Anchorage Alaska

A fun family outing that also does good for Alaskan Natives? That’s what the Musk Ox Farm, 45 minutes from Anchorage near Palmer, Alaska, is all about. It’s a project that was conceived in the 1950s as a way to for gentle agriculture to provide extra income to villagers in Western Alaska. The wooly mammoth-like musk ox—one of the Arctic's oldest living species—was the perfect creature to work with, since they possess a soft under-wool, called qiviut, that’s easily harvested and knitted into warm clothing. So once a year, qiviut is taken from the musk ox and sent to a co-operative of Alaskan native knitters who expertly turn it into hats, scarves, nachaqs (Eskimo smoke rings), and other clothing.

Today you can visit the musk ox farm and take a 30- to 40-minute tour. You may see as many as 60 musk ox, and perhaps even some babies. Since they’re friendly creatures, they may come right up to the fence to greet visitors, and you can feed them treats. A guide will tell you all about these unique creatures, explain how the qiviut is harvested, and how it’s essential for maintaining the native Alaskan way of life.