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.
Gold panning is one of Alaska's most hands-on visitor experiences, and two excellent sites are within day-trip distance of Anchorage: Crow Creek Mine in Girdwood (operating since 1898) and Hatcher Pass Independence Mine State Historical Park. Here's how to plan your visit.
Discover Alaska's most unusual animal experiences near Anchorage: reindeer farm, musk ox tours, wildlife conservation center, zoo, and SeaLife Center.
Deep inside Mendenhall Glacier, meltwater has carved chambers and tunnels of compressed ancient ice — glowing an impossible blue in the half-light. The caves are only reachable by guided tour, they change every year as the glacier retreats, and they sell out weeks in advance. Here's everything you need to plan your 2026 visit.
Girdwood sits 45 minutes from Anchorage: Alyeska's Glacier Bowl Gondola, Winner Creek's hand-tram, Crow Creek Mine gold panning, and excellent dining await.
Discover how Alaska's endless summer days create the perfect conditions for unforgettable adventures, from flightseeing tours to sled dog experiences and glacier exploration.
About 26 miles from Anchorage, Eklutna pairs two of the most distinctive destinations in the region: a historic Athabascan village with a cemetery unlike anything else in Alaska, and a glacially-fed turquoise lake backed by towering peaks.
Discover the ultimate Alaska summer adventures including flightseeing, sled dog experiences, and scenic drives during the peak tourism season.
Plan your Anchorage to Denali day trip: Alaska Railroad, Parks Highway, or guided tour — plus bus reservations, best months, and what to do in the park.
From beginner flatwater at Eklutna Lake to glacier kayaking in Prince William Sound, here's how to plan your paddling near Anchorage in summer 2026.
Plan the Anchorage to Homer road trip in 2026 — 225 miles of Kenai Peninsula scenery with Beluga Point, Portage Glacier, Girdwood, Soldotna, and Homer Spit.