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Southcentral Alaska
Anchorage
Alaska's largest city, Anchorage (pop. 254,849), is a
popular visitor destination and center of commerce for the
region. Luxury hotels, fine cuisine, and shopping are only
minutes from state parks, an extensive paved coastal trail
system, and several historical sites.
Visitors enjoy local wildlife museums, the Alaska Zoo, and Potter's Marsh, where up to 130 species of waterfowl can be viewed from a boardwalk. See geographical reminders of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake at Earthquake Park. Visit the National Bank of Alaska Heritage Library and Museum, and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art for changing exhibits of local history, Alaskan art and Native culture.
A short trip north of town takes you to the Eagle River Visitor Center and alpine scenery of Chugach State Park. At Eklutna Village Historical Park, tour St. Nicholas Russian Church and see brightly painted "spirit houses."
South of Anchorage, pan for gold nuggets and visit authentic mining buildings at Crow Creek Mine. For spectacular views of Turnagain Arm, hike Crow Pass Trail, part of the Iditarod Trail to the gold fields of Interior Alaska in the early 1900s.
A few miles south of Crow
Creek, the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center offers interpretive
displays and a view of Portage Glacier. At a nearby Alaska
Railroad stop, you can load your vehicle onto a flatcar for
a 30-minute trip to Whittier and the recreational
opportunities of Prince William Sound.
Prince William Sound
The Sound encompasses 10,000 square miles of protected
waterways, islands, fjords, and 100,000 glaciers. The region
offers ocean habitat for whales, porpoise, sea otters, sea
lions, and seals. Deer, bear, goats, and sheep inhabit the
mainland.
The communities of Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova provide access to the area via day cruises, charter boat, flightseeing tours, and state ferry. One of the most famous attractions is Columbia Glacier (four miles wide and over 200 feet high at the face). On some trips, the Alaska state ferries cruise within 3.5 miles of the glacier.
From Whittier, cruises take visitors to many of the Sound's most spectacular glaciers, and offer a chance to see a variety of sea birds and marine mammals. The town was created during World War II, for use as a cargo port and petroleum depot.
Visitor services are available in Valdez. Tour the Marine Terminal of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, visit the town's museum, or drive to the beautiful waterfall at Solomon Gulch.
Accessible by ferry or
air, the port of Cordova offers exceptional sportfishing,
and hiking on nearby trails.
Kenai Peninsula
Seward's harbor bustels with cruiseships, fishing charters,
wildlife cruises, and sailing. Visit Kenai Fjords National
Park to look for whales, seals, and sea lions. The new
Alaska SeaLife Center offers close viewing of marine mammels
and sea birds. Drive to nearby Exit Glacier and explore a
tip of Harding Icefield. Join Fourth of July festivities, as
racers challenge a 3,022-foot trail on Mt.
Marathon.
Travel southwest through Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, a habitat for 6,500 moose, to the town of Soldotna where you can fish for "Kenai River Kings." One of these salmon, caught in 1985, set the state record at 97 pounds, 4 ounces. In nearby Kenai, visit one of the finest Russian Orthodox churches in Alaska.
The town of Ninilchik offers impressive views of Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Illiamma across Cook Inlet. Local scenery includes a colorful fishing fleet and a Russian Orthodox church. Fish for salmon or halibut, or go clamming on easily accessible beaches.
Heading south, visit Anchor Point, the westernmost highway point in North America. Campgrounds in the area provide opportunities to enjoy the coastal scenery.
At the end of the Sterling
Highway, you'll find Homer, a bustling fishing and artist
community. The Homer Spit offers five miles of beaches along
Kachemak Bay, where fishing for salmon and halibut is
excellent. From Homer, take the ferry to Seldovia for
fishing, camping, and a visit to the beautiful St. Nicholas
Russian Orthodox church.
Matanuska & Susitna River Valleys
The Matanuska Valley is fertile farmland, where cabbages can
grow to 96 pounds. Huge vegetables are just one of the
attractions at the State Fair in Palmer during August. The
area was settled by farm families who came from the Midwest
as part of a New Deal relief program in 1935. Enjoy a guided
raft trip, or take a walk on nearby Matanuska
Glacier.
In the Susitna Valley, explore Wasilla, home of the Iditarod Trail Committee Visitor Center. Near town, you'll find the unique Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry. Visit the Knik Museum and Sled Dog Mushers Hall of Fame. A few miles to the west, Big Lake is a popular destination for boating and fishing.
A 50-mile scenic loop between the George Parks and Glenn highways takes you over Hatcher Pass to Independence Mine State Historic Park. Visit the park's interpretive center, and explore buildings and equipment at two abandoned gold mines.
Talkeetna is a staging
center for Mt. McKinley climbers. Flightseeing tours of the
mountain are a local specialty. On clear days, Denali State
Park offers vistas of Mt. McKinley.
Wrangell Mountains
Glennallen provides access to the Wrangell Mountains, a
popular destination for backcountry recreation. The ranger
station for Wrangell-St.Elias National Park and Preserve is
at Copper Center. Take the Edgerton Highway and McCarthy
Road, a 93-mile paved/gravel route, to the historical mining
towns of McCarthy and Kennicott.
< Back
to Alaska's Regions
Source: Alaska
Tourism Marketing Council