* GLEN ALPS TRAILHEAD - Beautiful views, hikes, and bike rides. If the skies are clear, this is the best place in town to see Denali. * THE ANCHORAGE MUSEUM - Includes a kid's museum, too (https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/). * THE COASTAL TRAIL - Rent bikes at the trail head downtown (including ebikes) and bike the 13 mile trail (keep your eyes open, I've never biked the whole trail and not seen a moose). * MOUNTAIN BIKING - Rent bikes from REI or TREK and head to Hilltop or Kincaid for some great rides (and more chances to see a moose). * DOWNTOWN SHOPS * ANCHORAGE ZOO * GOLFING * PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Click View to see a map of activities and restaurants we enjoy
Head south on the Seward Highway. The next 60 miles is one of the most beautiful drives in North America. There are many things to see and do along the way, including: * A road bike trail that parallels most of the road * Many hiking trailheads and pullouts for great views * Views of beluga whales at times in the Turnagain Arm * Views of sheep and mountain goats *Portage Lake is about 50 miles away with a ferry that takes you to see a glacier as well as a visitor center and hiking trails. * The historical town of Whittier after driving through a mountain tunnel (check the schedule when the tunnel is open https://girdwood.com/whittier-tunnel-schedule/). You can go on sea tours with Lazy Otter. * About 60 miles away is Girdwood/Alyeska Resort, a fun resort town with great hikes and a tram that carries you to the restaurants, shops, and hikes at the top of the mountain. The resort itself has a Nordic Spa. In town you'll find a city playground, restaurants, shops, and walks/hikes.
A couple hours' drive south of Anchorage will bring you to the port town of Seward with many local activities (you can also take the train to Seward from Anchorage and return the same day). * Hire a fishing guide for 1/2 day or full day trips. * Kenai Fjords tours of various lengths can bring you out to see whales, glaciers, porpoises, etc. * Rent sea kayaks and go out into the bay. * Visit the SeaLife center for a hands-on marine science experience. * Visit Exit Glacier National Park and hike to a glacier. * Visit Iditarod champions, the Seavey family's dog sled kennel and go for a ride. * Enjoy walking around the small port town of Seward and enjoy the fish, shops, and local community.
Between Girdwood and Seward, you can go on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula on a stunning drive to visit Kenai, Soldotna, and eventually Homer. * Kenai and Soldotna are about 2.5 hours from Anchorage and are home to the world-renowned Kenai River (June is a bit early for the salmon to be in the river; you are more likely to catch them in the ocean at that time). * Continue a couple hours further to the fishing village of Homer. Here you can go sea kayaking, beach comb the spit, go on multi-species full-day fishing charters, visit cute shops, or hike and explore this unique area.
* About 2 hours north of Anchorage is the charming town of Talkeetna. This is a great location to view Denali and explore shops, rivers, hikes and a semi-wilderness town. You can also take flightseeing tours from here to see Denali close up. * Denali National Park is about 4 hours north of Anchorage. It is a beautiful drive, and if you are going to make the trip, you should spend a couple nights there. In and around Denali, you can go white water rafting, take the bus tour through the park (~13 hours), go the visitor center, take various hikes, take a flight seeing tour of Denali, etc. * Two hours past Denali is the historic town of Fairbanks. Check out the car museum and river boat tour there. * Five hours past Fairbanks (11 hours from Anchorage) brings you to the Arctic Circle. * Driving 18 hours North of Anchorage (850 miles) would bring you to the Arctic Ocean (about the same amount of time to drive from Minneapolis to the Gulf of Mexico).
Although some of these activities are listed in other sections, here is a single list of family friendly activities. *Anchorage Museum: This museum contains Alaskan history and art. It also has a discovery section for kids! *Anchorage Zoo: The Alaskan Zoo is full of animals from Alaska and beyond including moose, polar bears, musk ox, seals, and more. *Westchester Lagoon: Along with the coastal trail and beautiful views of the lake, there is a playground for children. *In the other sections you can find hikes and other fun activities.