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The shortest route on the Alaska Railroad,
the Glacier Discovery offers
opportunities to escape Anchorage and
take unique day trips to Girdwood, Portage
or Whittier, and in the Kenai Mountains.
Take this to:
- Take an easy day-trip, get away from the roads, and see beautiful scenery and wildlife
- Take Spencer
Glacier rail and raft, a raft
trip around icebergs in Spencer Lake
(need to reserve in advance)
- Visit the resort town of Girdwood for dog sledding, flightseeing, rain forest hikes, or an overnight at The Hotel Alyeska
- Connect to a Glacier & Wildlife Cruise in Prince
William Sound (from the port of Whittier) and visit active tidewater glaciers, or hire your own small-boat charter to explore or kayak the Sound
What it's really like:
As you come out of Anchorage,
you'll skirt Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet. The first two hours run right along the waters of the Arm. Keep a sharp eye out here: passengers frequently spot Beluga whales, Dall sheep, eagles, and moose.
You'll make a quick stop at Girdwood,
Alaska's resort town, then Portage.
(From here you can go to Whittier
to connect to Prince William Sound
glacier and wildlife cruises.)
Just south of Portage you'll stop
following the roads and head straight
up the Placer River Valley, a wide
glacial river valley carpeted with
grassy meadows.
You may choose to get off at
Spencer Glacier, where you’ll
be surrounded by glaciers high
in the coastal mountains. You can
either go on a rafting tour among
the icebergs near the glacier or
paddle a canoe. Both trips are
guided. Another option is to stay
on the train to Grandview. This
stretch of the route is often referred
to as the most beautiful scenery
of the entire railbelt.
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