Fairbanks Region
Fairbanks sits at the crossroads of a number of the region’s major highways, and as such, there are several day trips and longer adventures to be had in the outlying areas. Along the Steese and Elliot Hwys you’ll find plenty of good hiking and paddling. This being Interior Alaska, the minute you leave the suburbs, you are enfolded by the wilderness.
Fairbanks
%907 / Pop 32,751
Fairbanks is the only ‘city’ in the interior, and the largest settlement for hundreds of miles, but it has many characteristics of a small town. Everyone seems to know everyone, and ‘everyone’ includes some truly fascinating characters – sled-dog breeders, crusading environmentalists, college students, gun nuts, military personnel, outdoor enthusiasts, bush pilots, and the rest of the usual Alaska cast of oddities. Because the city sits at the nexus of some truly epic routes – north to the Arctic, east to Canada and south to Denali – you’ll almost inevitably end up spending time here, and that time is rarely boring.
This is a spread-out burg that’s admittedly heavy on ugly strip malls, but the residential streets of compact downtown are pretty as a picture, and during winter, this is ground zero for viewing the aurora borealis.
History
The city was founded in 1901, as a result of a journey ET Barnette undertook up the Tanana River on the SS Lavelle Young. Barnette was hauling supplies to the Tanacross goldfields, but a detour up the shallow Chena River stranded him at what is now the corner of 1st Ave and Cushman St. Barnette could have been just another failed trading-post merchant in the Great White North, but local miners convinced him to set up shop. The following year the Italian prospector Felix Pedro (who had incidentally been one of Barnette’s first customers) struck gold 12 miles north.
A large boomtown sprang to life amid the hordes of miners stampeding into the area, and by 1908 more than 18,000 people resided in the Fairbanks Mining District. In the ensuing decade, other gold rushes largely drained the population, but ironically the city’s gold-mining industry was to outlast any other in the state.
While WWII and the construction of the Alcan and military bases produced the next boom in the city’s economy, nothing affected Fairbanks quite like the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. From 1973 to 1977, when construction of the pipeline was at its height, the town was bursting at its seams as the principal gateway to the North Slope.
The aftermath of the pipeline construction was just as extreme. The city’s population shrank and unemployment crept towards 25%.
By the late 1990s, however, the city was on the rebound – thanks to tourism and, once again, gold. Just north of town is the Fort Knox Gold Mine – Alaska’s largest. In 2010 Fort Knox produced 349,729oz of gold and employed more than 400 workers.
Fairbanks
1Top Sights
1Sights
2Activities, Courses & Tours
4Sleeping
5Eating
7Shopping
1Sights
oUniversity of Alaska Museum of the NorthMUSEUM
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-474-7505; www.uaf.edu/museum; 907 Yukon Dr; adult/child $12/7; 
h9am-7pm)
In an architecturally abstract, igloo- and aurora-inspired edifice sits one of Alaska’s finest museums, with artifact-rich exhibits on the geology, history, culture and trivia of each region of the state. You are greeted by an 8ft 9in, 1250lb stuffed bear and signposted around very well laid-out exhibits, which examine the state’s regions as geographic and cultural units.
Upstairs, the Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery covers 2000 years of northern works, including ancient ivory carvings, wood masks and contemporary photographs.
Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors CenterCULTURAL CENTER
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-459-3700; www.morristhompsoncenter.org; 101 Dunkel St; h8am-9pm late May-early Sep, to 5pm mid-Sep–mid-May; 
p)
There are a few contenders for ‘best visitor center in Alaska’ but this one, an ingenious mix of museum, info point and cultural center, has to be in the running. Inside are exhibits on Alaskan history and Alaska Native culture, as well as daily movies and cultural performances. Outside, on the grounds, don’t miss the historic cabin and moose-antler arch.
The on-site Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs are designed to share Native culture with the wider world, and also ensure it survives to the next generation. There are one-hour cultural performances (1pm, 3pm and 5pm), live craft-making demonstrations (schedule varies; call ahead) and the opportunity to make your own crafts under the guidance of Native artists.
Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl RefugeNATURE RESERVE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-452-5162; www.creamersfield.org; 1300 College Rd; suggested donation $5; hvisitor center 9:30am-5pm Jun-Aug, trails 24hrs year-round; p
c) 
S
Birds have been migrating through this idyllic little stretch of farmland for millennia, and when the local dairy finally shut its doors, the community rallied to preserve the land. More than 100 species can now be seen in summer, including thousands of sandhill cranes during August.
The Farmhouse Visitor Center has a handbook to help you get the most out of the short trails through the nearby boreal forest and wetlands (bring bug spray). Volunteers also lead one-hour nature walks at 10am Monday through Saturday, and at 7pm on Wednesday, from June through August.
Large Animal Research StationWILDLIFE RESERVE
(%907-474-5724; www.uaf.edu/lars; 2220 Yankovich Rd; guided walk $10; hguided walks 10am, noon & 2pm)
If you can’t make a trip to the Arctic for a little wildlife observation, consider visiting this research station that tends herds of musk ox, reindeer and caribou. The station studies the animals’ unique adaptations to the sub-Arctic climate, and viewing areas outside the fenced pastures allow a free look at the herds any time.
To see the facility itself, you must partake in a 45-minute guided walk. When you’re done, check out the on-site shop that sells qiviut hats and scarves. Qiviut is musk-ox wool spun very fine, an incredibly warm, soft and – fair warning – expensive natural fiber.
Fountainhead Antique Auto MuseumMUSEUM
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-450-2100; www.fountainheadmuseum.com; 212 Wedgewood Dr; adult/child $10/5; h10am-8pm Sun-Thu, 11am-6pm Fri & Sat; p)
For a state with so few highways, this is a surprisingly comprehensive collection of 70 working antique vehicles, highlighting the evolution of the automobile from the late 19th century, as well as motor-vehicle history in Alaska. Gearheads will love this place.
Georgeson Botanical GardenGARDENS
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-474-1944; www.georgesonbotanicalgarden.org; 117 W Tanana Dr; suggested donation $5; h8am-8pm; p) S
The severe Arctic and wild interior of Alaska are blessed with rainbows of wildflowers, which are all on display here. The Georgeson Botanical Garden is a perfect picnic spot, as well as a 5-acre kaleidoscope of flowers, herbs, fruits and gigantic vegetables.
Golden Heart PlazaSQUARE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; Between 1st Ave & Lacey St) 
F
This square is meant to serve as a natural nexus point for downtown activity in Fairbanks. Within the riverside square, you’ll see a clock tower, winter wildflowers, historical plaques, paved pedestrian paths that lead to the river, and an 18ft statue of an Alaskan family – Malcolm Alexander’s Unknown First Family.
Fairbanks Community & Dog Mushing MuseumMUSEUM
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-457-3669; https://fairbankscommunitymuseum.wordpress.com; 535 2nd Ave; h10am-7pm Mon-Fri, 11am-3pm Sun) F
A small but packed museum that traces the city’s history through old photos, newspaper clippings and historical artifacts from daily life. One room focuses exclusively on sled-dog history and culture. The museum is located on the second floor of the Co-op Plaza Building.
Pioneer ParkHISTORIC SITE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-459-1087; Airport Way; hstores & museums noon-8pm late May-early Sep, park 5am-midnight; pc)
Like many cities with little surviving history, Fairbanks attempts to recreate the ‘old’ days in a historical theme park. Suffice to say, it doesn’t always work. The most prominent sight in the rather dowdy 44-acre Pioneer Park is the SS Nenana, a hulking stern-wheeler that once plied the Yukon River. Many of the old homes and stores are relocated historic buildings.
You’ll find dusty exhibitions on the olden days scattered here and there. Most interesting is the Pioneer Air Transportation Museum (MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-451-0037; www.pioneerairmuseum.org; 2300 Airport Way; admission $4; hnoon-8pm May-Sep; p), which boasts some vintage planes. A miniature train, the Crooked Creek & Whiskey Island Railroad, gives rides (adult/child $2/1) around the park for an overview from noon to 7:45pm.
To get to Pioneer Park, take the Metropolitan Area Commuter Service Blue or Red Line bus.
2Activities
Fairbanks has plenty to keep outdoor enthusiasts enthusiastic. Much of the best trekking and paddling, however, is well out of town. In winter the rivers freeze up, making ideal ski-touring trails.
Cycling
Fairbanks has a decent network of cycle routes in and around the city, and cycling is a feasible way to get around if you don’t have a car. One of the more popular and scenic rides (about 17 miles long) is to head north on Illinois St from downtown, and then loop around on College Rd and Farmers Loop Rd/University Ave. You can pick up a free Bikeways map at the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center, and should consider downloading the Fairbikes (%907-687-6884; www.fairbikes.com) app and participating in the city’s bike-share program.
Alaska Outdoor Rentals & GuidesCYCLING
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-457-2453; www.canoealaska.com; 1101 Pegger Rd; kayak per 8hrs/day $55/85, bike 4/24hrs from $20/35; h11am-7pm)
Located on the river behind Pioneer Park, this small hut rents out mountain bikes, canoes, kayaks, SUP boards and other gear.
Hiking
Chena RiverwalkWALKING
F To soak up Fairbanks, talk a stroll along this series of paved pedestrian paths, which hugs the Chena for about 3.5 miles between Pioneer Park and Airport Way (the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center and Golden Heart Plaza are good access points). Locals of all stripes – from families to the homeless – can be found here at all hours.
Paddling
On long summer days (and nights), floating or canoeing down the Chena River is a quintessential Fairbanks activity. For extended backcountry expeditions, head to the visitors bureau for suggestions.
Several local places rent out boats and run shuttles to put-ins and take-outs: Alaska Outdoor Rentals & Guides will set you up (kayak/SUP/canoe per day $55/55/80) and pick you up downstream at the Pump House Restaurant. You’d be a party pooper if you didn’t stop off at various riverside pubs along the way, in what locals call the ‘Great Fairbanks Pub Paddle’.
Chena and Tanana RiversCANOEING
Those looking for an overnight – or even longer – paddle should try a float down the Chena River from Chena Hot Springs Rd, east of Fairbanks, or a pleasant two-day trip down the Tanana River. Need a rental? Try Alaska Outdoor Rentals & Guides.
The popular 60-mile Tanana trip usually begins from the end of Chena Pump Rd and finishes in the town of Nenana, from where you can return with your canoe to Fairbanks on the Alaska Railroad.
Gold Panning
If you’ve been bitten by the gold bug, Fairbanks is an ideal area to try your hand at panning. Get handouts and up-to-date information at the Alaska Public Lands Information Center in the visitors bureau. Popular places include the Discovery Claim on Pedro Creek off the Steese Hwy (across from the Felix Pedro Monument), and several other locations further up the highway.
Recreational gold panning can be done as part of the Gold Dredge No 8 tour.
Wildlife Watching
Running Reindeer RanchWILDLIFE WATCHING
(%907-455-4998; www.runningreindeer.com; Ivans Alley; adult/child $55/35)
Reindeer, if you didn’t know, are domesticated caribou. Now that you’ve got the bar trivia handy, come to this ranch, where you can take a one-hour nature walk into the boreal forest with the resident family’s own reindeer herd, watching the beasts snuff the ground, munch lichen, and generally be cute. Reservations required – they don’t want drop-ins.
THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Fairbanks’ best attraction is also its furthest flung: the aurora borealis, better known as the northern lights, which take place 50 to 200 miles above Earth. As solar winds flow across the upper atmosphere, they hit gas molecules, which light up much like the high-vacuum electrical discharge of a neon sign. The result is a solar-powered light show of ghostly, undulating colors streaming across the sky. In the dead of winter, the aurora can be visible for hours. Other evenings ‘the event,’ as many call it, lasts less than 10 minutes, with the aurora often spinning into a giant green ball and then fading. Milky green and white are the most common colors of the lights; red is rare. In 1958 the sky was so ‘bloody’ with brilliant red auroras that fire trucks rushed to the hills surrounding Fairbanks, expecting to find massive forest fires.
This polar phenomenon has been seen as far south as Mexico, but Fairbanks is the undisputed aurora capital. Somebody in northern Minnesota might witness fewer than 20 ‘events’ a year, and in Anchorage around 150, but in Fairbanks you can see the lights an average of 240 nights a year. North of Fairbanks, the number begins to decrease, and at the North Pole the lights are visible for fewer than 100 nights a year.
Regrettably, from May to mid-August there’s too much daylight in Alaska to see an ‘event’. In late summer, the aurora generally begins to appear in the Interior, and can be enjoyed if you’re willing to be awake at 2am. By mid-September the lights are dazzling and people are already asking, ‘Did you see the lights last night?’ As any Alaskan will tell you, the main benefit to an outhouse is the view you get of the aurora when nature calls at three in the morning.
The best viewing is in Fairbanks’ outlying hills, away from city lights, or at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
TTours
Alaskan Tails of the TrailDOG SLEDDING
(%907-455-6469; www.maryshields.com; 2699 Waldheim Dr; adult/child $50/30)
Well-known musher and writer Mary Shields (the first woman to complete the Iditarod sleddog race) offers an intimate two-hour glimpse into the life of a dog team and the Alaskans who raise and love them. You’re asked to call first to confirm space and then make an online reservation.
The kennels are just north of the Large Animal Research Station on the UAF campus. Transportation is available to the kennels from downtown for $20, round-trip.
Northern Alaska Tour CompanyTOURS
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-474-8600; www.northernalaska.com; 3820 University Ave S)
Offers all sorts of packages, including a three-day tour ($1339 per person, based on double occupancy) that involves a drive up or down the Dalton Hwy (with a flight going the other way).
Northern Alaska Tour CoSCENIC FLIGHTS
(%907-474-8600; www.northernalaska.com)
The Arctic Circle may be an imaginary line, but it’s become one of Fairbanks’ biggest draws, with small air-charter companies doing booming business flying travelers on sightseeing excursions across it. This company offers flights to the Dalton Hwy (starting from around $480), day flights to Barrow ($900) and van tours across the Arctic Circle ($220), among many other options.
Riverboat DiscoveryBOATING
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-479-6673; www.riverboatdiscovery.com; 1975 Discovery Dr, Mile 4.5, Airport Way; adult/child $64.95/39.95; htours 9am & 2pm)
This 3½-hour tour navigates the Chena River on a historic stern-wheeler, stopping at a replica Athabascan village as well as the riverfront home and kennels of the late Susan Butcher, four-time winner of the Iditarod sleddog race. The boat leaves from Steamboat Landing, a replica of a historic trading post (if trading posts were massive tourist gift shops).
There’s a ‘40 below’ room on the boat, where you can experience the intense cold of an Alaskan interior winter day; the chamber is cooled to, you guessed it, 40 below zero.
Gold Dredge No 8CULTURAL
(%907-479-6673; http://golddredge8.com; 1803 Old Steese Hwy N; adult/child $40/25; htours 10:30am & 1:45pm)
The arrival of the Alaska Railroad in 1923 prompted major mining companies to bring their money and their three-story-high mechanized dredges to the region. The behemoths worked nonstop, making mincemeat of the terrain. The most famous of these, Gold Dredge No 8, a five-deck, 250ft dredge, ran from 1928 to 1959 and uncovered 7.5 million ounces of gold.
Now listed as a national historic site, this is probably the most viewed dredge in the state. Despite the official address, it’s off the Old Steese Hwy at Mile 10, Goldstream Rd.
Note that individual travelers must join a scheduled tour to enter, which includes an opportunity to do some recreational gold panning.
zFestivals & Events
World Eskimo-Indian OlympicsCULTURAL
(www.weio.org; h2nd-last weekend Jul)
Taking place at the Carlson Center (MAP GOOGLE MAP; %Box Office 907-451-7800; http://carlson-center.com; 2010 2nd Ave), this four-day event attracts indigenous people from across the Far North, who display their athletic prowess in contests such as the Alaska High Kick and test their pain thresholds in games such as the Knuckle Hop. There’s also dancing, cultural performances and plenty of traditional regalia.
Summer Solstice CelebrationsCULTURAL
(www.downtownfairbanks.com; hJun)
4Sleeping
Fairbanks has more than 100 B&Bs, many in the downtown area; drop by the visitors bureau for brochures. There is an 8% bed tax. You’ll also find some cheap motels downtown, which mostly seem to emit a sleazy vibe. Chain hotels can be found both downtown and in the strip-mall suburbs; they’re comfortable and overpriced.
Sven’s Basecamp HostelHOSTEL, CAMPGROUND$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-456-7836; www.svenshostel.com; 3505 Davis Rd; tent sites $9, tipis/tents/cabins/treehouses $30/35/75/100; p
W)
Sven, from Switzerland, welcomes all kinds of travelers and vagabonds to this fine, multifarious hostel. This is where you’ll meet some of Alaska’s most intrepid, sweatiest explorers and hear plenty of travel tales. Accommodations are in cabins, shared tents, a plush treehouse or your own tent. Showers are coin-operated and there’s table football, books, a movie room and kitchen.
Billie’s Backpackers HostelHOSTEL$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-479-2034; www.alaskahostel.com; 2895 Mack Blvd; tent site/dm $25/35; 
iW)
An easy-breezy international scene makes this place regularly full in summer. Billie’s has typical hostel amenities such as showers, laundry and kitchen, but it also offers nice touches such as a mosquito-netted communal tent for campers and free use of bicycles.
The hostel is off the MACS Red Line and not far from the university. The owners are incredibly nice and very flexible with check-in times, leaving luggage and so on.
oAh, Rose Marie B&BB&B$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-456-2040; www.ahrosemarie.com; 302 Cowles St; s/d from $65/110; W)
This long-running and well-regarded B&B consists of an original 80-year-old Dutch-built cottage with charming heritage atmosphere, and a neighboring annex with a modern interior. A super-friendly father-and-son team runs the units; the son is a font of information on outdoor activities (he’s cycled the Dalton Hwy in winter) and the father prides himself on his breakfasts and Fairbanks knowledge.
Alaska Heritage House B&BB&B$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-456-4100; www.alaskaheritagehouse.com; 410 Cowles St; r $130-220; W)
Probably the fanciest B&B in town, Heritage House was built in 1916 by Arthur Williams as a way to lure his future wife up to the Great White North to marry him. The home is on the national historic register, and each room has its own flair.
Minnie Street InnINN$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-456-1802; www.minniestreetbandb.com; 345 Minnie St; r without/with bath $119/149, ste $199; W)
North of downtown, this spacious inn literally occupies a square block of turf. The owners are easygoing with bountiful advice on what to do around Fairbanks. Suites come with an outdoor Jacuzzi and fireplace. No breakfast here, but the setting is awesome.
Bridgewater HotelHOTEL$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-456-3642; www.fountainheadhotels.com; 723 1st Ave; r $145; hmid May-mid Sep; piW)
Your best affordable option in what passes for downtown in Fairbanks, the Bridgewater is on the Chena River and abuts a pretty riverside walking path. Rooms, while unlikely to blow your mind, will keep you comfortable and there’s a decent buffet breakfast and a handy free ‘around town’ shuttle.
It’s part of a small family-run chain of four local hotels.
Springhill SuitesHOTEL$$$
(MAP; %907-451-6552; www.marriott.com; 575 1st Ave; r from $254; piW
s)
A northerly branch of the Marriott empire, Springhill Suites is recently renovated and boasts clean, bland rooms spiced up with local artwork. You can’t beat the location on the Chena River smack downtown for convenience. Amenities include an indoor pool and fitness center.
Pike’s Waterfront LodgeLODGE$$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %877-774-2400; www.pikeslodge.com; 1850 Hoselton Rd; r from $259, cabins $289; piW)
This upscale lodge has an enviable position on the green banks of the Chena River. Room decor tilts toward the matronly, but there’s also a row of spiffy log cabins with their own lawn.
Service is quick and friendly, local artwork adorns the public spaces, and amenities include a steam room, sauna, exercise facilities and the popular Pike’s Landing, with its Alaskan-sized deck facing the river.
In 2003, the Iditarod dogsled race finished here due to lack of snow further south. The event is memorialized in a pleasant iris garden.
5Eating
5Downtown
LUNCH Cafe & EateryCAFE$
(MAP; %907-455-8624; http://lunchcafeandeatery.com; 206 Driveway St, Suite A; mans $6-14; h8am-4pm; 
vc) S
Great coffee and an eclectic menu, featuring everything from Korean bibimbap (rice bowls) and falafel croquettes to pita sandwiches and organic salads, are the name of the game at LUNCH. The friendly spot is a magnet for young Fairbanks families and professionals.
Spice It UpINDIAN$
(%907-388-7777; www.facebook.com/spiceitupfairbanks; mains $8-14)
Track this excellent food truck down and don’t let them leave until you’ve tried their curries or tandoori platters, served with heaped plates of yellow rice. The friendly owner takes a ton of pride in his food, and caters to an obsessively loyal fan base. They are very good at posting their schedule on Facebook.
McCafferty’s Coffee HouseCAFE$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-456-6853; 408 Cushman St; baked goods $3-7; h7am-6pm Mon-Thu, to 11pm Fri, 9am-11pm Sat, 9am-4pm Sun; W)
Espresso emporium with good daily soups and baked goods. Striking up a conversation with the person at the next table is almost obligatory. Live music adds atmosphere on Friday and Saturday nights.
Big Daddy’s BBQ & Banquet HallBARBECUE$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-452-2501; www.bigdaddysbarb-q.com; 107 Wickersham St; mains $9-19; h11am-10pm Mon-Sat, noon-9pm Sun)
This must be, as the owners claim, the northermost Southern barbecue in the USA, and if you like slow-smoked ribs, juicy brisket, bowls of baked beans and creamy mac ’n’ cheese, it does not disappoint. Wash it all down with one of the cold beers on tap, and roll yourself out the door when you finish.
Soapy Smith’s Pioneer RestaurantAMERICAN$$
(MAP; %907-451-8380; 543 2nd Ave; mains $10-24)
It would be easy to dismiss Soapy Smith’s as a gold rush-dusted twist on the themed family restaurant. But while there’s tons of Alaska kitsch on the walls, there’s something that feels sincere about this restaurant’s execution – it’s as close as Fairbanks gets to a gold-miners’ mess hall. Cuisine is burger-style grub, along with some Alaskan reindeer sausage and halibut.
Gambardella’s Pasta BellaITALIAN$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-457-4992; www.gambardellas.com; 706 2nd Ave; mains $17-28; h11:30am-9pm Mon-Thu, to 10pm Fri, 4-10pm Sat, 4-9pm Sun)
In a city founded by an Italian, one would expect a decent ristorante and Gambardella’s does the trick. The stick-to-your-ribs pizza and pasta are a welcome sight in Fairbanks – and very popular with locals. Italophiles should find the pasta al dente and the homemade bread pleasantly aromatic.
5University Area
oLuLu’s Bread and BagelsBAKERY$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-374-3804; www.lulusbagels.com; 364 Old Chena Pump Rd, Chena Pump Plaza; baked goods $2-5; h6am-6pm Tue-Fri, 7am-5pm Sat & Sun)
The coffee is carefully brewed and delicious; the baked goods, from rosemary bread to quiche, are gorgeous; and the bagels just get the day started right. All baked goods and breads are created on-site – no plastic-wrapped supermarket bagels sneak onto this menu.
Hot LicksICE CREAM$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-479-7813; www.hotlicks.net; 3453 College Rd; cones from $3.50; hnoon-10pm Sun-Thu, to 11pm Fri & Sat Jun-Aug)
There’s no more quintessential Fairbanks summer solstice moment than buying a double scoop of this homemade ice-cream – which includes Alaskan-themed flavors such as wild berry and Silver Gulch stout – and watching the sun never set. For perhaps obvious reasons, Hot Licks is only open from spring until the end of August.
Pita PlaceMIDDLE EASTERN$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-687-2456; www.pitasite.com; 3300 College Rd; mains $5-9.25; h11am-7pm Tue-Sat; v)
A humble food stand with a couple of pews indoors, picnic tables outside and delicious (and unexpected) Middle Eastern cuisine. The pitas are filled with falafel and made entirely from scratch, or you can grab hummus, tahini and other dips.
Sam’s Sourdough CaféDINER$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-479-0523; 3702 Cameron St, University Ave at Cameron St; mains $8-13; h6am-8pm)
This bustling diner, popular with college students, retirees and folks seeking heavy meals on the relative cheap, serves up sourdough pancakes all day long, as well as burgers and the usual diner suspects. It’s not fancy, but that’s the point.
LemongrassTHAI$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-456-2200; 388 Old Chena Pump Rd, Chena Pump Plaza; mains $14-38; h11am-4pm & 5-10pm)
Ignore the out-of-the-way, strip-mall setting – Lemongrass not only serves good Thai food, but good Northern Thai food. If that doesn’t mean anything to you, there’s still plenty of pad thai and green curry on the menu, but you can also find simmering bowls of khao soi (a type of noodle soup).
Wolf Run RestaurantAMERICAN, FUSION$$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-458-0636; 3360 Wolf Run; mains $24-38; h11am-10pm Tue-Thu & Sun, to 11pm Fri & Sat, 5-10pm Mon)
Set in an old timber house that has been spruced up for guests, Wolf Run has long been known for its generous, super-sweet dessert plates, but also excels at gourmet food with a strong Middle Eastern influence. Of note are the meze plates, including a fine hummus dish, plus treats such as salmon on a cedar plank.
There’s an outside patio, should the weather cooperate.
5Airport Way & Around
Pho House AKVIETNAMESE$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-456-1086; 400 College Rd; mains $6-14; h11am-8:30pm Tue-Sun, noon-7:30pm Mon; vc)
If it’s a cold night in Fairbanks, or you’re hungover – actually, if you’re just hungry – head to this family-friendly spot, which represents the flavors of Vietnam with banh mi sandwiches, steaming bowls of pho and other Vietnamese staples.
Pike’s LandingAMERICAN$$$
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-479-6500; 4438 Airport Way; mains $18-36; h11am-11pm)
For fine dining riverfront style, head to this restaurant, which has a cozy-cabin main dining room, a huge deck that looks out over the water and solid American-Alaskan mains: prime-rib sandwiches, roasted salmon, coconut shrimp and the like. Reservations for dinner are a good idea.
5Around Fairbanks
Turtle ClubRIBS$$
(%907-457-3883; Mile 10, Old Steese Hwy; mains $23-37; h5pm-2am)
Drive about 10 miles out of town to the Turtle Club, which does not serve turtle and is not a club, but does boast a packed parking lot. Folks roll up for the prime rib, a local specialty – big, thick, juicy protein that gets you through an Alaskan winter night. Gloriously old school.
Silver Gulch BreweryBURGERS$$
(%907-452-2739; www.silvergulch.com; Mile 11, Old Steese Hwy; mains $15-36; h4-10pm Mon-Fri, 11am-11pm Sat, 11am-10pm Sun)
This cavernous, slightly overdone brewpub – the northernmost microbrewery in the US – makes jolly good beer, and plenty of people come just for the pub grub. Said food is fine; it doesn’t match the beer for quality, but down a few and you won’t care.
6Drinking & Nightlife
The Big IBAR
(MAP; %907-456-6437; 122 Turner St; h10am-2am Sun-Thu, to 3:30am Fri, 9am-2am Sat; W)
This excellent dive has a large outdoor drinking area, sassy bartenders, grizzled locals and lots of bush kitsch lining the walls, which look like they haven’t been scrubbed since the time of the Bering land bridge. Live music acts liven up the scene on some nights.
MarlinBAR
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-479-4646; 3412 College Rd; h4pm-2am Mon-Thu, to 3:30am Fri & Sat)
Step into this dark cavern of a dive bar and discover a magic land of beards, flannel, punk stickers, more beards, tattoos, Fairbanks’ edgiest musical acts, fantastic piercings, a sweet outdoor deck, and beards. One of our favorite spots for a live show in the area.
Midnite MineBAR
(MAP; %907-456-5348; 308 Wendell Ave; h10am-2am Sun-Thu, to 3am Fri & Sat)
One of the best bonuses of this basement-level dive, with its dusty floors, beardy clientele, strong drinks and sports on the TV, is its downtown location. Had a few overly hopped Northwest IPAs? Walk your butt home from the Mine. Or stay for another – it’s always a scene inside.
VenueCAFE
(MAP; %907-374-3044; https://fairbanksalaska.com/venue; 514 2nd Ave; h8am-5pm; W)
Need a cool spot to sit down, drink coffee, check email and check out local art, crafts and music? Venue’s got your back. The cafe area sits across from a gallery of local artistic goodness, and the wi-fi is strong. Huzzah. It also hosts music and performance events, natch.
Hoodoo Brewing CoBREWERY
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-459-2337; www.hoodoobrew.com; 1951 Fox Ave; h3-8pm Tue-Fri, from 11am Sat)
This Pacific Northwest–style brewery has an on-site tasting room that’s kitted out in modern, minimalist decor. Get the sampler, which includes a stout, IPA and some pale blondes with interesting Germanic flavors (pale blonde beers. C’mon). There’s a refined, non-pub-like atmosphere inside, especially on Saturday afternoon when they run free brewery tours (4pm).
College CoffeehouseCAFE
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-374-0468; http://collegecoffeehousefairbanks.com; 3677 College Rd; h7am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-10pm Sat & Sun; W)
In the Campus Corner Mall, this is one of the best spots in Fairbanks to pick up on the student vibe. Frequent live music.
WORTH A TRIP
ELLIOT HIGHWAY
From the crossroad with the Steese Hwy at Fox, just north of Fairbanks, the Elliot Hwy extends 154 miles north and then west to Manley Hot Springs, a small settlement near the Tanana River. Along the way are a number of free campgrounds as well as public-use cabins (per cabin $25) that need to be reserved through the BLM (BLM; %907-474-2200; www.blm.gov) in Fairbanks.
The first half of the highway is paved, the rest is gravel, and there’s no gas and few services until you reach the end. Diversions along the way are comparatively few, but the leisurely, scenic drive, coupled with the disarming charms of Manley Hot Springs, makes it a worthwhile one- or two-day road trip.
At Mile 11 is the Lower Chatanika River State Recreation Area, a 400-acre unmaintained park offering fishing, boating and informal camping opportunities along the Chatanika River.
At Mile 28, look for the Wickersham Dome trailhead parking lot and an information box. From here, trails lead to two public-use cabins. Lee’s Cabin is a 7-mile hike in and overlooks the White Mountains. Borealis-Le Fevre Cabin is a 20-mile hike over the White Mountains Summit Trail.
At Mile 49.5, you’ll enter (probably without realizing it) the ‘settlement’ of Joy (population 30), named for Joy Griffin, an original homesteader. Stop at the tumbledown wooden shop-cum-cafe known variously as Wildwood General Store or Arctic Circle Trading Post, which sells Arctic-themed souvenirs, coffee and rather nice muffins. Stock up as there aren’t many more places like this further north.
Ten miles before the junction with the Dalton Hwy, at Mile 62, a 500yd spur road on the right leads to the public-use Fred Blixt Cabin.
Livengood (lye-ven-good), 2 miles east of the highway at Mile 71, has no services and is little more than a maintenance station with a scattering of log shanties. Here, the Elliot Hwy swings west and, 2 miles later, at the junction of the Dalton Hwy, the pavement ends and the road becomes a rutted, rocky lane. Traffic evaporates and until Manley Hot Springs you may not see another vehicle.
The rustic, privately managed Tolovana Hot Springs (%907-455-6706; www.tolovanahotsprings.com; GPS: N 65°16.111’, W 148°51.285’; 2-/4-/6-person cabins $65/125/160) S can be accessed on a taxing 11-mile overland hike south from Mile 93. Facilities consist of outdoor wood tubs bubbling with 125°F (51°C) to 145°F (62°C) water, outhouses, a drinking-water barrel and three cabins that must be reserved in advance. The trailhead isn’t signposted, so contact the managers for directions.
At Mile 110, a paved side road runs 11 miles to the small Athabascan village of Minto (population 180), which isn’t known for welcoming strangers.
Beyond Minto, the Elliot Hwy briefly becomes winding and hilly, and then suddenly, at Mile 120, there’s chip sealing for the next 17 miles. Hutlinana Creek is reached at Mile 129, and a quarter-mile east of the bridge (on the right) is the start of an 8-mile creekside trail to Hutlinana Warm Springs, an undeveloped thermal area with a rock-wall pool. The springs are visited mainly in winter; in summer, the buggy bushwhack seems uninviting.
From the bridge it’s another 23 miles southwest to Manley Hot Springs.
3Entertainment
Blue LoonLIVE MUSIC
(%907-457-5666; www.theblueloon.com; 2999 George Parks Hwy)
One of the Fairbanks area’s most popular nightspots, the Loon features live bands and DJs, movie nights, dancing, food and lots of good beer. A couple of times a summer it may even pull in older big-name acts.
Palace Theatre & SaloonTHEATER
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-452-7274; www.akvisit.com/the-palace-theatre; 2300 Airport Way, Pioneer Park; adult/child $22/11; hshow 8:15pm)
Pioneer Park comes alive at night in this historical theater with honky-tonk piano, cancan dancers and other acts in the Golden Heart Revue, which recreates frontier-era Alaska for audiences.
7Shopping
Lost & FoundMUSIC
(MAP; 551 2nd Ave; h11am-7pm Mon-Fri, to 8pm Sat)
This little shop looks like an Alaskan closet that suddenly exploded into the world’s coolest record collection, a nexus of vinyl that would make Nick Hornby characters nod in silent respect. The whole vibe of the place is enhanced by weird little odds, ends and doodads peppered throughout the store.
Alaska House Art GalleryARTS & CRAFTS
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-456-6449; www.thealaskahouse.com; 1003 Cushman St; h11am-6pm Tue-Sat)
In a log building at the southern end of downtown, this gallery specializes in indigenous and Native-themed creations. Artists can often be found on the premises, demonstrating their talents or telling stories. If you want an original piece of local art, this is a great spot to start your search.
Gulliver’s BooksBOOKS
(MAP GOOGLE MAP; %907-474-9574; www.shopgulliversbooks.com; 3525 College Rd; h10am-8pm Tue-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat)
Next to Campus Corner Mall, this is by far the best bookstore in town, selling new and used books and plenty of Alaskan titles. There’s a good kids’ section upstairs, as well as signed books and the sort of gentle, welcome intellectual energy that makes independent bookstores so damn special.
Bad Mother VintageVINTAGE
(MAP; %907-456-1719; 511 2nd Ave; h11am-6pm)
What’s cool about this vintage shop is how Alaskan it is. Sure, there are outfits and clothes that edge into hipster territory, but most of them are functional too – the sort of cute but conventional clothes you could wear on a hike and then to a bar. It also sells accessories and local art and crafts.
Two Street GalleryART
(MAP; %907-455-4070; www.2streetgallery.com; 535 2nd Ave; h11am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat, to 4pm Sun) S
This excellent gallery showcases a well-laid-out collection of work by local artists. Both the prints and original artwork on display are often quite reasonably priced, which is a nice bonus. A great spot for a unique souvenir, located in the downtown Co-op Plaza Building.
8Information
MEDICAL SERVICES
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital (%907-452-8181; www.foundationhealth.org; 1650 W Cowles St) Emergency care; south of Airport Way.
MONEY
Most strip-mall areas have a bank and ATM, and more bank branches and ATMs are popping up downtown.
Key Bank of Alaska (100 Cushman St) Has an ATM.
TOURIST INFORMATION
Alaska Public Lands Information Center (MAP; %907-456-0527; www.alaskacenters.gov; 101 Dunkel St, Fairbanks; h8am-6pm) Located in the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center, this is the place to head if you’re planning on visiting any state or national parks and reserves in the region. Pick up one of its detailed free brochures on the Steese, Elliot, Taylor and Denali Hwys.
Department of Fish & Game Office (MAP; %907-459-7206; 1300 College Rd)
Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau (MAP; %907-456-5774; www.explorefairbanks.com; 101 Dunkel St; h8am-9pm late May-early Sep, to 5pm late Sep–mid-May)
8Getting There & Away
AIR
Alaska Airlines flies direct to Anchorage, where there are connections to the rest of Alaska, the lower 48 and overseas, on a daily basis. There are also handy direct flights to Seattle with Delta and Alaska. For travel into the Bush, try Ravn Alaska (www.flyravn.com), Warbelow’s Air Ventures (%907-474-0518; www.warbelows.com; 3758 University Ave S) or Wright Air Service (%907-474-0502; www.wrightairservice.com; 3842 University Ave).
BUS
Interior Alaska Bus Line leaves at 9:30am from the downtown Transit Park (MAP; cnr Cushman St & 5th Ave) on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday for Delta Junction ($60, two hours) and Tok ($95, 5½ hours), where you can transfer to a bus for Glennallen and Anchorage. At Whitehorse you can catch the company’s bus to Skagway. Alaska/Yukon Trails (MAP; %907-479-2277; www.alaskashuttle.com) leaves daily around 8:45am from various points in Fairbanks (including the hostels) and travels down the George Parks Hwy to Denali ($55, three hours), Talkeetna ($92, seven hours) and Anchorage ($99, 10 hours). The company also has a 7am service to Whitehorse ($385, nine hours) via the Taylor Hwy.
Want to see the Arctic? The Dalton Highway Express runs all the way up to Deadhorse.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
If you’re driving to Fairbanks from Canada, you’ll likely be coming up the Alcan Hwy. It’s a good 590 miles (950 km) from Whitehorse (Canada) to Fairbanks, with little en route, save for Tok and a few other highway service communities. From Anchorage, it’s 360 miles to Fairbanks up George Parks Hwy.
TRAIN
Alaska Railroad (%907-458-6025; www.alaskarailroad.com) leaves Fairbanks daily at 8:15am from mid-May to mid-September. The train gets to Denali National Park & Preserve (adult/child $73/37) at noon, Talkeetna (adult/child $141/71) at 4:40pm, Wasila (adult/child $239/120) at 6:15pm and Anchorage (adult/child $239/120) at 8pm. The station (%907-458-6025; www.alaskarailroad.com; 1031 Alaska Railroad Depot Road; h6:30am-3pm) is at the southern end of Danby St. MACS Red Line buses run to and from the station.
8Getting Around
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
Small, modern and well laid out, Fairbanks International Airport (MAP; %907- 474-2500; www.dot.state.ak.us/faiiap) is at the west end of Airport Way, 4 miles from town. MACS Yellow Line buses swing by seven times a day Monday to Friday (three times on Saturday) between 7:30am and 7:15pm, charging $1.50 and taking you past some Airport Way motels en route to the Transit Park. The 15-minute taxi ride to the city is $18. Most of the main hotels along Airport Way and in downtown have airport shuttles. Free phones are available in the baggage claim.
CAR
All the national rental agencies (Avis, National, Budget, Payless, Hertz) have counters at the airport. However, to drive on the unpaved roads around Fairbanks, including the Dalton Hwy, you’ll need to contact Arctic Outfitters (%907-474-3530; www.arctic-outfitters.com; 3820 University Ave, Fairbanks International Airport east ramp). Expect to pay $200 a day, and note that rental taxes are very high (18%) and so are gas prices.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
MACS (Metropolitan Area Commuter Service; %907-459-1010; http://fnsb.us/transportation/Pages/MACS.aspx) is the fixed-route bus system for the Fairbanks region. There are nine lines, which run from roughly 6:30am to 9:30pm Monday to Friday, with limited service on Saturdays and no service on Sundays. The Transit Park is the system’s central hub. Blue and Red Line buses run in loops linking the university district and downtown. The Green Line route heads to North Pole, and the Yellow Line to the airport. The fare on all routes is $1.50, or you can purchase an unlimited day pass for $3. Schedules are posted on bus stops and online.
TAXI
Uber is popular in Fairbanks. Otherwise, try Yellow Cab (%907-455-5555).
Chena Hot Springs Road
This fireweed-lined, forest-flanked corridor parallels the languid Chena River 56 miles to the Chena Hot Springs Resort, the closest (and most developed) hot springs to Fairbanks. The road out here is paved and in good condition, so you’ve got a chance to penetrate some backcountry without wrecking your rental car.
From Mile 26 to Mile 51 the road passes through Chena River State Recreation Area, a 397-sq-mile preserve encompassing the valley and nearby alpine areas. Some of the Fairbanks area’s best hiking, canoeing and fishing can be found here, usually just steps from the road.
1Sights
Aurora Ice MuseumMUSEUM
(%907-451-8104; https://chenahotsprings.com/icemuseum; Mile 56.5, Chena Hot Springs Rd, Chena Hot Springs Resort; adult/youth $15/10; htours 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm & 7pm)
The interior of this building is kept to a frosty 25°F (-3.8°C) throughout the year. Visitors can marvel at a slate of ice sculptures while on a tour, or order a $15 appletini from the requisite on-site ice bar. Just remember the ice loo is only for show.
2Activities
Dogsledding
Just Short of MagicDOG SLEDDING
(%907-750-0208; http://justshortofmagic.com; 5157 Chena Hot Springs Rd; half/full hour mushing $65/95)
The enthusiastic proprietors of this recommended spot love their dogs, and lead a variety of tours, including a two-hour intro-to-mushing school ($200).
They’ve also got a yurt on-site that functions as a B&B ($100).
Hiking
Angel Rocks TrailHIKING
A moderate two- to three-hour, 3.5-mile loop trail that leads to Angel Rocks, large granite outcroppings near the north boundary of Chena River State Recreation Area. The elevation gain is a modest 900ft.
The trail is also the first leg of the Angel Rocks–Chena Hot Springs Traverse, a more difficult, 8.3-mile trek that ends at the Chena Hot Springs Resort. Roughly halfway along the traverse is a free-use shelter.
The posted trailhead for Angel Rocks is just south of a rest area at Mile 49. The lower trailhead for the Chena Dome Trail is practically across the road.
Granite Tors Trail LoopHIKING
The 15-mile Granite Tors Trail Loop – accessed from the Tors Trail State Campground, at Mile 39.5 – ascends into an alpine area with unusual tors (isolated pinnacles of granite rising out of the tundra). The first set is 6 miles from the trailhead, but the best group lies 2 miles further along the trail.
This eight- to 10-hour trek gains 2700ft in elevation. There’s a free-use shelter midway.
Paddling
Chena RiverCANOEING
With no white water and comparatively few other hazards, the peaceful Chena River offers a variety of day and multiday canoeing possibilities, with access points all along Chena Hot Springs Rd.
Thermal Baths
Chena Hot SpringsTHERMAL BATHS
(%907-451-8104; www.chenahotsprings.com; Mile 56.5 Chena Hot Springs Rd; pass adult/child $15/12; h7am-midnight)
The burbling Chena Hot Springs were discovered by gold miners in 1905 and quickly became the area’s premier soaking spot. At the heart of a 40-sq-mile geothermal area, the springs produce a steady stream of water that, at 156°F (69°C), must be cooled before you can even think about bathing in it.
Access to the hot springs is via Chena Hot Springs Resort, which has aging indoor and outdoor facilities. The pure hot-spring water is for adults only; kids are allowed in an outdoor hot tub.
TTours
Geothermal Renewable Energy ToursECOTOUR
(%907-451-8104; www.chenahotsprings.com/renewables; Mile 56.5, Chena Hot Springs Rd; h2pm & 4pm)
SF The US’s biggest oil state hides a potentially rich source of geothermal energy, as these tours at Chena Hot Springs Resort will demonstrate. The Chena plant was inaugurated in 2006 and these tours will enlighten you to the ins and outs of the valuable renewable resource. Tours are free, but you have to be a guest at the resort.
4Sleeping
Rosehip State CampgroundCAMPGROUND$
(%907-269-8400; www.reserveamerica.com; Mile 27, Chena Hot Springs Rd; campsites $15, cabins $35-60; p) S
The largest of the area’s three campgrounds, Rosehip has a nature trail, nine public-use cabins, and well-spaced campsites, some located right on the riverbank.
Chena Hot Springs ResortRESORT$$$
(%907-451-8104; www.chenahotsprings.com; Mile 56.5, Chena Hot Springs Rd; campsites $20, yurts with outhouse $65, r $209-309 restaurant mains $20-35; p) S
This come-as-you-are complex is a good example of what happens when a so-so property monopolizes the accommodation options in a given area and overprices their mediocre rooms. On the plus side, they’re super into renewable energy thanks to the geothermal power of the springs.
The resort manages a lot of local tourism infrastructure, including access to the hot springs and the ice museum.
5Eating
Two Rivers LodgePUB FOOD$$$
(%907-488-6815; http://tworiverslodge.com; 4968 Chena Hot Springs Rd; mains $24-37; h5-10pm Tue-Sun)
Steak, seafood and poultry are the focus at this rustic lodge, which is fully kitted out Interior Alaska style, complete with hunting trophies, a lounge that’s good for drinks, and a deck for those long Alaskan summer days.
8Information
Alaska Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation (%907-269-8400; http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks) Contact to arrange camping permits at state parks.
8Getting There & Away
Chena Hot Springs Resort runs a shuttle service from Fairbanks ($195 round-trip, two-person minimum), but you’d be better off renting a car. Hitchhiking is not too grand of an effort, thanks to heavy summer usage of the Chena River State Recreation Area.
Manley Hot Springs
%907 / Pop 89
At the end of a long, lonely road, the well-kept town of Manley Hot Springs is full of friendly people, tidy log homes and luxuriant gardens. Located between Hot Springs Slough and the Tanana River, the community was first homesteaded in 1902 by JF Karshner, just as the US Army Signal Corps arrived to put in a telegraph station. A few years later, as the place boomed with miners from the nearby Eureka and Tofty districts, Frank Manley arrived and built a four-story hotel. Most of the miners are gone now, but Manley’s name – and the spirit of an earlier era – remains. In modern times, the town has been a hotbed of high-level dog mushing: Charlie Boulding, Joe Redington Jr and four-time Iditarod champ Susan Butcher have all lived here.
2Activities
Hot SpringsTHERMAL BATHS
(%907-672-3213; per hr $5; h24hr)
Just before crossing the slough, you pass the town’s namesake, privately owned hot springs. Bathing takes place inside a huge, thermally heated greenhouse, which brings to mind a veritable Babylonian garden of grapes, Asian pears and hibiscus flowers.
Deep in this jungle are three spring-fed concrete tubs, each burbling at different temperatures. Pay your entrance fee (which gives you sole access to the springs for an hour), hose yourself down and soak away in this deliriously un-Alaskan setting. Heed the signs to not pick the fruit, but do call ahead to reserve a time slot.
Manley Boat ChartersBOATING
(%907-672-3271; boat rental per hr $75)
Across the slough and 3 miles beyond the village is the broad Tanana River, just upstream from its confluence with the Yukon. Frank Gurtler can take you fishing or just show you the sights along the waterway.
4Sleeping & Eating
Manley LodgeHISTORIC HOTEL$$
(Manley Roadhouse; %907-672-3161; www.manleylodge.com; 100 Front St; r without/with bath from $110/140, cabin $130; p)
Facing the slough, this antique-strewn, century-old establishment has clean, uncomplicated rooms and is the social center of town. There’s a bit of a frontier vibe to the spot, and, while it’s certainly expensive for what you get, the friendly, take-no-guff-but-give-none-either attitude is appreciated.
Manley LodgeAMERICAN$$
(%907-672-3161; www.manleylodge.com; 100 Front St; mains $17-26; h8am-8pm)
Steak, ribs, salmon and pizza, plus big omelets and pancake platters in the morning, make up the solid mains at the historic roadhouse’s on-site restaurant.
8Getting There & Away
You can rent a vehicle in Fairbanks, or contact Warbelow’s Air Ventures (%907-474-0518; www.warbelows.com), which has flights to Manley Hot Springs for $170 (round-trip) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. With so little traffic on Elliot Hwy, hitching is ill-advised – though if someone does come along, they’ll likely take pity on you.
Elliot Hwy is paved for the first 73 miles; after that, it becomes well-packed gravel. Although the route is fine if driven carefully, this is technically the sort of road most rental-car companies will not allow you to drive on.
The Alcan-Alaska Highway
One of the most impressive engineering feats of the 20th century, the Alcan stretches 1390 miles from Dawson Creek in British Columbia to Delta Junction in Alaska. A drive up (or down) the Alaska Hwy is one of those once-in-a-lifetime road trips that many folks dream of.
The highway was famously punched through the wilderness in a mere eight months in 1942, as part of a WWII effort to protect Alaska from expansionist Japan. Commonly known as the Alcan, short for ‘Alaska–Canada Military Hwy,’ it remains the only year-round overland route that links the 49th state to the Lower 48.
Approximately 300 of its miles, paved and well maintained, are within Alaska, between Fairbanks and the Yukon Territory border. The 98-mile stretch from Delta Junction to Fairbanks is ‘technically’ the Richardson Hwy, but most figure this to be the final leg of the Alcan and we, too, treat it as such.
Delta Junction
%907 / Pop 934
For most visitors, Delta Junction is notable for a technicality: it proclaims itself the end of the Alcan, as the famous highway joins Richardson Hwy here to complete the route to Fairbanks. The town began as a construction camp and picked up its name as it lies at the junction of the two highways. Most travelers use the town as a fuel and grocery stop, with a quick visit to the historic Sullivan Roadhouse, and Rika’s Roadhouse and Landing. The big Deltana Fair takes place on the last weekend of July.
1Sights
Big Delta State Historical ParkPARK
(%907-451-2695; http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/deltajct/bigdelta.htm; Mile 274.5, Richardson Hwy; h8am-8pm; p) F
This 10-acre historical park on the Tanana River preserves Rika’s Roadhouse and Landing, an important crossroads for travelers, miners and soldiers on the Fairbanks–Valdez Trail from 1909 to 1947. You can easily spend a couple of hours wandering the pretty grounds and exploring buildings stocked with displays of turn-of-the-century farming and roadhouse life.
Sullivan RoadhouseHISTORIC BUILDING
(%907-895-5068; junction Alaska & Richardson Hwys; h9am-6pm; p) F
This classic log structure (on the National Register of Historic Places) was built in 1906 to serve travelers along the Fairbanks–Valdez Trail. In 1997 the cabin was moved, log by log, from Fort Greely to its present location and now serves as a museum with a collection of exhibits dedicated to travel in Alaska in the early 1900s – the roadhouse era.
4Sleeping
Delta Junction is blessed with scads of nearby campgrounds and no bed tax.
Clearwater State Recreation SiteCAMPGROUND$
(%907-895-4599; 1415 Clearwater Rd; tent sites $15; p)
With 17 wooded and well-spaced sites, most overlooking the peaceful Clearwater Creek, this is a lovely little spot to spend a night. The site is 13 miles northeast of Delta Junction. Clearwater Creek has good grayling fishing and some paddling options.
Quartz Lake State Recreation AreaCAMPGROUND$
(%907-451-2695; http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/northern/qtzlkcamp.htm; Mile 277.8, Richardson Hwy; tent sites/cabins $15/45; p)
Covering 600 acres north of town (3 miles from the Richardson Hwy), this area has two camping areas and 103 tent sites. Both are accessible by road, and there is additional primitive camping at Bluff Point, accessible by a 3-mile trail starting near the lake. There are a few public-use cabins on-site as well.
oGarden B&BB&B$$
(%907-895-4633; www.alaskagardenbandb.com; 3103 Tanana Loop Extension; r without/with bath $89/109, cabin $129-149; pW) S
Located on what is possibly the neatest-looking farm you’ll ever see, the Garden B&B grows its own vegetables (many of which find their way onto your breakfast plate) and tends a flower garden that looks as lush as a jungle. The rooms are instantly inviting – the cabins have kitchenettes – and the hosts are lovely.
Kelly’s Alaska Country InnMOTEL$$
(%907-895-4667; www.kellysalaskacountryinn.com; 1616 Richardson Hwy; s/d $129/139; pW)
Two blocks north of the visitor center, Kelly’s has spacious, clean rooms, some with kitchenettes. It’s old school, and either dated or charming depending on your tolerance for roadside Americana.
5Eating
oBuffalo Center Drive-InBURGERS$$
(%907-895-4055; Mile 265.5, Richardson Hwy; mains $9-16; h11am-10pm Mon-Sat, from noon Sun Jun-Aug; p)
At this novel Alaskan drive-in they bring heaped burger baskets out to your car, or you can enjoy them on an adjacent patio. The patties and relishes are excellent – the setting may be casual, but these are gourmet-level burgers. It also serves excellent fish and chips and ice-cream. Cash only.
CaveAMERICAN$$
(%907-895-1074; 1596 Richardson Hwy; mains $10-27; h4-10pm Wed-Mon; p)
Located in a strip mall, the Cave has a nice outdoor deck and a decent menu of chicken wings, prime rib steaks, salmon and pasta. It advertises itself as a wine bar, and there is indeed a decent selection of vino (and beer), so drink up, thirsty travelers.
8Information
Delta Junction Visitor Center (%907-895-5063; www.deltachamber.org; Mile 1422, Alaska Hwy; h8am-8pm) More a gift shop than a visitor center, this place at the junction of the Richardson and Alaska Hwys is usually jammed with RVers clamoring to purchase ‘End-of-the-Alaska-Highway’ certificates ($1). Take a glance at the giant, ‘life-sized’ mosquito statues.
8Getting There & Away
Alaska/Yukon Trails (MAP; %907-479-2277; www.alaskashuttle.com) Passes through on its way to/from Fairbanks and Dawson City (Sunday, Tuesday and Friday), or Whitehorse (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday).
Interior Alaska Bus Line (%800-770-6652; www.interioralaskabusline.com) Stops in Delta Junction at 10:30am and 3:30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday on its run between Fairbanks ($40) and Tok; the bus picks up from the IGA (%907-895-4653; www.igafoodcache.com; Mile 266, Richardson Hwy; h6:30am-9pm Mon-Sat, 8am-8pm Sun). From Tok you can continue to Glennallen and Anchorage.
Tok
%907 / Pop 1258
If you’ve just stumbled carsick out of your bruised Buick after several hundred miles on the Alcan, Glenn or Taylor Hwys, Tok (pronounced Toke) might – briefly – seem like heaven on Earth. But after you’ve spent a night at one of its cheap motels, exhausted its oversized visitor center and given a cursory glance to the crapshoot of kitschy gift shops and eating joints, there’s little reason to linger.
The town was born in 1942 as a construction camp for the highway, and was called Tokyo Camp until anti-Japanese sentiment caused locals to shorten it to Tok. From here, the rest of the state beckons: the Alcan heads 206 miles northwest to Fairbanks; the Tok Cutoff and Glenn Hwy reaches 328 miles southwest to Anchorage; and the Taylor Hwy curls back 161 miles to Eagle.
1Sights
oMukluk LandAMUSEMENT PARK
(www.muklukland.net; Mile 1317, Alaska Hwy; adult/child $5/2; h2-8pm; p)
It’s hard to miss Mukluk Land. The entrance, after all, is marked by a giant red boot. But more importantly: you shouldn’t miss Mukluk Land. Is it a theme park? Sure – this is Disney World…if Disney World were made by Alaska backwoods folks working with whatever they had at their fingertips. There may be no better manmade roadside attraction in the state.
At first glance, this looks like a junkyard. But within said junkyard is an odd tour of Tok and the Interior, with ‘exhibits’ ranging from an outhouse museum to World War II military vehicles, to pump-house generators, to a Santa Claus rocket ship (trust us), to several abandoned houses filled with a creepy doll collection that must surely be a portal to Hell. Funhouse games – Skee-ball, electronic darts, minigolf, and the like – abound, and of course, there’s a bounce house in the middle of everything. Run by a retired schoolteacher and his wife, Mukluk Land even publishes its own newspaper, and hosts curious tourists and kids from Tok on a daily basis.
4Sleeping & Eating
There is no bed tax in Tok. Hurray! You’ll find a few campgrounds and roadside motels in the area.
Main Street MotelMOTEL$
(%907-883-6246; www.mainstreetmotelalaska.com; Mile 1312.7, Alcan Hwy; r from $85; pW)
Ask Alcan truckers to name the best accommodation in Tok and they’ll probably surprise you with this boring-looking motel box that seems like a four-out-of-10 from the outside, but scores 10 out of 10 on most internal barometers, including friendliness, cleanliness and – important if you’re on the Alcan – its welcoming 24-hour reception.
Moon Lake State Recreation SiteCAMPGROUND$
(%907-883-3686; http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/northern/moonlksrs.htm; Mile 1332, Alaska Hwy; tent sites $20; p)
Fifteen campsites sit next to placid Moon Lake, 17 miles west of Tok. The lake has the closest thing to a sandy beach for miles around, so if it’s deep summer (or another time of year and you’re insane), you can bring some swim clothes and take a dip.
Caribou CabinsCABIN$$
(%907-883-8080; www.cariboucabins.info; Borealis Ave; cabins from $159; p)
Fancy a little woodsy privacy? Head to these cabins, which have a quilted, cozy kind of comfort. All cabins have front porches and TVs and microwaves, and some come with a hot tub and private bath.
Mooseberry InnB&B$$
(%907-388-5525; 3 Mae’s Way; r from $135; pW)
Just 2.5 miles west of Tok, this B&B has rustic yet surprisingly sharp and modern rooms, private balconies and big breakfasts served in a homey family atmosphere, making it one of the best options outside town. The friendly owner speaks German.
Fast Eddy’sDINER$$
(%907-883-4411; www.fasteddysrestaurant.com; Mile 1313.3, Alaska Hwy; burgers $8-12, pizzas $14-22; h6am-11pm; Wc)
One of the most famous eateries on the Alcan, Eddy’s delivers decent diner food with a smile; we’re a sucker for the pizzas. Portions will keep you or a small country fed.
8Information
Tok Mainstreet Visitors Center (%907-883-5775; Mile 1314, Alaska Hwy; h10am-7pm) Tok’s main ‘sight’ is its visitor center, but it’s a good one with ultra-friendly staff and info on pretty much everywhere and everything within a 500-mile radius.
8Getting There & Away
Tok is about 110 miles southeast of Delta Junction and 85 miles northwest of the Canadian border.
Alaska/Yukon Trails (%907-479-2277; www.alaskashuttle.com) Runs a charter service from Fairbanks to Dawson City, but needs at least two passengers to depart. The fare from Tok is $125.
Interior Alaska Bus Line Passes through Tok on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, stopping at the Three Bears Outpost at Mile 1313. From there, buses leave at 1:45pm, heading northwest to Fairbanks ($80, four hours) and southwest to Anchorage ($115, seven hours).
Taylor Highway
The twisty, turny, bush-as-all-get-out Taylor Hwy is the only road leading to what we like to think of as the ‘bird towns’: the gold-mining tourist trap of Chicken, and the sleepy, historic village of Eagle, perched on the banks of the Yukon River.
This is a road that traces and embraces a series of mountain ridges and ranges. Wildfires in 2004 and 2005 scarred many sections of the scenic drive, but the large swaths of burnt spruce create a ‘Seussical’ landscape, scenic in its own way. The route was once infamously rough, but these days the only white-knuckle stretch is the last 65 miles from Jack Wade Junction to Eagle. The highway closes in winter (generally from October to May), when you can still get to Eagle by plane, snow machine or dogsled.
Chicken
%907 / Pop 17
A place to buy gas, a gift shop, a few businesses selling coffee and beer – dusty Chicken was once a thriving mining center, but these days it’s a bit of an overrated tourist attraction. The town’s name allegedly originated at a meeting of resident miners in the late 1800s. As the story goes, the men voted to dub their new tent-city ‘Ptarmigan,’ since that chicken-like bird (now the Alaskan state bird) was rampant in the area. Trouble is, no-one could spell it.
In retrospect, the naming was a savvy move. Nowadays, folks flock here for ‘I got laid in Chicken’ caps and similar tat. There’s an isolated, end-of-the-world feeling to Chicken that attracts a certain kind of self-imposed exile; we’ve found said exiles can either be friendly or distinctly chilly when dealing with outsiders.
2Activities
The nearby Fortymile River is a popular recreational kayak route. Chicken Gold Camp rents out kayaks for $40 per half-day. Shuttle services are also available. The bridge over South Fork (Mile 75.3) marks the most popular access point for the Fortymile River.
Dominating the town’s skyline is the Pedro Gold Dredge, which worked creeks in the area from 1959 to 1967.
Chicken Gold Camp offers gold panning (four hours $10) near the dredge, and more advanced recreational mining down the road at a working claim where you can sluice your way to riches (per day $25 to $60). It’s not unheard of for visitors to come away with an ounce of gold after a day’s work.
zFestivals & Events
Chickenstock Music FestivalMUSIC
(www.chickenstockmusicfest.com; hJun; c)
This excellent, family-friendly quirk of a music festival attracts thousands of visitors – seriously – to tiny Chicken. Bluegrass and Americana music reigns supreme.
4Sleeping & Eating
Chicken Gold CampCABIN, CAMPGROUND$
(%907-782-4427; www.chickengold.com; tent sites $16, RV sites $30-36, cabin $90-135, apt $150; hcafe 7:30am-7:30pm; pW)
On a spur road to the right as you enter Chicken, this camp offers workaday cabins and a gravel camping area. It’s a friendly, family-run place, and the cafe and saloon in the Chicken Creek Outpost are good hangouts.
GoldpannerCABIN, CAMPGROUND$
(%907-505-0231; www.townofchicken.com; Mile 66.8, Taylor Hwy; tent sites $20, RV sites $32-40, 2-/4-person cabins $129/149, r $169; hgift shop & restaurant 8am-10pm; W)
Just before Chicken Creek is another gravel lot featuring cabins, rooms, a gas station, a gift shop, and the only flush toilets in Chicken. There’s a small restaurant on-site (the Chicken Burger Barn), open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving (imagine that) burger and fish fare.
Chicken Creek Cafe, Saloon & Mercantile EmporiumDINER$$
(www.chickenalaska.com; breakfast & dinner $12-18; hcafe 7am-8pm; p)
This row of clapboard buildings across from Chicken Gold Camp makes the most of the chicken kitsch. The gift shop is extensive, the saloon has hats from every corner of the world, and the cafe, unsurprisingly, features lots of chicken on the menu (try the pot pie!), plus that wilderness staple – cinnamon buns.
Hours are pretty fungible. The saloon stays open depending on how busy it is – although don’t expect it to rock out too late.
8Getting There & Away
The Alaska/Yukon Trails bus stops at the Chicken Creek Cafe on its way between Fairbanks and Dawson City on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. Otherwise, it’s a good 90 minutes (80 miles) from here to Tok.
Fortymile River
Historic Fortymile River, designated as Fortymile National Wild River, offers an excellent escape into scenic wilderness for paddlers experienced in lining their canoes around rapids. It’s also a step back into Alaska’s gold-rush era; the river passes abandoned communities, including Franklin, Steele Creek and Fortymile, as well as some present-day mining operations.
2Activities
All mile markers listed here apply to the Taylor Hwy.
Many paddlers put in at the West Fork Bridge (Mile 49) or South Fork Bridge (Mile 75) and push to the O’Brien Creek Bridge (Mile 112). If you’re coming from the South Fork, expect the trip to take three days; along the way you’ll cross Class III rapids. Starting at the West Fork the trip takes four to five days; again, rapids are in the Class II to III range.
For a greater adventure, continue paddling the Fortymile into the Yukon River; from here, head north to Eagle at the end of the Taylor Hwy. From O’Brien Creek Bridge, the trip is 90 miles, and you may cross Class IV water.
See the ‘Fortymile Wild and Scenic River’ pages on the BLM (BLM; %907-474-2200; www.blm.gov/ak; h8:30am-5pm) website for route planning, maps and more; you can also check out www.alaska.org/detail/fortymile-river for more information.
Eagle Canoe Rentals, in Eagle, is the closest place to get an expedition-worthy canoe or raft.
8Getting There & Away
You’ll need your own car to reach the bridge waysides that serve as put-in points for accessing the river. Chicken is located around Mile 65 on the Taylor Hwy. There are put-in points at Mile 49 and 75.
Eagle
%907 / Pop 85
This quaint hamlet of log cabins and clapboard houses arrayed against the backdrop of the Yukon River is one of the better-preserved boomtowns of the Alaskan mining era. The original settlement, today called Eagle Village, was established by the Athabascans long before Francois Mercier arrived in the early 1880s and built a trading post in the area. A permanent community of miners took up residence in 1898, and in 1900 President Theodore Roosevelt issued a charter that made Eagle the first incorporated city of the Interior.
The gold strikes of the early 1900s, most notably at Fairbanks, began drawing residents away from Eagle. At one point, it’s said, the population of Eagle dipped to nine residents, seven of whom served on the city council. When the Taylor Hwy was completed in the 1950s, the town’s population increased to its present level.
1Sights
Residents say Eagle has the state’s largest ‘museum system,’ boasting five restored turn-of-the-20th-century buildings. If you’re spending a day here, the best way to see the buildings and learn the town’s history is to take the two-hour Eagle Historical Society (%907-547-2325; cnr 3rd & Chamberlain; tour $7; h9am) walking tour.
Fort EgbertHISTORIC SITE
(h24hr; p) F
Back in 1899, this fort was established as a means of providing some federal law enforcement in the lawless heart of gold-rush territory. The base didn’t last long; Egbert was closed and abandoned in 1911. Some historical buildings remain standing; ask at the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Visitor Center or Eagle Historical Society if you want to peek inside them.
2Activities
During its heyday, Eagle was an important riverboat landing for traffic moving up and down the Yukon. Today it’s a departure point for the many paddlers who float along the river through the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. The 165-mile trip extends from Eagle to Circle, at the end of the Steese Hwy northeast of Fairbanks. Most paddlers take six to 10 days, though some require as few as three.
It’s not a difficult paddle, but it must be planned carefully. Kayakers and canoeists should come prepared for insects, but can usually camp either in public-use cabins or on open beaches and river bars, where winds keep the bugs at bay. They also need to be prepared for extremes in weather; freezing nights can be followed by daytime temperatures of 90°F (32°C).
Eagle Canoe Rentals (%907-547-2203; www.eaglecanoerentals.com; A St; hby appointment) rents canoes and can also arrange transportation. The Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve Visitor Center (www.nps.gov/yuch; h8am-5pm) in Eagle is also worth contacting.
4Sleeping
Eagle CampgroundCAMPGROUND$
(%907-883-5121; tent sites $10; p)
This basic campground consists of rustic sites arranged around a forest north of Fort Egbert. We’re not sure why – well, maybe because it was a totally isolated patch of ominous pine trees – but this spot sort of gave us the willies come evening.
Riverside HotelHOTEL$$
(%907-547-7000; www.riversidehoteleaglealaska.com; Front St; s/d $120/135; pW)
The writings on the tin at this big hotel: it’s on the river, and it has everything from a decent restaurant (open 7am to 6pm; mains $12 to $18) to an on-site grocery store. Rooms are surprisingly modern and quite nice, and a decent rate given how overpriced things can be in remote Alaska.
Falcon Inn B&BB&B$$
(%907-547-2254; www.falconinnlodgelogcabins.com; 220 Front St; s/d from $140/165; W)
While this place may be a B&B in name (and you do get breakfast), it also rents entire, nicely appointed log cabins. Try to score a seat on a deck overlooking the Yukon River.
8Getting There & Away
From Jack Wade Junction, the Taylor Hwy continues north 90 miles on a highway that’s unpaved, dusty, full of lurching turns, potholes, stretches of washboard and lovely views. If you’re leaving from Chicken, the drive takes about three hours. There are no buses. Check at the Tok Mainstreet Visitors Center for the latest road conditions.
Tok Cutoff & Glenn Highway
The quickest path from the Alcan to Anchorage, the paved Tok Cutoff and Glenn Hwy offers some of the best hiking, boating and gawk-worthy scenery in the state. The rugged 328-mile route is graced by both the Wrangell and Chugach Mountains. Glennallen and Palmer are significant-sized communities along the way.
Tok Cutoff
Narrow, forest flanked and almost surreally isolated (in a region where surreal isolation isn’t that uncommon), the Tok Cutoff runs 125 miles from Tok to Gakona Junction. There it meets the Richardson Hwy, which heads 14 miles south to Glennallen, the eastern terminus of the Glenn Hwy. There are glorious views of towering Mt Sanford and the Wrangell Mountains on a clear day. The Cutoff is a lonely road; services and gas stations are pretty spaced out. Plan accordingly.
4Sleeping
Porcupine Creek State Recreation SiteCAMPGROUND$
(%907-822-3973; Mile 64.2, Tok Cutoff; tent sites $20; p)
Just north of the Nabesna Rd junction is the 240-acre Porcupine Creek State Recreation Site, offering 12 wooded sites in a scenic spot along the creek. A mile north along the highway you’ll find a historical marker and the first views of Mt Sanford (16,237ft), a dormant volcano.
Eagle Trail State Recreation SiteCAMPGROUND$
(%907-883-3686; Mile 109.5, Tok Cutoff; tent sites $15; p)
The first public campground on Tok Cutoff, Eagle Trail State Recreation Site, near Clearwater Creek, has 35 sites, drinking water and toilets. The historic Old Slana Cutoff Hwy, which at one time extended from Tok to Valdez, now provides a leisurely 20-minute nature walk in the vicinity of the campground. Look for the posted trailhead near the covered picnic shelters.
Gakona LodgeLODGE$$
(%907-822-3482; www.gakonalodge.com; Mile 2, Tok Cutoff; r $89-119, cabins with bath $129-169; pW)
In a state full of cool roadhouses, the Gakona is an exemplar of the genre. This lovely log roadhouse dates from 1905 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Even if you aren’t staying the night, the friendly owners will let you snoop around. There are 10 small rooms, three big cabins and lots of good-natured service.
In addition to accommodation, the roadhouse has a dining room, a bar and, according to some, a resident ghost. Fishing tours are offered on the Klutina and Gulkana Rivers, which offer some of Alaska’s best salmon fishing.
8Getting There & Away
Depending on where you’re coming from, the Tok Cutoff either begins or ends at Gakona Junction, where it merges with the Richardson Hwy. From Gakona Junction, you can follow the Richardson Hwy 14 miles south to the Glenn Hwy junction. Otherwise, it’s about 125 miles to Tok, where you can then hop on the Alcan-Alaska Hwy.
Glenn Highway
In a state with no shortage of amazing road trips, the Glenn is one of Alaska’s most jaw-dropping drives, running through mountain valleys that look as if they were freshly carved by a higher power. Appropriately, most of this corridor has been declared a National Scenic Byway. Along the route, outdoor opportunities abound: great alpine hiking around Eureka Summit, easy access to the humbling Matanuska Glacier, and some of the state’s best white water in the nearby Matanuska River. Note there is a 5% bed tax in this area.
Glennallen
%907 / Pop 483
Glennallen (the name is a combo of two early explorers: Edwin Glenn and Henry Allen) is a small, strung-out community that sits at the confluence of two of Alaska’s most important highways: the Glenn and the Richardson. Turnoffs for the Denali and Edgerton Hwys are also close by. Unfortunately this geographic importance has done little to enliven Glennallen’s appeal, which is limited to a gas station, a visitor center and a smattering of so-so eating and sleeping providers. If you overnight here, admire the views of the icy Wrangell Mountains, top up your gas tank and use the ATM, before heading off somewhere more interesting.
4Sleeping & Eating
Northern Nights CampgroundCAMPGROUND$
(%907-822-3199; www.northernnightscampground.com; Mile 188.7, Glenn Hwy; tent/RV sites $25/40; h8am-8pm; pW)
Sites don’t have much privacy, but this is a clean, well-run, centrally located campground. There are also showers, laundry, strong free wi-fi and complimentary coffee in the morning.
Antler’s Rest B&BB&B$$
(%907-259-4107; www.antlersrest.com; 3rd St; r summer/winter $135/95; pi)
A lovely, pristine and very private B&B tucked away behind Glennallen’s busy crossroads. Expect large rooms, a relaxing lounge and formidable breakfasts. It’s about a mile north of Omni Park Place.
Caribou HotelMOTEL$$
(%907-822-3302; www.caribouhotel.com; Mile 187, Glenn Hwy; r from $150; pW)
In a town with little competition, or panache, the Caribou often gets a bad rap. But if you think of it as a staging post rather than a romantic getaway, the dated rooms and utilitarian motel decor will be a little easier to swallow. Granted, it’s a tad overpriced. There’s an average restaurant on-site.
Tok ThaiTHAI$$
(cnr Glenn & Richardson Hwys; mains $12-15; h6am-6pm; p)
Bangkok-style street food is the last thing you expect to see at a dusty road junction in freezing cold or (depending on the season) sweltering hot, mosquito-ridden Alaska. Thus, all hail Tok Thai’s well-worn purple food truck. Judging by its pad thai noodles – a good barometer for any Thai restaurant – the food’s quite good, and cheap.
8Information
Copper River Valley Visitor Center (%907-822-5555; junction Glenn & Richardson Hwys; h9am-7pm) This center is useful if you need a stack of brochures.
8Getting There & Away
For hitchhikers, Glennallen is notorious as a place for getting stuck when trying to thumb a ride north to the Alcan. Luckily, buses are available.
Interior Alaska Bus Line (%800-770-6652; www.interioralaskabusline.com) Passes through town at 9:45am and 5pm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday en route between Anchorage ($70, four hours) and Tok ($65, three hours), where you can connect to Fairbanks. Book ahead.
Kennicott Shuttle (%907-822-5292; www.kennicottshuttle.com) Vans run to and from McCarthy in Wrangell-St Elias National Park daily in summer (round-trip same day/different day $109/149, four hours, 7am). You’ll need to make a reservation.
Soaring Eagle Transit (%907-822-4545; www.soaringeagletransit.com) Connects to Anchorage ($65) and Valdez ($65) on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It also has a local shuttle linking Glennallen with Copper Center and Gulkana ($5).
Tolsona Creek to Matanuska Glacier
West of Glennallen, the Glenn Hwy slowly ascends through woodland into wide-open high country, affording ridiculously gorgeous views of the Chugach and Talkeetna Mountains, and limitless hiking opportunities. If you’re driving, anticipate plenty of stops to get out and coo over the scenery.
From Eureka Summit (Mile 129.3), the highway’s highest point (3222ft), you can see both Gunsight Mountain and the Chugach Mountains to the south. The Nelchina Glacier spills down in the middle here and the Talkeetna Mountains strut to the northwest.
From here the Glenn Hwy begins to descend, and the surrounding scenery fires the imagination as the Talkeetna Mountains loom in the distance and you pass the sphinx-like rock formation known as the Lion’s Head (Mile 114). A half-mile further, the highway reaches the first viewpoint of Matanuska Glacier. To the north is Sheep Mountain, aptly named as you can often spot Dall sheep on its slopes.
2Activities
Sheep Mountain Lodge TrailsHIKING
The lodge (Mile 113.5) maintains a network of easy-to-follow trails in the overlooking hills. The paths are open to all, not just guests, and outstanding views of the Chugach Mountains and the chance to see Dall sheep are among the highlights. Nonguests can park in the lodge’s gravel lot or at the nearby airstrip.
Chickaloon-Knik Nelchina Trail SystemHIKING
Once a gold-miner’s route used before the Glenn Hwy was built, today this network of dirt roads and rough trails extends to Palmer and beyond, and is popular with backpackers and off-road vehicles alike. The system is not maintained regularly and hikers attempting any part of it should have extensive outdoor experience and the appropriate topographic maps.
There are five to six main hikes, ranging from two to three hours (8.5 miles) for the trail to Knob Lake, to three to four days (32 miles) for the Belanger Pass & Syncline Mountain Trail. The latter can also be mountain biked in one long day.
The trailhead rest area is also a popular vantage point for bird-watchers. With a bit of patience you might be able to get the fixed spotting scopes to reveal a variety of raptors resting in the trees in the wide valley below. In particular, be on the lookout for the hawk owl, which is visible during the day.
TTours
Majestic Heli-SkiSKIING
(%800-559-8691; www.majesticheliski.com; 16162 W Glenn Hwy)
As winter adventures go, it’s tough to beat a heli-ski adventure in the Chugach Mountains. Of course, you pay for the privilege: a one-day package costs $1250, while a one-week ski expeditions starts at $9450 – but all dining is covered, and you’re housed in a lovely lodge with mountain views. The operator is based at Mile 114.9.
Blue Ice AviationSCENIC FLIGHTS
(www.blueiceaviation.com; 16288 Glenn Hwy)
The good-natured folks who run this operation, at Mile 115, can take you on flightseeing tours ($270 per hour), customized fly-in backpacking tours ($470 to $570) and fly-in skiing adventures ($550 to $650 round-trip). We like these guys for their name alone (blue ice is a feature on glaciers, but it’s also pilotspeak for leaked sewage from a commercial airliner).
The owners prefer bookings through the website.
4Sleeping & Eating
Lake Louise State Recreation AreaCAMPGROUND$
(%907-441-7575; Lake Louise Rd; tent sites $20)
At Mile 160, a 19-mile spur road runs north to this scenic recreation site popular among Alaskans keen on swimming, boating and angling for grayling and trout. There are 52 campsites in two campgrounds, and a few lodges and numerous private cabins around the lake as well.
oSheep Mountain LodgeLODGE$$
(%907-745-5121; www.sheepmountain.com; 17701 W Glenn Hwy; r with shared bath $99, cabins $169-199; pW) S
Among the finest and most scenically situated lodges along the highway (Mile 113.5), Sheep Mountain features a cafe, a bar, a sauna (free for cabin guests), comfortable log cabins and a bunkhouse dorm with free showers. The lodge also maintains a lovely network of easy trails in the surrounding hills.
However, the real seeling point of Sheep Mountain Lodge is the restaurant (mains $14-22; h8am-8:30pm; v). It is, to be succinct, fantastic. Creamy chowders, perfectly grilled burgers, creative salads and gorgeous fish and chips are all delicious, but save room for the desserts, which will knock you out to gastro-stuffed sleepyland.
Eureka LodgeDINER$$
(%907-822-3808; www.eurekalodge.com; Mile 128, Glenn Hwy; mains $10-18; h7am-8pm Wed-Mon)
A typical roadside Alaska diner where taxidermic animals stand guard over truck drivers tucking into home cooking. The lodge is at a high point on the Glenn Hwy, meaning the weather can go through four different seasons by the time you finish your cheeseburger. Grab a massive muffin and the cheapest coffee in Alaska (25¢!) for the road.
It also rents basic rooms ($115 to $125) if you’re too knackered to press on to Glennallen.
8Getting There & Away
This segment of the Glenn Hwy is located about 70 miles west of Glennallen. To really explore, you need your own vehicle. Interior Alaska Bus Lines runs from Anchorage to Tok (departs 5:55am Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and can drop you off at Eureka Lodge at 8:30am ($45). Buses from Tok leave at 1:45pm on the same days and arrive at Eureka Lodge at 6:15pm.
Matanuska Glacier to Palmer
One of Alaska’s most accessible ice tongues, Matanuska Glacier really does look as if it’s about to lick the Glenn Hwy as it stretches from its source in the Chugach Mountains. Well, to be clear, the glacier did look like it was about to lick the highway, but climate change seems to be shrinking this outcrop of ice faster than it can replenish itself. Sigh.
Beyond the glacier, almost 12 miles past Sutton, is the junction with the Fishhook-Willow Rd, which provides access to Independence Mine State Historical Park in Wasilla. The highway then descends into the agricultural center of Palmer.
From Palmer, the Glenn Hwy merges with the George Parks Hwy and continues south to Anchorage, 43 miles away.
1Sights
oMatanuska GlacierGLACIER
(Mile 102, Glenn Hwy; h7am-9pm; p)
Some 18,000 years ago this glacier covered the entire area where the city of Palmer sits today. It must have appeared a supernatural force back then, whereas these days it’s merely a grand spectacle and open geological classroom. From a distance, the wall of ice looks like it should be patrolled by guys in black furry capes with funny Northern English accents.
Weirdly enough, the glacier – or at least the part you can visit – sits on private land. The entrepreneurial guy who claimed this natural wonder for himself tightly controls access to the glacier. Entry is via Glacier Park Resort (Mile 102), which charges $25 to follow its private road to a parking lot at the terminal moraine. From there, a self-guided trail will take you a couple of hundred yards onto the gravel-laced ice, carved and braided with translucent blue streams and pitted with deep ponds.
To go further, duck into the office of MICA Guides, which leads a ton of adventurous treks out onto the ice. You can go hiking on your own out onto the glacier, but come prepared with hiking shoes, cold-weather gear, and a sense of perspective. Clueless, giggling tourists wearing T-shirts and flat-soled shoes walk out on the ice all the time, and inevitably, they get stuck and saved by trained rescue crews. Seriously, be careful out here. There are gaps in the ice that can literally swallow a human body, and they appear out of nowhere. There’s a reason they make you sign a consent form and waiver before you hit the frozen ground.
2Activities
MICA GuidesADVENTURE
(%907-351-7587; www.micaguides.com; Mile 102.5, Glenn Hwy; h9am-5pm; c) S
This excellent guide service will outfit you with a helmet, crampons and trekking poles, and lead you on a three-hour ice trek ($79) or a six-hour ice-climbing excursion ($164). It also manages a zip-line course ($79).
It also operates – wait for it – the AK Metal Rodeo, where you can seriously operate a bunch of heavy machinery and junk some cars ($149). Alaska!
Purinton Creek TrailHIKING
The trail starts at Mile 91 (look for the signpost) and continues 12 miles to the foot of Boulder Creek. Most of the final 7 miles run along the river’s gravel bars. The accompanying Chugach Mountains scenery is excellent, and you’ll find good camping spots along Boulder Creek.
TTours
NovaADVENTURE
(%800-746-5753; www.novalaska.com; 38100 W Glenn Hwy, Chickaloon; h8am-6pm; c)
Almost across the highway (at Mile 76.5) from the King Mountain State Recreation Site sits the headquarters of one of Alaska’s pioneering rafting companies. Nova offers daily floats ($85) on the Matanuska River. Wilder half-day trips feature Class IV rapids around Lion’s Head (from $105).
Nova can also guide you on glacier hikes (from $85) and multiday river trips on the Matanuska, Talkeetna, Copper, Chickaloon and Tana Rivers for anywhere between $950 and $2900.
4Sleeping & Eating
oAlpenglowCAMPGROUND$$
(%907-351-7587; https://micaguides.com/activities/luxury-camping; 31090 Glenn Hwy; tents from $116; p)
Come to Alpenglow, at Mile 102.5, to get your glamping on. That’s ‘glamorous camping’ if you’re lucky enough to not spend too much time on the internet, and in this case means wall tents on raised platforms with fluffy beds and a view that looks straight out onto the glacier, which looks like it’s going to kiss you good morning.
It has an on-site kitchen where you’ll get an included breakfast, a wooden hot tub, and an Edenic location on the sort of alpine meadow that Julie Andrews likes to spin around on while singing. The one drawback is shared bathroom facilities. Managed by the folks at MICA.
Matanuska LodgeLODGE$$
(%907-746-0378; www.matanuskalodge.com; 34301 West Glenn Hwy; r $150-200; pW)
The four rooms at the Matanuska, between Miles 99 and 100, are a hybrid of cabin chic and overstuffed comfort, all lovely soft beds and explosions of color. The most expensive room (the Matanuska) has a two-person shower, a king-sized bed and a fireplace. Bow chicka bow wow. On the walls are crafty lantern-style light fixtures and plenty of art.
Tundra Rose Guest CottagesCABIN$$
(%907-745-5865; www.tundrarosebnb.com; 22518 West Glenn Hwy; 2-/4-person cottages $155/165; p)
In a glacier-view setting that’s as pretty as the name implies, this family-run place at Mile 109.5 has a cozy and personal atmosphere. The owners also run the Grand View Cafe just down the road.
Grand View CafeCAFE$
(%907-746-4480; www.grandviewrv.com; 22518 West Glenn Hwy; sandwiches $8-11; h8am-10pm; W)
At Mile 109.5, find this home-spun purveyor of American road-trip favorites. You can’t go wrong with the Reuben sandwich with some free (slow) wi-fi on the side. It also starts baking pizzas around 3pm every day.
8Getting There & Away
Glacier View (where you can, hey, see the glacier) is near the center of the Glenn Hwy, located 60 miles east of Palmer and about 75 miles west of Glennallen. Cars are by far the easiest way around, but Interior Alaska Bus Line runs buses from Anchorage to Tok (departs 5:55am Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and can drop you off in Palmer (6:45am, $20). Buses from Tok leave at 1:45pm on the same days and arrive in Palmer at 8pm.
Richardson Highway
Can we just ctrl+v and paste the word ‘wow’ over and over again? No? Let’s earn our pay, then: the Richardson is…beautiful. In good light, wildflowers shimmer in the wind, while off in the distance the sheltering shoulders of the Alaska and Chugach Mountains stand guard. In the mist, the road cuts through a grey, severe series of tundra valleys, dark forests and rushing rivers. Every step of the way there are chances to hike, cycle (many cyclists go ahead and do the entire route) and stop for photos.
Alaska’s first highway, the Richardson runs 366 miles from Fairbanks to Valdez, although the 98-mile stretch between Fairbanks and Delta Junction is popularly considered part of the Alcan. At mile marker 265, you’ll reach Delta Junction; from here the Alcan branches away to the east while the Richardson heads south. Mile Marker 0 is in Valdez.
Delta Junction to Paxson
After departing Delta Junction’s ‘Triangle,’ where the Alcan merges with Richardson Hwy at Mile 266, the highway passes Fort Greely (Mile 261) and, a few minutes later, the Alaska Pipeline’s Pump Station No 9.
A turnoff at Mile 243.5 offers one of the best views you’ll get of the pipeline, as it plunges beneath the highway. Interpretive signage provides an overview of the pipeline’s history and engineering, including a fascinating explanation of how ‘thermal siphons’ protect the permafrost by sucking heat from areas where the pipeline is buried. There are also spectacular panoramas to the southwest of three of the highest peaks in the Alaska Range. From south to west, you can see Mt Deborah (12,339ft), Hess Mountain (11,940ft) and Mt Hayes (13,832ft).
Another interesting turnoff, at Mile 241.3, overlooks the calving grounds of the Delta buffalo herd to the west. In 1928, 23 bison were relocated here from Montana for the pleasure of hunters and today they number more than 400. The animals have established a migratory pattern that includes summering and calving along the Delta River. If you have binoculars you may be able to spot dozens of the beasts.
The first public campground between Delta Junction and Glennallen is just after Mile 238, where a short loop road leads west to Donnelly Creek State Recreation Site, which has 12 sites. This is a great place to camp, as it’s seldom crowded and is extremely scenic, with good views of the towering Alaska Range. Occasionally the Delta bison herd can be seen from the campground.
At Mile 225.4 you’ll find a viewpoint with picnic tables and a historical marker pointing out what little ice remains of Black Rapids Glacier to the west. Once known as the ‘Galloping Glacier,’ this ice river advanced 3 miles in the winter of 1936 to almost engulf the highway.
From here, the highway ascends into alpine country and the scenery turns gonzo, with the road snaking under sweeping, scree-sided peaks. At Mile 200.5, a gravel spur leads 2 miles west to Fielding Lake State Recreation Site, where a willow-riddled 17-site campground sits in a lovely area above the treeline at 2973ft.
In another 3 miles the highway crests its highest point, Isabel Pass (3000ft). The pass is marked by a sign dedicated to Captain Wilds Richardson, an early 20th century Alaska explorer, after whom the highway is named. From this point you can view Gulkana Glacier to the northeast and the Isabel Pass pipeline camp below it.
For much of the next 12 miles the highway parallels the frothing headwaters of the Gulkana River as it pours toward Paxson.
Paxson
%907 / Pop 40
At Mile 185.5 of the Richardson Hwy, the junction with the Denali Hwy, you’ll find the small service center of Paxson. This is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of town, but it’s a useful frame of reference for the beginning of an absolutely enchanting stretch of road. Over the next 20 miles, the Richardson descends from the Alaska Range, presenting sweeping views of the Wrangell Mountains to the southeast and the Chugach Mountains to the southwest. Carry on along this route and you’ll pass through several jaw-dropping iterations of mountain scenery before reaching Gulkana River Bridge.
DON’T MISS
LODGE AT BLACK RAPIDS
As physical settings go, it’s hard to beat the Lodge at Black Rapids (%907-388-8391; www.lodgeatblackrapids.com; Mile 227.4, Richardson Hwy; r/ste from $125/275; p), which is situated on a particularly dramatic stretch of the Richardson Hwy. But this historic roadhouse doesn’t trade on location alone. Rooms are a tasteful blend of minimalism and cabin aesthetics, featuring unique decor and natural light.
The owners can hook you up with a full slate of activities throughout the year, from flightseeing to dog mushing.
2Activities
Sourdough to Gulkana Bridge FloatCANOEING
From Sourdough Creek Campground, you can take a placid, 35-mile river float to the highway bridge at Gulkana (Mile 126.8), making for a pleasant one- or two-day paddle.
All the land from Sourdough Creek Campground south belongs to the Ahtna Native Corporation, which charges boaters to camp. The exceptions – three single-acre sites – are signposted along the riverbanks and have short trails leading back to the highway.
Raft rentals and shuttle services for many of the area’s rivers, including the Gulkana, can be arranged through River Wrangellers.
Paxson to Sourdough FloatCANOEING
Experienced paddlers can travel the main branch of the Gulkana River, which roughly parallels the Richardson Hwy from Paxson Lake BLM Campground to Sourdough Creek Campground. This is a 45-mile, three- to four-day journey involving several challenging rapids, including the class IV Canyon Rapids.
Although there’s a short portage around these rapids, rough class III waters follow. If you’re interested in the route, the BLM offers the super-informative 17-page Gulkana River Users Guide for Paxson to Sourdough Float for download from its website (www.blm.gov).
4Sleeping
Paxson Lake BLM CampgroundCAMPGROUND$
(%907-822-3217; Mile 175.5, Richardson Hwy; tent sites $6-12; p)
With 50 sites peppered around a misty lakeshore, this is one of the most dramatic public campsites along the Richardson.
8Getting There & Away
Paxson is about 80 miles south of Delta Junction. If you follow the Richardson Hwy south from here, you’ll eventually reach the Gulkana River Bridge; from here, you are 3 miles south of Gakona Junction, where Tok Cutoff heads northeast to Tok (and eventually, Canada), and 11 miles north of Glennallen, where the Richardson Hwy intersects with the Glenn Hwy.
Copper Center
%907 / Pop 328
The diminutive, typically Alaskan settlement of Copper Center, 14 miles south of Glennallen, sits just off the Richardson Hwy beside the iconic, fast-flowing Copper River.
The ‘town’ first took root in 1898 as a waystation on the disastrous Valdez Glacier trail to the Klondike goldfields. For the 4000 or so would-be prospectors who made it over the Valdez Glacier, utilizing the so-called ‘All-American route,’ this was about as far as they got. Exhaustion and a calamitous scurvy outbreak at Copper Center prevented them from getting much further.
Once the prospectors had passed on (or away), Copper Center settled down to become just another gnarled Alaskan settlement on the frontier. These days it supports a small riverside community and is notable for its rafting and fishing opportunities.
2Activities
Klutina Salmon ChartersFISHING
(%907-822-3991; www.klutinasalmoncharters.com; Mile 101, Old Richardson Hwy; tent/cabins $25/95)
Sitting at the confluence of two legendary fishing rivers (Klutina and Copper), this professional outfit offers all kinds of customized fishing trips, as well two-hour rafting tours of the Klutina River ($99). It also runs a riverside campground with tent sites and cabins.
TTours
River WrangellersRAFTING
(%888-822-3967; www.riverwrangellers.com; Airport Rd, Copper Center)
Offers raft rentals and shuttle services for many of the area’s rivers. You can rent a self-bailing Sotar or Vanguard raft (minimum three days from $300), or take a tour down the Gulkana (from $99).
4Sleeping & Eating
Copper River Princess Wilderness LodgeHOTEL$$
(%907-822-4000, 800-426-0500; www.princesslodges.com; 1 Brenwick Craig Rd; r from $129; piW)
More intimate than the other Princess lodges, this secluded retreat just off the Richardson Hwy, 14 miles south of Glennallen, is frequented primarily by groups of cruise-line vacationers, but can still offer an indulgence for DIYers on their way in or out of Wrangell-St Elias National Park.
There are two restaurants, country-lodge furnishings and a handy daily shuttle ($5) to the Copper Center community and national park visitor center. You can find significant discounts if you book online.
Old Town Copper Center Inn & RestaurantAMERICAN$$
(%907-822-3245; www.oldtowncoppercenter.com; Mile 101, Old Richardson Hwy; mains $10-29; h6am-midnight Mon & Tue, 24hr Wed-Sun May-Sep, 9am-8pm Oct-Apr; W)
Guns are welcome, but keep them in your holster, explains a sign in the Copper Center Lodge. What might read as facetious anywhere else is par for the course in rural Alaska. But, fear not, the cozy restaurant is friendly to out-of-towners and the breakfasts and apple cinnamon buns are a treat. Also rents chintzy rooms (from $129).
There are vegetarian burgers, patty melts (with meat), fried chicken and all sorts of other goodness for dinner.
8Getting There & Away
Copper Center is 16 miles south of Glenallen. Soaring Eagle Transit buses pass through Copper Center from Monday to Friday at 7:25am, 10am and 1:10pm on the way to Glenallen ($5).
Glennallen to Valdez
One of Alaska’s most spectacular drives, the 115 miles of the Richardson Hwy between Glennallen and Valdez lead through a paradise of snowy summits, panoramic passes and stunning gorges.
Nine miles south of Glennallen is a turnoff to the Wrangell-St Elias National Park Visitor Center. Just south of the visitor center, at Mile 106, Old Richardson Hwy loops off the main highway, offering access to Copper Center. Old Richardson Hwy rejoins the Richardson at Mile 100.2.
You’ll reach a lookout over Willow Lake (Mile 87, Richardson Hwy) F at Mile 87.6. The lake can be stunning on a clear day, with the water reflecting the Wrangell Mountains, a 100-mile chain that includes 11 peaks over 10,000ft. The two most prominent peaks visible from the lookout are Mt Drum (12,011ft), 28 miles to the northeast, and Mt Wrangell (14,163ft), Alaska’s largest active volcano, to the east. Some days you can see a plume of steam rising from its crater.
Squirrel Creek State Campground (%907-822-5932; http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/matsu/squircksrs.htm; Mile 79.5, Richardson Hwy; tent sites $20; p) is a scenic 25-site camping area on the banks of the creek. You can fish for grayling and rainbow trout here.
Fourteen miles further along, you’ll reach what used to be the Little Tonsina River State Recreation Site. Though it’s closed, a path leads down to the water, where anglers can fish for Dolly Varden most of the summer.
At Mile 28.6 the turnoff to Worthington Glacier State Recreation Site (%907-269-8700; http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/kenai/worthglsrs.htm; Mile 28.7, Richardson Hwy; hsunrise-sunset; p) F leads you to the glacier’s face via a short access road. The recreation area includes outhouses, picnic tables and a large, covered viewing area. The mile-long, unmaintained Worthington Glacier Ridge Trail begins at the parking lot and follows the crest of the moraine. It’s a scenic hike and follows the edge of the glacier, but exercise caution: never hike on the glacier itself due to its unstable crevasses.
As the highway ascends toward Thompson Pass (Mile 26, 2678ft), it climbs above the treeline, and the weather can be windy and foul. On the other side, several scenic turnoffs with short trails descending the ridgelines allow lucky early-summer visitors to ooh and aah at a riot of wildflowers.
Blueberry Lake State Recreation Site (http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/kenai/blueberrylksrs.htm; Mile 23, Richardson Hwy; tent & RV sites $14; p) offers 15 sites and several covered picnic shelters in a beautiful alpine setting surrounded by lofty peaks. There’s good fishing for rainbow trout in the nearby lakes.
At Mile 14.8 you’ll reach the northern end of narrow Keystone Canyon. Tucked away in a little bend is an abandoned hand-drilled tunnel that residents of Valdez began but never finished when they were competing with Cordova for the railroad to the Kennecott copper mines. A historical marker at the entrance briefly describes how nine companies fought to develop the short route from the coast to the mines, leading to the ‘shootout in Keystone Canyon.’
For the next 2 miles you’ll pass through the dark-walled canyon and, like everyone else, make a stop at two high, full-throated waterfalls: Bridal Veil Falls and, half a mile further, Horsetail Falls.
Leaving the canyon at Mile 12.8, the road begins a long, gradual descent into Valdez.
Wrangell–St Elias National Park
Imagine an area the size of Switzerland. Now strip away its road network, eradicate its towns and cities and take away all but 40 of its eight million people. The result would be something approximating Wrangell–St Elias National Park. Comprising 20,625 square miles of brawny ice-encrusted mountains, Wrangell–St Elias is the second-largest national park in the world after Northeast Greenland, meaning there’s plenty of room for its 45,000-or-so annual visitors to get lost – very, very lost. The park’s vital statistics are mind-boggling.
One more time: this park is big. If Wrangell–St Elias were a country it would be larger than 70 of the world’s independent nations. Its biggest glacier covers an area larger than the US state of Rhode Island. Plenty of its mountain peaks have never been climbed. And that’s even before you’ve started counting the bears, beavers, porcupines and moose.
McCarthy Road
There’s only one way you can get to McCarthy by land: the bumpy, unpaved McCarthy Rd. This dirt route is a rump-shaker, but even a regular car can make it if you go slow (35mph max) and stay in the center to avoid running over old rail spikes – contact Ma Johnson’s Hotel in McCarthy about car-rental companies that will let you take their vehicles on the road.
Much of the route traces the abandoned Copper River and Northwest Railroad bed that was used to transport copper from the mines to Cordova. The first few miles offer spectacular views of the Chugach Mountains, the east–west range that separates the Chitina Valley lowlands from the Gulf of Alaska. Peaks average 7000ft to 8000ft. Below is the mighty Copper River, one of the world’s great waterways for king and red salmon.
Chitina
%907 / Pop 126
Chitina is the last taste of civilization before McCarthy. It’s a riverside hamlet on the frontier where rustic house lots are littered with antediluvian vehicles and the road signs are used for target practice by locals with guns (count the bullet holes). Notwithstanding, the scenery is pretty, there’s good hiking and wildlife-viewing opportunities, and Chitina is one of the few places you can easily watch fish wheels at work. The wheels, which look much like a paddle wheel with baskets, sit just off the banks and turn with the river’s current. When a fish is caught in a basket, it’s lifted up and then deposited into a trough. A slow day might see no salmon caught, while a great day could see a dozen.
4Sleeping
Gilpatrick’s Hotel ChitinaHOTEL$$
(%907-823-2244; www.hotelchitina.com; Mile 33, Edgerton Hwy; r $165)
There’s a reason this 100-year-old hotel/restaurant looks like a building from an old frontier town: that’s essentially what it is. But this old-time relic has been renovated and redone with, if not modern luxury, at least contemporary comfort and efficiency. It has a wood-floored coziness that’s endearing (if overpriced).
WORTH A TRIP
LUXURY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
For a select few with $5000 to spare, the Ultima Thule Lodge (%907-854-4500; www.ultimathulelodge.com; 4-night 4-day package per person $7950) S beckons like the aurora borealis. Located in the lonely backcountry of Wrangell-St Elias National Park on the Chitina River, over 100 miles from the nearest road, this fabulously luxurious lodge is the last thing you expect in such an inhospitable environment.
But far from being just another expensive resort, Ultima Thule is elegant, tasteful, unpretentious and as beautiful as the land that envelops it. For your money, you’ll have one of the world’s best bush pilots at your disposal, along with fully catered meals with ingredients plucked from an on-site organic garden, professional guides and equipment, accommodation in private cabins and service and comforts akin to a royal retreat. Step outside the door and there’s 13.2 million uninhabited acres calling like a mythical siren. Ultima Thule’s fees cover everything, including flights. Most people who’ve been lucky enough to go say it’s worth every penny. There’s a three-night minimum stay.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Uncle Tom’s TavernBAR
(%907-823-2253; Edgerton Hwy; h3-10pm)
This friendly little dive is a nice spot to drink a beer and hear locals tell tales about shooting very dangerous animals that were apparently prowling in the area where you were just hiking. Maybe that was just our experience? In all seriousness, this is a true Alaskan Interior bar, and worth a stop if you’re feeling thirsty.
7Shopping
Spirit Mountain ArtworksART
(%907-823-2222; www.spiritmountainalaska.com; Edgerton Hwy; htimes vary)
This gallery/store, housed in a classic ‘false front’ store that appears in the National Register of Historic Places, sells goods created by over 100 local artists and craftspeople. Hours are fungible, as the owner lives in Homer; call ahead before visiting.
8Getting There & Away
Chitina sits at the entrance to the McCarthy Rd, about 65 miles south of Glennallen, and 40 miles east of Tonsina. The Chitina Airport (off Edgerton Hwy) is used by Wrangell Mountain Air. You can also jump on the Kennicott Shuttle here if you’re heading to McCarthy; you can park your car here, in an uncovered parking lot, for free.
McCarthy
%907 / Pop 28
Alaska doesn’t lack for isolated frontier towns that act as magnets for a colorful cast of folk who want to live away from everything, and nor does it suffer a paucity of tourist destinations. But it’s a rare place that manages to bridge the gap between these two identities – a spot that is authentically on the edge of civilization, yet welcomes those curious folk who want to peep in on the raw, wild pulse of the Alaskan bush.
Enter McCarthy. Once the red-light district and drinking strip for bored miners bivouacked at the ‘dry’ mining town of Kennecott, today this is an intersection of muddy streets and a few dozen locals and seasonal workers, who work hard, play harder, and generally live life with an unvarnished gusto that’s a joy to witness. It helps that they live in a valley that could give Eden a fit of jealousy.
1Sights
Wrangell Mountain CenterCULTURAL CENTER
(%907-554-4464; www.wrangells.org; c)
At the end of downtown McCarthy, check out this environmental NGO/community center with summer field courses for university students, arts and science programs for children, writing workshops and interpretative walks. The center sits in the Old Hardware Store and is always open.
McCarthy-Kennecott Historical MuseumMUSEUM
(%907-259-4550; h2-7pm)
This old railroad depot is worth a quick visit to view the historical photographs, mining artifacts and model of McCarthy in its heyday. The road splits at the museum, with one lane bending back 500ft to downtown (such as it is) McCarthy, and the other continuing toward Kennecott, 4.5 miles up the road.
TTours
St Elias Alpine GuidesOUTDOORS
(%907-554-4445; www.steliasguides.com)
A lovable cast of outdoors enthusiasts staffs this tour outfit, which leads customers on an enormous range of trips, from mountaineering courses (from $2075) to multi-day backpacking expeditions (from $450) to rafting trips (from $95). The headquarters, the old McCarthy electrical powerhouse, is an awesome sight in and of itself.
St Elias Alpine Guides is a partner company with Copper Oar (%800-523-4453; www.copperoar.com), a popular tour company that effectively manages the rafting side of the business.
McCarthy River Tour & OutfittersRAFTING
(%907-554-1077; www.raftthewrangells.com)
This well-regarded rafting outfit takes customers on everything from four-hour SUP trips on a glacial lake ($95) to eight-day, fly-in river expeditions deep in the wilds of Wrangell-St Elias ($3150).
Wrangell Mountain AirSCENIC FLIGHTS
(%800-478-1160, 907-554-4411; www.wrangellmountainair.com; Main St, McCarthy)
Want to see Wrangell–St Elias from the air? These folks have a fantastic reputation and can do a backcountry drop or a wide range of scenic flights from $120 (35 minutes) to $270 (1½ hours) per person (two-person minimum).
McCarthy Then & NowWALKING
(tours $10)
These historical walking tours of McCarthy usually kick off in the mornings from Main St. Check at Ma Johnson’s Hotel for when the next one is running.
4Sleeping
Glacier View CampgroundCAMPGROUND$
(%907-441-5737; www.glacierviewcampground.com; tent sites $15, cabins without bath $95; p)
A half-mile back from the river at the road’s end, this very friendly place has stony sites with just enough scrub and space to maintain your privacy, hot showers ($10) and mountain bikes for hire (full day $25). The on-site restaurant enjoys a good local reputation for its burgers ($15), and is blessed with views of Root Glacier from the deck.
oMa Johnson’s HotelHISTORIC HOTEL$$
(%907-554-5402; www.mccarthylodge.com; Main St; d/tr $229/299)
This copper-boom-era hotel has yet to make it into the second half of the 20th century – let alone the first half of the 21st. The old-fashionedness is intentional and, frankly, refreshing. Small rooms don’t have electrical sockets (charge your phone in the lobby), bathrooms are shared and every floorboard creaks.
But it’s comfortable and atmospheric, and you can’t beat sitting on the front deck imagining you’ve got a walk-on role in a remake of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Breakfast is included.
Currant Ridge CabinsCABIN$$
(%907-554-4424; www.currantridgecabins.com; Mile 56.7, McCarthy Rd; cabins $225; p) S
On a mountainside not far from the ‘end of the road’ (before you reach the McCarthy bridge), these well-designed log cabins feature bathrooms (including bathtubs), full kitchens and large decks for taking in some outrageous mountain views. During the summer season, all power is provided by photo-voltaic panels.
Lancaster’s HotelHOTEL$$
(%907-554-4402; www.mccarthylodge.com; off Main St; d/tr/q without bath $129/179/199)
Run by the same guys as Ma Johnson’s Hotel, the Lancaster has even fewer ‘frills’ and is for those who want to soak in the Main St vibe but are on a tighter budget. There’s no kitchen and it has shared bathrooms, but a reading room is available and you can store your bags when you head out into the wilds.
Kennicott River Lodge & HostelCABINS, HOSTEL$$
(%907-554-2329, 907-554-4441; www.kennicottriverlodge.com; dm $50, cabins without bath from $130)
A short walk back from the road’s end is this handsome two-story log lodge with private and dorm cabins. Amenities include a great communal kitchen and common room, a bright outhouse and a Finnish sauna. Views look over to the fantastical Root Glacier in the distance.
5Eating
oRoadside PotatoheadTEX-MEX$
(The Potato; %907-554-4504; www.theroadsidepotatohead.com; breakfast $6-12, mains $10-18; h7am-9pm)
Don’t leave without popping into this food shack, where the signature burritos share a menu with overstuffed cheese steaks and delicious hummus wraps. The coffee ain’t half bad either. Decor is Potatohead toys and dusty Lonely Planets, the menu is written on old pieces of cardboard, and the attitude is pure Alaskan quirkiness.
Heads up: everyone calls this place ‘The Potato,’ and given that nickname, you really want to try the fries.
Golden SaloonBREAKFAST$$
(%907-554-4402; Main St; mains $11-18; h8am-midnight)
Connected to McCarthy Lodge, this is the area’s only true bar, with a good beer selection, pool, frequent live music and an always-intriguing cast of drinkers and beards. Food-wise, there’s a menu of first-rate bar food, including buffalo wings, loaded nachos and filling sandwiches.
McCarthy BistroAMERICAN$$$
(%907-554-4402; Main St; mains $26-42; h7-11am & 6-11pm)
One of the more pleasant absurdities of McCarthy is the way you can enjoy expertly prepared gourmet food in what, superficially, looks like Tombstone circa 1881. Wild-caught salmon, elk medallions, and a wine list that wouldn’t be out of place in a major city, let alone a frontier outpost, characterize the menu.
On many evenings there’s a set four-course meal with wine.
7Shopping
Mountain Arts Gift ShopARTS & CRAFTS
(www.mccarthylodge.com/mountain-arts; Main St; h10am-6pm)
Run by the folks at McCarthy Lodge, this little shop is stocked with local arts, clothes, jewelry, crafts and other goods that all make for a unique souvenir.
McCarthy Store & BakeryMARKET
(Main St; h10am-6pm)
Pop into this small shop, which makes a big effort to procure the healthy hiking essentials – including decent fruit and camping food – and treats like ice-cream and liquor.
8Getting There & Away
AIR
McCarthy has a tiny gravel airport.
Copper Valley Air (%907-822-4200; www.coppervalleyairservice.com) Has flights from Anchorage or McCarthy via Gulkana from $275 one-way.
Wrangell Mountain Air (%907-554-4411, 800-478-1160; www.wrangellmountainair.com) Offers daily scheduled flights between McCarthy and Chitina (one-way/round-trip $129/258).
BUS
McCarthy sits at the end of McCarthy Rd (imagine that!). You can either drive this bumpy track (if your rental company allows it) or take the Kennicott Shuttle. This van service leaves Glennallen daily at 7am for McCarthy (round-trip same/different day $109/149) and departs at 4:30pm for the return trip. It also stops at Chitina Airport. It’s about four hours each way, with a few scenic stops and some driver commentary thrown in. Reservations are essential.
8Getting Around
It’s about 4½ miles heading uphill to reach Kennecott. You can walk, bike (Ma Johnson’s will rent you a rig) or spend $5/10 one-way/round-trip and take the McCarthy Kennicott Shuttle (%907-554-4411; www.mccarthykennicottshuttle.com; 1-way/round-trip $5/10; h9am-7pm), which leaves every 30 minutes from 9am to 7pm.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
NABESNA ROAD
For connoisseurs of roads less traveled, Alaska offers few lonelier motorways than the Nabesna Rd, jutting 42 miles south from the Tok Cutoff into the northern reaches of Wrangell-St Elias National Park.
Turning onto the Nabesna Rd, you’ll find yourself in a place the signs call Slana (population 124). Somewhere back through the trees there’s an Alaska Natives settlement on the northern banks of the Slana River, where fish wheels still scoop salmon during the summer run. Also in the area are more recent settlers: in the early 1980s this was one of the last places in the USA to be opened to homesteading.
Before continuing, stop in at the NPS’s Slana Ranger Station (%907-822-7401; Mile 0.5, Nabesna Rd, www.nps.gov/wrst; h8am-5pm Apr-Sep; c), where you can get info about road conditions and hikes, purchase USGS maps, peruse displays and borrow a CD with an audio tour of the Nabesna.
In the 4 miles between the ranger station and the park entrance you’ll pass a handful of accommodations. Offbeat and friendly is Huck Hobbit’s Homestead (%907-822-3196; Mile 4, Nabesna Rd; cabins per person $35; p) S, a wind-and-solar-powered, 87-acre wilderness retreat. Cabins are rustic, but include a cooking area and shower block. Stay an extra day here if you can. You can rent canoes for a half-day float down the gentle Slana River ($60 per canoe, including shuttle).
Upon entering the park proper, the Nabesna Rd turns to gravel. It’s manageable in a 2WD vehicle for the first 29 miles, but after that several streams flow over it, making it impassable in high water (check at the ranger station for the latest on road conditions). At mile 28.2, Kendesnii Campground (%907-822-5234; www.nps.gov/wrst; Mile 27.8, Nabesna Rd; tent sites free; p) SF is the only official NPS campground in Wrangell-St Elias National Park. It’s nicely st up, remote and has 10 sites and vault toilets. Maintenance ends at Mile 42, though a rough track continues 4 miles to the private Nabesna Gold Mine, a national historic site.
For a comparatively easy hike, try the 3-mile Caribou Creek Trail (www.nps.gov/wrst; Mile 19.2, Nabesna Rd) S, which ascends 800ft from the road to a dilapidated cabin with unbeatable views of the surrounding peaks. A tougher walk is the 2.5-mile Skookum Volcano Trail (www.nps.gov/wrst; Mile 36.2, Nabesna Rd), which climbs 1800ft through a deeply eroded volcanic system, ending at a high alpine pass frequented by Dall sheep.
Kennecott
%907
Between 1911 and 1938, the mining outpost of Kennecott was the serious ‘dry’ working town to free-living, hard-drinking McCarthy. These days it is effectively an open-air museum on mining history, as well as the jump-off point for several excellent hikes.
1Sights
oConcentration Mill & Leaching PlantHISTORIC SITE
(tour $28)
Like a rickety fantasy hatched out of a lunatic’s dream, this 14-story building once processed the copper mined out of the surrounding mountains. You can only enter via two-hour tours led by St Elias Alpine Guides, but this is highly recommended for a chance to peak into a truly surreal tableau of 20th-century mining equipment.
There are three tours daily. St Elias Alpine Guides has a small kiosk at the entrance to Kennecott, where the shuttle drops off passengers.
Kennecott Mines National Historic LandmarkHISTORIC SITE
(%907-822-5234; www.nps.gov/wrst)
Old mill town constitutes pretty much all of present-day Kennecott. Dozens of old wood and log buildings have been restored, stabilized or purposely left in a state of decrepitude. You’re welcome to wander around the outside of the buildings at will, or you can join daily tours.
Kennicott GlacierGLACIER
‘Oh no, they destroyed this valley!’ If you’re like 99% of visitors, that’s exactly what you’ll think as you reach Kennecott and look across the valley at a rolling landscape of dirt and rubble. But no, that isn’t a dump of mine tailings from the copper-boom days, but the Kennicott Glacier moraine. The ice is buried underneath.
The glacier is thinning terribly and has dropped 175ft in height over the past eight decades. To put that statistic in perspective, back in the 1930s some locals didn’t even realize they lived in a valley, as the ice field was so high.
Kennecott Visitor CenterMUSEUM
(%907-554-1105; www.nps.gov/wrst; h9am-6:30pm)
The center, which sits in the town’s former school, is the launching point for ranger-led activities, lectures and walks around town.
2Activities
There are a few excellent hikes around town and a backcountry bonanza if you’re able to fly by bush plane deeper into the national park.
Root Glacier TrailHIKING
Beginning at the far edge of town past the Concentration Mill, the Root Glacier Trail is an easy 4- or 8-mile round-trip route out to the sparkling white-and-blue ice. Signposts mark the route and the path itself is clear and well used as far as the primitive Jumbo Creek campsites.
From here you can head left to the glacier or continue straight another 2 miles along a rougher track. At the end, the Erie Mine Bunkhouse will be visible on the slopes above you. Check at the visitor center for the latest on the trail conditions. Most of this trail can also be ridden on a mountain bike.
Bonanza Mine TrailHIKING
This excellent hike from Kennecott follows an alpine trail – a round-trip of almost 9 miles. Begin on the Root Glacier Trail and turn off to the right at the clearly marked junction. This is a steep uphill walk with 3800ft of elevation gain. Once above the treeline, the view of the confluence of the Root and Kennicott Glaciers is stunning.
Expect three to five hours for this hike up if the weather is good and half that time to return. Water is available at the top, but carry at least a quart (1L) if the day is hot. Snow lingers higher up until early June.
TTours
Some of the best outfitters and guides in the state operate in Wrangell-St Elias.
Kennicott Wilderness GuidesADVENTURE
(%800-664-4537, 907-554-4444; www.kennicottguides.com; Main St, Kennecott)
A local guiding firm, this outfit is extremely experienced, offering activities ranging from small-group ice climbing and half-day glacier excursions (from $90) to five-day backcountry expeditions (from $1205), with a whole host of adventures offered in between.
4Sleeping & Eating
Kennicott Glacier LodgeHOTEL$$$
(%907-258-2350; www.kennicottlodge.com; Main St; r $195-295; W)
Some of Kennecott’s historic mining buildings have been restored, including this grande dame, which hits the jackpot with a mix of modern comforts and old-school charm (bathrooms are shared). Rooms are cozy (those at the front have stupendous glacier views) and the hotel offers nice little extras, such as lending out bear spray.
oMeatza WagonFOOD TRUCK$$
(%907-290-9398; mains $15; h11am-7pm; v)
Who’d a thunk there’d be a food truck in Kennecott? And not just a food truck, but a pretty damn delicious one that slings meatball subs, pork sandwiches, tacos and a veggie rice bowl? Eat up, then roll your stuffed butt down the mountain.
Kennicott Glacier LodgeAMERICAN$$
(%907-258-2350, 800-582-5128; www.kennicottlodge.com; breakfast $10-16, lunch $9-16, dinner $33-39; h7am-10am, noon-3pm, 7pm)
You’ll need a reservation for the lodge’s well-regarded family-style dinners, which are set three-course meals of the halibut and steak school of dining. There’s only one seating: at 7pm. Otherwise, pop in for country breakfasts or Caesar salads and French dip for lunch.
8Getting There & Away
The Kennicott Shuttle (%907-822-5292; www.kennicottshuttle.com) leaves Glennallen daily at 7am for McCarthy (round-trip same/different day $109/149) and departs at 4:30pm for the return trip. It also stops at Chitina airport. It’s about four hours each way, with a few scenic stops and some driver commentary thrown in. Reservations are essential.