Things to Do in Anchorage

Just beyond the edge of Anchorage and nestled in the foothills of the Alaskan Rockies lies the third largest state park in America. Chugach State Park boasts half a million acres (202,400 hectares) of hiking, skiing, camping, snowmobiling, rafting, climbing and wildlife viewing right at Anchorage’s doorstep, and which the locals enjoy year-round.

Home to alpine wildflowers, moose calves, pristine streams, howling wolves and glacial-fed rivers, the Chugach State Park is a favorite reminder to all living in Anchorage that wilderness via front-country trails or backcountry bushwhacking is ready and waiting, should you choose to explore it.

Alaska’s largest city is located in the south-central part of the state, at the foot of the Chugach Mountains. Shore excursions will get you into Alaska’s wild outdoors — see Mt McKinley (Denali) on a helicopter tour, go hiking on a glacier or check out gold-mining country.

If you prefer to stay in the city, there are plenty of museums, parks and heritage sites to keep you busy.

How to get to Anchorage
Cruise ships dock in the industrial port near downtown. Some cruise lines offer a free shuttle; there are cabs available if yours does not.

One Day in Anchorage
Take a cab from the port to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. This is a good place to start your day in port, as it’s much more than a museum. Across the center’s 26 acres, you can watch artists work, see a native dance performance and check out the replica villages. Enjoy a walk around the lake and discover what life was like in native Alaskan cultures.

Grab a taxi back to downtown and the Anchorage Museum (or take the shuttle that runs between the two properties). Admire the displays of Alaskan paintings and learn about the state’s long history. When you’ve had your fill of Alaskan culture, head to the Anchorage Zoo (shuttles run from downtown). Explore the zoo’s collection of northern animals, including caribou, moose and bears, of course. When you’re ready to rest your legs, enjoy a picnic in Valley of the Moon Park.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center serves as a welcome wagon for all visitors to Alaska’s rich and diverse history. Here you’ll be able to experience and interact with Native people and their traditions first-hand. Native storytelling, artist demonstrations, Native dance and game performances allow visitors to feel as if they’re living an authentic experience. This is not just a museum - audience participation is encouraged!

In “The Hall of Cultures” you can contemplate over artifacts, manuscripts and images of frontier days in Alaska. You’ll learn what rugged mountains and wildlife helped to make the Yukon great, and what traditional people did to stave off the cold winters and feast in the bright summers. You’ll see how earthen buildings were constructed to be structurally sound and thermally efficient, as well as have the opportunity to buy a traditional Native artifact for a loved one.

Here, at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, visitors get a chance to learn about the great traditions of those native to the land, and see just how amazing life can be in the great outdoors.

What remains of the most powerful recorded earthquake in U.S. and North American history is best viewed from the beautiful Earthquake Park. The 1964 Anchorage earthquake lasted roughly four minutes, registered a 9.4 on the Richter scale, and slid a whole section of south-central Alaska into Cook Inlet. Now the trail into the park offers guests unparalleled views of the Coastal Trail, Anchorage, Cook Inlet and Mt McKinley (otherwise known as Denali), and is a preferred resting spot for a day in the wilderness or an afternoon picnic. A well-loved day hike and quick escape from Anchorage, the Earthquake Park is not to be missed.