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Driving
north from Anchorage isn't as instantly
dramatic as going south, but within
an hour you're immersed in stop-and-shoot
scenery. The Glenn Highway runs northeast
to agricultural Palmer, then twists
east along the Matanuska River Valley,
sandwiched between coastal and interior
mountains.
En route to Glenallen and
the Copper River you'll pass the miles-wide
Matanuska Glacier-a good turnaround
point for an Anchorage-based daytrip.
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| Eagle River Nature Center (Mile 13.4) |
| Just 30 minutes out of town, you'll come to the dramatic Eagle River Valley and the nature center, the gateway to Chugach State Park. Pick the brains of the rangers for activities; perhaps you'll hike a section of the Iditarod Trail and hark back to the days when the trail was used as a mail route. Albert Loop Trail meanders three miles through prime beaver-watching territory and serves up great peak views. |
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907-694-2108 |
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Exit at mile 13.4 and take Old Glenn Highway, follow signs to mile 12.5 Eagle River Rd. |
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| 32 min from downtown |
27 miles one-way |
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| Thunderbird Falls (Mile 25.2) |
| Walk through the mossy forest of birch trees about one mile; you're soon surrounded by ferns, and then at the viewing platform, where you can watch the thunderous falls tumble down the rocky cliff face. |
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| 31 min from downtown |
26 miles one-way |
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| Eklutna Village Historical Park (Mile 26.5) |
| Dating back to 1650, the park is the area's oldest continuously inhabited Athabaskan Indian settlement. Russian Orthodox missionaries came here in the early 1800s, and you can still see St. Nicholas Church, the oldest standing building in greater Anchorage. Snap some pictures of the colorful Spirit Houses build over the graves of the deceased-a custom that came from the melding of the cultures. Up for a walk? It'll pay off with a glacier view, as well as the chance to see foxes, eagles, and black bears. |
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| Details |
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907-696-2828 |
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Exit at mile 26.5 and take Eklutna Lake Rd. |
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| 32 min from downtown |
27 miles one-way |
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| Eklutna Lake |
| On the other side of the highway, a 10-mile road leads to this secluded lake, a great spot to picnic, hike, or fish. Trails include the easy 8-mile Lakeside Trail or 6.5-mile Twin Peaks Trail, which climbs to magnificent views. |
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| 44 min from downtown |
37 miles one-way |
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| Old Glenn Highway (Mile 29.6) |
| To explore the road less traveled, take the Old Glenn Highway to Palmer, a back road that feels like old Alaska. The roadside homes and farms are rural and private, with space and beauty all around them. You'll cross the old Knik River Bridge where you can get out and hike around, but there tend to be a lot of four-wheelers in the area. |
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| 36 min from downtown |
30 miles one-way |
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| Parks Highway Junction (Mile 35.3) |
| Here's the start of the George Parks Highway, which leads north to Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks. Continuing east on the Glenn brings you toward Palmer, Matanuska Glacier, and McCarthy-Kennicott. |
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| 43 min from downtown |
36 miles one-way |
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| Palmer (Mile 42) |
| This charming agricultural village was founded in 1935, when FDR moved 203 farm families out of the Dust Bowl for a fresh start in Alaska. Set between two ranges of towering mountains, Palmer's the home of the 80-pound cabbage and other freakishly large vegetables. See these giants at the visitor center, along with the world's only musk-ox farm. While you watch mating bulls butt heads, the farm harvests wool for the Oomingmak Producer's Coop in Anchorage. |
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Visitor Center: Exit at mile 42, right on W. Evergreen, right on S. Valley Way; 907-745-2880; www.palmerchamber.org; open weekdays 9am-6pm from May-Sep |
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Musk-Ox Farm: Exit at Archie Rd., mile 50.1; 907-745-4151; www.muskoxfarm.org; open daily 10am-6 pm from Mother's Day-Sep; tours every half hour from 10:00am-5:30pm, $8. |
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| 52 min from downtown |
43 miles one-way |
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| Sutton (Mile 61) |
| Drive up the Matanuska River Valley and through Sutton, an outdoor adventure center. Hike or boat around the glass-like Coyote Lake or Bonnie Lake. |
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| 1 hr 14 min from downtown |
62 miles one-way |
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| NOVA (Mile 76.5) |
| Get wild with the outfitter that pioneered the first river rafting trips in Alaska, including runs down the glacier-fed waters of the Matanuska River. Great views of the Matanuska Glacier await, whether you opt for a more mellow float or the fast and fun whitewater. NOVA also offers guided glacier hiking tours. |
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| 1 hr 32 min from downtown |
77 miles one-way |
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| Matanuska Glacier (Mile 101.7) |
| Stop here at the State Recreation Area for a photograph of the Matanuska Glacier-a rare roadside glacier that you can actually look down on. Get closer to the glacier via a one-mile interpretive trail. To access the face of the glacier, continue on to Glacier Park Resort at mile 102. For a small fee you can drive to the terminal moraine and walk around on the ice. Check out the oddly formed rock, Lion Head, at mile 108. |
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| 2 hr from downtown |
103 miles one-way |
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| The Matanuska Glacier is the standard turnaround point for a daytrip from Anchorage, but there are additional scenic highlights further east. Check out a few of them on the Anchorage to McCarthy Driving Log |
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