the trail for 4 to 6 hours depending on how much you scramble around and snack stops. Beautiful !https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/alaska/reed-lakes-trail?fbclid=IwAR3lHlSVuI-rzDytV0fxFVWI87esKf25SfRpdrNHGGF6lTA01WXcnBrKO_4
YOU CAN DRIVE THROUGH HATCHER PASS AND BE BACK ON THE PARKS HIGHWAY TO TALKEETNA BUT I think the rental cars might exclude this area. Not too bad but it is all gravel and snow can be present until July.
What to do and where to stay in Talkeetna: Turn right off the Parks Hwy onto Talkeetna Spur Rd. It is well marked. On the way to Talkeetna is a Birch Syrup store that does mini tours. I believe they provide close to 50% of the worlds birch syrup. They tap 16,000 trees! Then there is Denali Brewing. Funky warehouse setting with outdoor seating. They are one of the biggest brewers in the state. They have a downtown location with good food and a nice log cabin atmosphere. Twister Creek IPA is one of the most popular in the state. In the same area is The Flying Squirrel. It’s a cute bakery with a natural food slant including good coffee and pastries. Next big stop as you are swooping into Talkeetna from a hill is a turnoff on the left. From here you may see some of the best views of Denali and the surrounding mountain ranges.
The Park Service Visitor Center, located at the end of the street toward the riverfront, is worth a visit. Mahay’s river boat adventures offers jet boat excursions http://www.mahaysriverboat.com/ I think the best bargain is the Hurricane Gulch train ride. This is one of the last whistle stop trains around. People heading to their cabin or camping area can arrange to have the train stop so they can unload their supplies and then wave the train to stop for their return trip. You can bring a cooler with food and drinks (beer, etc) onboard. Takes about 7.5 hrs. Only runs Thurs through Mon. $108. Get your tickets early! https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ride-a-train/our-trains/hurricane-turn
Nagley’s Store is a classic supply store that handles everything. Be sure to go upstairs. This was once home to Talkeetna’s former mayor, Stubbs, the orange cat who survived a dog attack but eventually passed away a few years ago at age 20. The West Rib is located at the back of Nagy’s and features some classic climbing gear, photos and food. Good hamburgers. The WildflowerCafe has some delicious food as well as Denali Brewing across the street. Mountain High Pizza is popular and features outside seating. For night life everyone heads to the Fairview Inn for live music.
About 50 miles north of Talkeetna on your way to Denali is a rustic campground situated on a beautiful lake with views of the mountain. Kayak rentals are available here as well as 3 rustic, dry cabins and 73 campsites. Cabins can be reserved in advance. Worth stopping and kayaking around if you have the time. This is about 90 miles from Denali Park.
Casual wear is the norm for Alaska. Even in the more expensive restaurants you will fit in wearing blue jeans and a button shirt.
You will have plenty of opportunities to get your feet wet while hiking most of the trails so be prepared to change out shoes when you get back to the car. Also wind and rain will always appear if you aren’t prepared for it!
The following are recommended if you will be doing some hiking, otherwise normal Lower 48 wear will do:
Poly, Fleece shirts/ blouse (cotton can get wet and chilly!)
Quick drying hiking pants
Wind blocking jacket or rain jacket
Wool, Poly socks
Trail shoes and some sandals or casual shoes to change into. Hiking boots are not really necessary unless you are traversing a rocky slope or heavily cobble stoned river valley.
Bears!
Everyone wants to see a bear when they visit Alaska, safely, from a distance. The truth is, it is not that common to see a bear while out hiking. There are certain areas where your chances are greater and you should be prepared. Starting in June the bears begin to gather in greater numbers along salmon streams. Later in the summer they will be seen foraging on berries and can be spotted from the shorelines all the way to the alpine meadows.
Your chances of being attacked by a bear are extremely small but don’t be apathetic about it. I’ve read there are approximately 3 humans killed by a bear every year, 26 killed by dogs and 90 killed by lightning. These tips will reduce those odds:
Carry bear spray if you are going into the back country. The unfortunate thing is the cost. You can find it on sale for $27 occasionally but expect to pay around $45 and….. you can’t put it on the airplane to take it back home. We may be able to help you resell it.
You will be relatively safe hiking shorter, popular trails where you can hear or see other groups ahead or behind you. Talking and making loud noises will alert bears that you are in the area and bears do not want to see you. If you get into an area with thick brush you should give out an occasional shout..”YO BEAR” works!
Bear bells – There is a joke about how you can tell if it’s brown bear scat. It will have little bells in it and smell like pepper. Yuck, yuck! A brown bear behaviorist, after observing bears and people interactions in Katmai Park, noted the following . He said that bells did little to alert bears and offered the theory that they sounded similar to birds. He encouraged people to talk and occasionally shout as this is the best method to alert bears to your presence.
Final word on bears – Hike in groups. Stay in groups! It does no good to start off feeling safe because there are a few of you in a group and then you wander off ahead or let someone fall behind. Stay together!
My Alaska Dream Trip 