Outdoor Activities in Anchorage

Experience memorable landscapes on a drive along the Turnagain Arm and up-close views of elk and caribou, musk ox, moose, and more at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This small-group 4-hour day trip from Anchorage takes you to a privately owned nonprofit organization that rescues orphaned and injured animals. Learn about the excellent care that the animals receive, and snap a photo with a musk ox with the Chugach Range and Turnagain Arm as your backdrop. Hotel transport from select locations included.

The Turnagain Arm boasts abundant Alaskan wildlife within easy access of the city of Anchorage. Learn about the local ecosystem from a guide with extensive knowledge about the area as you drive down the peninsula, with opportunities to spot wild animals in their natural environment as you go. A visit to the animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and a drive past the glaciers on Portage Glacier Road are also included in this 4.5-hour tour.

Glacier treks make for great outdoor adventures but can feel rushed if they are only a few hours long. This trekking experience at Matanuska Glacier - a local favorite, and one of the few vehicle-accessible glaciers near Anchorage - takes a full day, which leaves plenty of time to explore blue meltwater pools, ice formations, and crevasses.

Meet the animals of Alaska on a 4-hour tour from Anchorage. Travel down the gorgeous Seward Parkway along the Turnagain Arm waterway to viewpoints including the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, Bird Point and Beluga Point. Take in the breathtaking scenery and look for wildlife, then continue to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, situated at the edge of Portage Valley. Go inside the sprawling nature preserve for injured animals to view large land animals up close. You can see critters such as fox, lynx, grizzly bear, caribou, wood bison and more.

Experience the breathtaking landscape of the Turnagain Arm on a 6-hour tour with an informative guide. Ride along the scenic Seward Parkway to the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, Beluga Point, Bird Point and Portage Valley, stopping for photo ops and wildlife observation. Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a large nature preserve where injured animals are rehabilitated. Continue to the town of Girdwood for lunch, then travel up into the Chugach Mountains for another great vantage point on the Turnagain Arm. Includes round-trip transportation from Anchorage.

Explore the natural beauty of the Turnagain Arm, Portage Valley and city of Anchorage on a customized full-day private tour with an informative guide. Ride a tram to the top of Mt Alyeska, explore the town of Girdwood, and gaze at the Portage Glacier during a cruise on Portage Lake. View Alaska's majestic wildlife during stops at scenic viewpoints and a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Then discover the best spots for restaurants and cultural attractions in Anchorage on a comprehensive city tour.

Walk on an Alaskan glacier on this day trip from Anchorage to the Matanuska Glacier. With an instructional guide and provided mountaineering equipment (crampons and a pole), you'll 'walk on water' as you hike across the ice. Check out physical features such as seracs, crevasses, and ice formations, and enjoy a view of an ice fall.

You don't have to vacay in the lower 48 to find your moxie - this Alaskan rappelling adventure allows you to bring your A game as you explore Girdwood and its woodsy canyon areas. Get geared up, and descend 50 feet (15 meters) into the canyon, and then rappel to a 40-foot (12-meter) waterfall. You can also upgrade to add a gold-panning experience to test your hand at finding gold yourself.

The Turnagain Arm boasts abundant Alaskan wildlife within easy access of the city of Anchorage. Learn about the local ecosystem from a guide with extensive knowledge about the area as you drive down the peninsula, with opportunities to spot wild animals in their natural environment as you go. A visit to the animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and a cruise to Portage Glacier are also included on this 5.5-hour tour.

Go further and higher than most glacier treks with this Matanuska excursion. A guide helps you with the more technical features by setting up a rope and anchor system, which allows you to explore more of the glacier than by hiking alone. It's a great way to see the glacier's crevasses, seracs, ice formations, and icefall.

Embark on a moderate, 2-hour hike in Matanuska-Susitna Valley on this full-day tour from Anchorage. During your trek along Matanuska Glacier, pass dramatic blue meltwater pools and ice formations. Capture incredible views of the Alaska Range, the Talkeetna Mountains and the Chugach Mountains, and gain insight into the local geology from a seasoned guide. Finish the hike with a relaxing Alaskan lunch overlooking the glacier. This Matanuska glacier hike comes with gear, safety equipment and hotel transport.

See the Portage Glacier on a 6-hour small-group tour from Anchorage. Follow the scenic Seward Parkway through the breathtaking landscape of the Turnagain Arm waterway, stopping at Beluga Point, Bird Point and the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge to look for wildlife. Take a cruise on Portage Lake to observe the Portage Glacier up close, then check out wild animals that are being rehabilitated at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Stop for light snacks in the town of Girdwood near Mt Alyeska and take in the Chugach Mountains before returning to Anchorage.