Outdoor Adventures
Anchorage is your gateway to Alaska’s great outdoors. Find the best hiking trails, fishing spots, wildlife viewing areas, glacier tours, and backcountry adventures. See our full guide to things to do in Anchorage for how outdoor time fits into a broader trip.
Two hours north of Anchorage, Denali State Park offers stunning mountain views, Byers Lake camping, and the Kesugi Ridge Trail above the Alaska Range.
Anchorage sits on major migratory flyways with world-class birding year-round. Here's your guide to the best spots, top species, and seasonal timing for 2026.
At Lake Hood, up to 190 floatplanes take off and land daily — the world's busiest seaplane base, and one of Anchorage's most unique free experiences.
Discover Alaska Railroad routes from Anchorage: the Denali Star, Coastal Classic to Seward, and Glacier Discovery to Whittier. 2026 fares and tips.
Knik Glacier sits at the end of Knik River Road from Palmer — massive blue ice accessible by ATV or foot, no admission fee, no guided tour required.
Walk on Matanuska Glacier, Alaska's largest road-accessible glacier — just 2 hours from Anchorage. Blue ice, ice caves, and views you won't forget.
Painted spirit houses, a 19th-century log church, and 800 years of Dena'ina history — 25 miles from Anchorage on the Glenn Highway.
Alaska Railroad threads roadless wilderness between Anchorage, Seward, Denali, and Fairbanks — one of North America's most spectacular train routes.
Two and a half hours from Anchorage on the Seward Highway, Seward offers glacier cruises, the Alaska SeaLife Center, and fresh halibut at the harbor.
Anchorage sits at the intersection of three flyways — here's your 2026 guide to Potter Marsh, Westchester Lagoon, and the city's best birding spots.