Girdwood & Alyeska Resort Summer Guide 2026: Day Trip from Anchorage

When Anchorage residents need a full-day reset, most of them drive south. Girdwood, Alaska summer things to do fill a complete itinerary without a single repeat — aerial tram rides, zip-line courses through old-growth spruce, a waterfall trail with a hand-pulled gorge crossing, and restaurants that would earn their reputation in any city. Forty miles and 45 minutes down the Seward Highway, Girdwood and Alyeska Resort make one of the best day trips from Anchorage in 2026.

Getting to Girdwood

From downtown Anchorage, take the Seward Highway south. The drive itself is classified as an All-American Road — within 10 miles of leaving the city you are tracing the edge of Turnagain Arm, a glacier-carved fjord with sheer Chugach Mountains on one side and 30-foot tidal flats on the other. Watch for beluga whales in the inlet and Dall sheep on the cliffs above the highway. Girdwood’s exit is at Mile 90, just past the Portage Glacier turnoff.

Parking at Alyeska Resort is free and plentiful. If you want to skip driving, several Anchorage tour operators offer guided day-trip shuttles that depart from downtown hotels.

Alyeska Tram: The Signature Experience

The 60-passenger aerial tram at Alyeska Resort climbs 2,300 vertical feet in seven minutes, dropping you at the top of Mount Alyeska with panoramic views across Turnagain Arm, the Kenai Mountains, and on clear days, the Alaska Range to the north. The tram runs daily through summer 2026 from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with last ascent around 9:00 p.m.

At the summit, the Bore Tide Deli & Bar serves sandwiches, soups, and cold Alaskan beer on a deck overlooking the arm. On clear July evenings, the deck fills with visitors staying through sunset — which in Girdwood comes well after 11 p.m. The Seven Glaciers Restaurant on the same level offers full-service fine dining; reservations are strongly recommended for dinner service.

Tram tickets run approximately $35–$40 for adults. Children under 7 ride free with a paying adult. Allow 1.5–2 hours for the full tram experience including time at the summit.

Zip-lining Through the Forest

Alyeska Resort’s guided zip-line tours run mid-May through early September. The course covers eight lines through Sitka spruce and hemlock forest on the lower mountain, with platforms overlooking the glacier-carved valley below. The full tour takes approximately 2.5 hours and is beginner-friendly — no prior experience needed. Weight limits apply (typically 70–270 lbs); check with the resort for current 2026 requirements.

Zip-lining is one of those activities that photographs better in person than it sounds in description. The canopy perspective over the Girdwood valley — forest dropping away on both sides, mountains framing everything — is genuinely striking. Book in advance; summer weekend slots fill quickly, especially in July.

Winner Creek Trail: Waterfalls & the Hand Tram

Winner Creek Trail is a 4.5-mile out-and-back that starts behind the Alyeska Hotel and leads through old-growth forest to a thundering waterfall gorge. The payoff is the hand-operated tram — a wooden box suspended by cables across the gorge that visitors pull themselves across by rope. It is low-tech, slightly terrifying, and completely memorable.

The trail is mostly flat and accessible for most fitness levels, though the final stretch to the gorge involves some root navigation. Wear waterproof footwear — the forest floor stays wet throughout the summer. Allow 2–3 hours for the full hike. There is no fee and no permit required.

If you want a longer challenge, the Crow Pass Trail begins just outside Girdwood and climbs to Raven Glacier and the ruins of the historic Monarch Mine. It is a strenuous day hike (8 miles round-trip with 3,500 ft gain) but ranks among the most rewarding alpine routes in the Chugach. For other trail options back in Anchorage after your Girdwood day, the Eagle River Nature Center area offers a completely different old-growth valley and wildlife experience worth adding to a multi-day itinerary.

Where to Eat in Girdwood

Chair 5 Restaurant is the best all-around choice in Girdwood for lunch or a casual dinner. The menu runs from wood-fired pizza to halibut tacos, the patio faces the ski hill, and the vibe is exactly right for post-hike hunger. Expect a wait on summer weekends; arrive before noon or after 2 p.m. to skip the crush.

Double Musky Inn is something of an Alaska institution — a Cajun-influenced fine-dining restaurant that has been feeding the après-ski crowd since 1962. The atmosphere is deliberately eccentric (Mardi Gras beads, dark wood, decades of memorabilia), and the food — particularly the pepper steak and the bread pudding — justifies the 40-minute wait that is standard on summer evenings. Cash preferred.

The Bake Shop opens early and makes excellent cinnamon rolls, omelettes, and coffee. It is the correct first stop if you are on an early tram or planning to hit Winner Creek before the trail fills up. For a mountain-deck meal with views of the slopes after the tram, the Sitzmark Bar and Grill at the base of Alyeska is worth a stop — craft beer, outdoor seating, and a menu built for people who just spent three hours outside.

Other Summer Activities

The Max’s Mountain chairlift runs through summer for scenic rides without the zip-line commitment — a good option for families with younger children. The lift drops you at mid-mountain with wide views of the resort valley and connections to several shorter hiking paths.

Girdwood sits near the Portage Valley, which means Portage Glacier is a 15-minute detour on the way home. The visitor center has boat tours that push close to the glacier face (reservations recommended). Wildlife is abundant throughout the valley — black bears are commonly spotted in the meadows near the resort in summer, particularly early morning and evening.

If you are interested in water-based wildlife viewing to complement the Girdwood day, Point Woronzof Park back in Anchorage sits right on the Cook Inlet shoreline — a natural end to a day that started with Turnagain Arm views on the Seward Highway, and one of the best free whale and wildlife watching spots in the city.

Practical Tips for Summer 2026

• Leave Anchorage by 8:00 a.m. to beat traffic on the Seward Highway and get the early-morning tram before crowds build
• Cell service is reliable in the resort village; it drops on some trail sections
• Bears: carry bear spray on Winner Creek and any backcountry trail; this is active black and brown bear habitat year-round
• Weather: Girdwood sits in a mountain valley that makes its own weather — it can be overcast in Girdwood while Anchorage is sunny. Check the local forecast rather than the city forecast
• Overnight option: The Hotel Alyeska is the only full-service hotel in the village; summer rates run $250–$450/night. Book well in advance for July and August weekends

Forty miles is nothing on the Seward Highway. Give yourself a full day, start early, and let Girdwood slow you down the way Alaska mountain towns are supposed to.

Featured photo by Andrew Hanson on Pexels.

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