Bordered on one side by the scenic Seward Highway, Turnagain Arm is a spectacular setting for wildlife watching, nature photography, and hiking, all just south of Anchorage.

The arm draws its name for British explorer James Cook, who was forced to “turn again” when the waterway didn’t hold the fabled Northwest Passage during his 1778 voyage. There’s no path through the continent, but there are plenty of reasons to go down the arm. The Seward Highway is its own destination, designated as a USDA Forest Service Scenic Byway, an Alaska Scenic Byway, and an All-American Road. Turnouts at Beluga Point, Windy Corner, or Bird Point are perfect spots to view the Kenai and Chugach mountains and spot beluga whales and Dall sheep.

The bore tide, a wave of water that rushes down the arm and can top six feet tall, is an unusual, unforgettable sight. Formed by the area’s huge tidal range and focused in the narrow channel of Turnagain Arm, the bore tide tops speeds of 20 mph and even draws a few adventurous local surfers.

The highway also means plenty of access points into the mountains for hiking. A laundry list of trailheads – McHugh Creek, Rainbow, and Bird are among the favorites – all branch off from day-use parking along the road. From streamside walks to challenging ascents, the terrain is varied but always enjoyable.

• Tripadvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: N/A
• Admission Fee: Free
• Address: Anchorage, AK 99516
• Opening Hours: Year round

The Chugach National Forest, roughly the size of New Hampshire, has a geographic diversity that is truly unique among national forests. The 5,940,000-acre forest spans three distinct landscapes, extending from the Kenai Peninsula to Prince William Sound and ending in the Copper River Delta. The Chugach National Forest has a plethora of recreational opportunities. Hikers and mountain bikers have access to hundreds of miles of trails, with many excellent options for overnight backpacking trips.

Boating and kayaking are popular activities in Prince William Sound's calm, protected waters. The Chugach National Forest also has a number of fishing spots. Anglers can target rainbow, cutthroat trout, as well as Dolly Varden, Arctic grayling, and all five Pacific salmon species. Many of the fishing spots are easily accessible, with roadside lakes and rivers providing anglers with the opportunity to catch that trophy fish.

There are numerous overnight trip options in the Chugach National Forest. The forest has 15 campgrounds, the majority of which are located along the Kenai Peninsula's road system, making them easily accessible to RV and tent campers. 42 public use cabins are scattered throughout the forest, nestled in scenic spots on lakes, quiet forests, and in beautiful mountain passes.

With the snow comes even more recreation opportunities in winter. The Chugach National Forest is a popular destination for cross-country and backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, fat-tire biking, and snowmobiling.

• Tripadvisor Rating: 5.0/5
• Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/chugach
• Admission Fee: Free
• Opening Hours: Daily
• Address: Seward, AK 99664

The Alaska Railroad is a modern railroad that runs 470 miles from Seward to Fairbanks, stopping in popular destinations such as Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Preserve, and others. The Alaska Railroad is well-known for its glass-domed rail cars and first-rate service.

Train tours on the Alaska Railroad are a convenient and enjoyable option for those who want to see Southcentral and Interior Alaska but do not want to drive. Take a scenic day trip or book a multi-day package that includes overnight stays at hotels and lodges along the way as well as activities like rafting, wildlife viewing, hiking, ziplining, and more. Flightseeing Denali, cruising through Resurrection Bay or the Kenai Fjord National Park, and a summer dog sled tour are all options.

There are two types of passenger service available, including GoldStar Service, which features glass-domed ceilings and outside viewing platforms. Dining cars serve locally sourced food and beverages, allowing you to enjoy hearty and delicious meals on your journey. Local tour guides provide narration and point out bears, moose, bald eagles, and other wildlife that can be seen along the way.

• Tripadvisor Rating:
• Website: https://www.alaskarailroad.com/
  
• Admission Fee: Adventure Class: Adult $89 - $197/ Child (2-11) $45 - $99, GoldStar Service: Adult $186 - $393/ Child (2-11) $103 - $231
• Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Sat - Sun 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
  
• Address: Anchorage, AK 99501

Crow Creek Gold Mine, less than an hour's drive south of Anchorage on the Seward Highway, is possibly the most popular recreational mining location in Alaska. Thousands of visitors to the mine try their luck each summer at finding those elusive gold nuggets. Crow Creek is Southcentral Alaska's richest gold mine, having produced over 45,000 ounces of gold, and it is far from mined out. The Bureau of Mines estimated Crow Creek has as much as one million yards of un-mined material left. It is likely that more gold remains than has been found so far.

The weather has been fairly good at Crow Creek the last few years, but this area is much wetter than Anchorage, and it is not unusual for it to be sunny in Anchorage and rainy at Crow Creek. Dress warmly and have rain gear available. Areas near the creek can be nearly pest-free on sunny days, but wetter/cooler weather can bring out lots of mosquitoes, so have insect repellent at hand. Sodas are available for purchase, but you must bring any food you wish with you.

Finally, bring your camera! Crow Creek is set in a very beautiful location, and the mine is a popular site for weddings and company events. The buildings and facilities are available for rent for special occasions. Crow Creek is on the Register of National Historic Places, and the old mining camp buildings are the oldest in the Municipality of Anchorage. Many interesting mining relics have been collected from around the mine for viewing.

• Tripadvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://www.crowcreekgoldmine.com/
  
• Admission Fee: Ages: 13 - 64 $13 ; Children: Ages: 12 & Under $6 ; Senior: Ages: 64+ $11 ; Alaska Resident & Military: With Identification Card $11
• Opening Hours: Daily 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
  
• Address: 601 Crow Creek Mine Rd, Girdwood, AK 99587

Matanuska Glacier, one of Alaska's most accessible glaciers, is a stable 27-mile-long river of ice flowing from the Chugach Mountains almost to the Glenn Highway. With a 4-mile wide terminus visible from one of Alaska's major highways, the Matanuska Glacier is the most popular roadside attraction between Anchorage and Glennallen, and visitors flock to the area in the summer for the glacier’s brilliant views and epic treks.

Most visitors get close to the ice at Glacier Park, a private access area at Mile 102 of the Glenn Highway. A private road leads to a parking lot at the terminal moraine where you can start a guided trek on the glacier. Tour companies offer guided glacier walks that explore this enormous river of ice. Expert guides will get you geared up with helmets, crampons, and poles and lead you safely across the glacier to explore the stunning blue maze of ice. Tours are available year-round and last 1–2 hours.

To the south of Glacier Park is Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Area, a 229-acre recreation area located adjacent to the Glenn Highway at Mile 101. Although there is no direct access to the glacier, this state site provides some of the best views of the Matanuska Glacier and the headwaters of the Matanuska River, plus a campground with 12 campsites. Visitors can take a 20-minute stroll through the forested Edge Nature Trail to reach the glacier viewing platforms.

Beyond viewing the magnificence of the glacier, popular summer activities in the area include glacier trekking, river rafting, and hiking. Winter activities include skiing, snowshoeing, and snow machining.

• Tripadvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: https://glacier-tours.com/
  
• Admission Fee: Teens (13-16): $25 · Adults (17+): $35 · Alaska Residents, Military and Seniors (65+): $30
• Opening Hours: Daily 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
• Address: 66500 S Glacier Park Rd, AK 99674

Prince William Sound encompasses 3,800 miles of coastline, bounded to the east and north by the Chugach Mountains and to the west by the Kenai Peninsula. Commercially important for the fishing and oil industries, the sound is also prized for its abundance of marine and coastal life, its rain forest of Sitka spruce and western hemlock, and its glacier-studded landscape. The sound contains 150 glaciers including 17 tidewater glaciers, known for dramatically calving huge ice chunks into the sea.

More than 220 species of birds, 30 species of land mammals, and at least a dozen marine mammal species are found in the region. Bald eagles are plentiful along treetops and shorelines. Among the estimated 200,000 seabirds that summer in the sound are marbled murrelets, black-legged kittiwakes, and glaucous-winged gulls.

Along western Prince William Sound, black bears may be seen on narrow beaches below mountainous, glacier-choked vistas. To the east, including on Hinchinbrook, Montague, and Hawkins islands, brown bears roam their favored lowlands and are most often seen fishing when the salmon are spawning. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for moose and mountain goats as well. Resident marine mammals include humpback, sei, fin, minke, and killer whales as well as Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and sea otters, all of which reach some of their greatest numbers in Prince William Sound.

Though rugged and wild, the sound is easy to access. Through a tunnel roadway completed in 2000, the western Prince William Sound community of Whittier offers a gateway to this marine wilderness about an hour’s drive from Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage. You can also access the sound from the north, at the port of Valdez, via the Richardson Highway.

• Tripadvisor Rating: 5.0/5
• Website: https://www.alaska.org/destination/prince-william-sound
  
• Admission Fee: Free
• Opening Hours: Daily
  
• Address: Gulf of Alaska, Alaska

Portage Valley, located an hour southeast of Anchorage at the head of Turnagain Arm, is an adventure haven. This beautiful valley is surrounded by mountains with ice fields and glaciers. There are excellent hiking and biking trails, as well as paddling opportunities on the relatively gentle Portage River and a couple of easily accessible lakes. Begin your adventure by learning about the surrounding glaciers and wildlife at the Begich Bogg Visitor Center. To get up close and personal with Portage Glacier, book a one-hour boat ride on Portage Lake.

The Trail of Blue Ice is located near the visitor center. On the east side of the valley, this easy, beautiful trail is a mix of gravel and boardwalks that wind through woods, past ponds, and over small streams. This trail is a lot of fun to ride. The Byron Glacier Trail is another nearby trail that is an easy stroll along the glacial-fed creek to Byron Glacier.

Family-friendly activities continue at Alder Pond, a popular rainbow trout fishing spot. Whitewater sports can be enjoyed in the accessible Portage Creek, or paddling in the Portage Lake below Portage Pass, although the Gold Rush route can be prone to inclement weather. Check the weather before you set out to the Portage Valley. Like Prince William Sound, the valley can sometimes be quite stormy.

• Tripadvisor Rating: 4.5/5
• Website: N/A
  
• Admission Fee: Free
• Opening Hours: Daily
  
• Address: Girdwood, AK 99587

Katmai National Park and Preserve, one of the best day trips from Alaska, is approximately 260 miles southwest of Anchorage and is a true wilderness destination. Some come for the otherworldly volcanic landscape of the Valley of 10,000 Smokes, but most come for bears. About 2,200 brown bears inhabit the park and many congregate on the Brooks River, making this one of the best spots for bear viewing in Alaska.

In addition to bear viewing, Katmai National Park offers opportunities to raft, hike the Valley of 10,000 Smokes, camp in the backcountry, kayak the chain of lakes and rivers known as the Savonoski Loop, or explore the more remote coves and bays along the park’s coastline. Brooks Camp, the park's summer headquarters on the shores of Naknek Lake, is the hub of activity at Katmai and its most developed area. The camp features a lodge and restaurant, a campground, a store, kayak rentals, and the Brooks Camp Visitor Center, where visitors can sign up for daily ranger-led tours in the park.

Accommodations and camping at Brooks Camp book up very quickly so it’s best to make your reservations as early as possible. Scattered throughout the park and on the outside coast are a number of fly-in lodges that offer all-inclusive package trips. Some are designated exclusively for bear viewing, and some cater to sport anglers and include boats for traveling on the large lakes and up rivers.

Bears aren’t the only ones fishing in the park. Katmai is also home to the Alagnak Wild River and Naknek Lake, the largest lake in the park, supporting all five species of Pacific salmon as well as rainbow trout, Arctic char, Arctic grayling, and northern pike, making the park a famed destination for sport anglers.

• Tripadvisor Rating: 5.0/5
• Website: https://www.nps.gov/katm/
  
• Admission Fee: Free
• Opening Hours: Daily
  
• Address: King Salmon, AK 99613

Kenai Fjords National Park is one of the most popular of Alaska’s national parks and provides both leisurely and adventurous activities for visitors, including boat tours, kayaking, camping, public use cabins, fishing, beach combing, biking, hiking, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, ranger programs, flightseeing, and mountaineering.

To see tidewater glaciers and the park's abundant marine wildlife up-close, join a full-day or half-day boat tour departing from Seward that explores the areas, rugged coastline, islands, towering mountains, and stunning fjords, including Aialik Bay and Northwestern Fjord. For the truly adventurous, the coastal fjords are a kayaker's dream, and many visitors utilize drop-off services from water taxis or join guided tours to spend days paddling among icebergs in protected fjords.

The park is home to only a few trails found at the end of Exit Glacier Road, which spurs off the Seward Highway just outside of Seward. At the end of this 8 mile-long road is the impressive Exit Glacier, along with the Exit Glacier Nature Center and trails that offer views of the glacier and the impressive Harding Icefield. Hikers can ascend 1,000 feet over 4 miles along the Harding Icefield Trail for breathtaking views alongside and above the icefield. Experienced mountaineers equipped with skis, ice axes, and crampons can continue on to explore the icefield. For an easier, more accessible hike, take the one-mile Glacier View Loop Trail from the Exit Glacier Nature Center to view Exit Glacier from the valley floor.

Also along the road is Exit Glacier Campground, the only formal campground in the park, and the southern trailhead for the Resurrection River Trail that heads 16 miles north into Chugach National Forest. For those interested an overnight wilderness adventure, Kenai Fjords National Park is home to several public use cabins and lodges accessible by boat during the summer months.

• Tripadvisor Rating: 5.0/5
• Website: https://www.nps.gov/kefj/index.htm
  
• Admission Fee: Free
• Opening Hours: Daily 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
• Address: Seward, AK 99664

A number of Iditarod and Yukon Quest mushing champions have turned their love of the sport into a thriving tour business. While winter is the high season for dog sled racing, you can experience the best Alaska dog sled tours year-round in Paws for Adventure.

Dog Sledding has been a pivotal part of the Alaskan culture for centuries. Come rain or shine, summer or winter, these dogs are ready to rock and roll; so you better be ready for an adventure. More than just dogs, these are full-time athletes who are in the prime of their life.

Even without snow, summer offers plenty of dog sled tour opportunities. Most mushers’ kennels offer tours and demonstrations where you can learn about the history of the sport, how the dogs are trained, and pet the dogs and puppies. Then, you’ll climb aboard a wheeled cart pulled by the dog team so you can experience the thrill of dog mushing for yourself. If you’re keen to get on the snow, join a helicopter dog sled tour, where you’ll take a helicopter up to a glacier and ride a dog sled on the snow and ice under the endless summer sun.

In winter you can experience dog mushing on a classic dog sled as you glide across the snowy landscape. Winter tours are typically smaller, with just one or two guests per sled, plus the musher. Visit lively dog kennels and learn hands-on mushing techniques. Some backcountry winter lodging options will transport you to their properties via dog sled for a truly unique Alaska experience.

• Tripadvisor Rating: 5.0/5
• Website: https://www.pawsforadventure.com/
• Admission Fee: Short Alaska Dog Mushing Tour - $80/ 30 minutes; One Hour Alaska Dog Sledding Adventure - $140/ 60 minutes
• Opening Hours: Daily 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Address: Herning Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99712