Alaska Excursions

Alaska Excursions

Wide range of glorious day trips throughout Southcentral Alaska.

Iditarod 40

Photos and stories from the last great race.

Anchorage: 47°/60°/Cloudy

Fairbanks: 48°/73°/Intermittent clouds

Juneau: 43°/61°/Cloudy

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Things to do

Summer museum exhibits focus on Denali

The view from near the top of Mount McKinley is on display in Ascent 20,320: Science on the Slopes of McKinley at the Anchorage Museum.

May 1 will bring the start of general climbing season on Mount McKinley and the switch to summer hours at the Anchorage Museum. Yes, there's a connection. McKinley -- its history, gear and presence in art -- is the subject of several displays at the museum this summer.

Go outside and play

Anglers line up along the banks of the Kenai River near the ferry crossing in search of salmon. The confluence of the Kenai and Russian rivers often has side-by-side anglers when the sockeye salmon return to the rivers.

Unforgettable outdoor activities are calling your name.

Clamming

While there are many beaches around Alaska to harvest different clams, none are more accessible than a set of beaches just a few hours south of Anchorage on the Sterling Highway on the Kenai Peninsula.

Photos: Razor clamming

River rafting

The lead raft of three from the Nova adventure company splashes through the rapids near the Lions Head on the Matanuska River.

The daredevil rivers of Alaska lure thrill-seeking raft riders and kayakers from around the world.

Dine in an Alaska time machine

Brett Knipmeyer, owner/chef of Kinley's Restaurant, serves up a glass of wine to go with the calamari appetizer at the restaurants bar on Friday February 12, 2011. Hugh Gren and Amy Koehn enjoy appetizers at the bar.

Alaska celebrated its 50th anniversary of statehood in 2009, a milestone that commemorated a history fraught with fierce independence, literally earth-shaking events and a steady stream of adventurous folks looking to make their mark on the Last Frontier.

Alaska's restaurants

Glacier viewing

Exit Glacier, in Kenai Fjords National Park, provides a stunning backdrop for a group of picnickers. The glacier, just outside of Seward, is accessible by car and then by foot. Entrance to the park by car costs $5.

Three different ways to see the glaciers.

Fishing

Two fishing derbies -- for king and silver salmon -- are held each summer in downtown Anchorage. Ken Scott of Phoenix fishes for silvers at the mouth of the creek as it empties into Cook Inlet.

Angler's are drawn not just by the size of Alaska's fish, but also the variety.

Ecotours

A NOVA Riverrunner boat blasts through the second canyon on Sixmile Creek near Hope.

Find the best spots for your Alaska ecotourism vacation.

Dog-sled rides

Denali National Park kennel worker Jessica O'Connor hooks up a dog team during a sled dog demonstration at the park.

Dog-sled tours are available all year long.

Cruising

Cruise the Inside Passage or many other scenic destinations.

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Photo Galleries

PHOTO GALLERY

Birds of Spring 2012

Snow geese land on the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge on Thursday, April 19, 2012 in Anchorage, Alaska. Snow geese migrate toward the Beaufort Sea coastal region in northern Alaska and Canada in spring. (Photo / Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News)

Resident and migratory birds are busy feeding, courting and preparing for nesting as spring arrives at thawing Westchester Lagoon, the Cook Inlet shoreline and other ponds and lakes around Anchorage.

PHOTO GALLERY

Baby musk ox

Musk ox mothers stick close to their calves at the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Twelve musk oxen have been born so far this season at the Musk Ox Farm. Staff at the farm are busy combing the animals to gather quviut which will be made into hats and scarves by Oomingmak, a cooperative of craftspeople. The Musk Ox Farm officially opens for the season on Mother's Day, May 13. Mothers are admitted free to the annual open house.

Twelve musk oxen have been born so far this season at the Musk Ox Farm. Staff at the farm are busy combing the animals to gather quviut which will be made into hats and scarves by Oomingmak, a cooperative of craftspeople. The Musk Ox Farm officially opens for the season on Mother's Day, May 13. Mothers are admitted free to the annual open house.

PHOTO GALLERY

Fall Colors

Fall colors in Southcentral Alaska.

Ice climbing along the Turnagain Arm

Scotty Vincik climbs on the PFM ice climb while his partner Matt Suddock belays him along the Seward Highway across from Turnagain Arm on Saturday January 12, 2008.

Recreation is key to surviving Alaska's long, dark winters. Truly ambitious outdoor enthusiasts have pounced on a vault of creative opportunities, including making use of the frozen waterfalls for ice climbing along the Seward Highway.

Sledding

People braved the icy conditions at Russian Jack Springs Park to go sledding on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 14, 2010.

People braved the icy conditions at Russian Jack Springs Park to go sledding on a brisk Sunday afternoon.

Ice storm

A car rear-ended a school bus due to icy roads Monday morning, Nov. 22, 2010, on the Johansen Expressway in Fairbanks.

A warm front brought rainfall to Alaska stretching from Southcentral on up to the Arctic Coast. Check out how Alaskans handle extreme winter weather.

Dall Sheep on the mountain

Dall Sheep ram on the cliffs above the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm on Tuesday November 16, 2010. The Dall Sheep mating season is from late November to early December. The full curl of a Dall Sheep ram takes eight years to grow.

Surfing the bore tide

A group of Stand Up Paddle Surfers rode the bore tide along the Turnagain Arm near the Seward Highway on Friday September 10, 2010 with the Kenai Mountains in the background. The paddle surfers led by Scott Dickerson with SurfAlaska out of Homer, AK rode the incoming tide from Peterson Creek to as far as the Twenty Mile River at sunset. Dickerson and Mike McCune also tried to catch the bore tide near Bird Point but the bore did not develop at that point.

A rare phenomena, a bore is a long wave that forms from an incoming tide, and then travels long distances up a river or inlet. In Southcentral, the Cook Inlet bore tide along the Turnagain Arm is a sight to behold and on good days, paddle and wind surfers dot the inlet hoping to catch a ride.

Whitewater rafting

The Six-Mile-Fest whitewater kayak and pack raft festival on Saturday August 21, 2010. The whitewater event featured Kayak and pack raft time trials, mass start races and and a rodeo at the Boston Bar with beer and food and camping at the bar.

Whitewater rafting is a passion hard to quench, but the Six Mile River near Hope on the Kenai Peninsula offers class 4 and 5 whitewater.

Glaciers

A spire of ice is part of Portage Glacier's face on April 28, 2009.

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