Outdoor Activities in Downtown

Downtown Anchorage serves as a remarkable launching point for outdoor activities, putting you within steps of coastal trails, salmon-filled streams, and mountain views that remind you this is no ordinary city. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail begins at the western edge of downtown and stretches eleven miles along Cook Inlet, offering a paved route for hiking, running, and cycling with mountain and ocean panoramas throughout. Ship Creek, running along downtown's northern boundary, is one of the most accessible urban salmon fisheries in the world — visitors can cast for king and silver salmon within walking distance of their hotel. The Delaney Park Strip provides open green space for outdoor recreation right in the city center. In winter, cross-country ski trails are groomed within reach of downtown, and the frozen landscape offers a starkly beautiful backdrop for walking and photography. The downtown waterfront area provides beluga whale watching opportunities during salmon runs, and moose sightings along the Coastal Trail are a regular occurrence. For visitors who want outdoor adventures without leaving the city center, downtown Anchorage delivers an experience that is unmatched by any urban area in the Lower 48.