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.
See critically endangered beluga whales for free — from a downtown fish ladder, a Seward Highway pullout, or a paved coastal trail. Complete 2026 guide to Cook Inlet beluga watching from Anchorage.
Alaska's largest lake near Anchorage sits inside Chugach State Park — hike the lakeside trail, rent a kayak, camp, and spot moose from the shore.
Lake Hood is the world's busiest floatplane base — and one of Anchorage's best free attractions. Here's where to watch, what you'll see, the Alaska Aviation Museum, and how to book a floatplane tour yourself.
Glacier calving — ice the size of buildings breaking into the sea — is one of Alaska's most dramatic spectacles. Here's where to watch it from Anchorage in 2026, from Kenai Fjords boat tours to Hubbard Glacier cruises.
Hatcher Pass and Turnagain Pass offer world-class backcountry skiing within two hours of Anchorage. Here is what you need before heading out.
See bears, bison, musk ox, moose & wolves at Alaska's premier wildlife sanctuary — just 50 miles from Anchorage in scenic Portage Valley.
Drive Alaska's most iconic road: 127 miles of fjords, glaciers, and wildlife along the Seward Highway. Complete 2026 guide with every stop, timing tips, and what not to miss.
Guide to Alaska State Parks near Anchorage: Chugach State Park trails, Eklutna Lake kayaking and biking, and Portage Valley day-trip options for 2026.
Portage Glacier is 50 miles south of Anchorage — take a boat cruise on the iceberg-filled lake, walk to Byron Glacier, and visit Begich Boggs Center.
Everything you need for Alaska halibut fishing near Anchorage in 2026 — charters, best spots, full season tips, gear guide, regulations, and catch handling.