Alaska Excursions

Alaska Excursions

A wide range of trips throughout Southcentral Alaska.

Iditarod 41

Photos and stories from the last great race.

Anchorage: 55°/73°/Cloudy

Fairbanks: 55°/88°/Intermittent clouds

Juneau: 49°/75°/Cloudy

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Things to do

Exploring the Last Frontier

The size of Alaska encourages you to explore it in a variety of ways. Opportunities include everything from biking to ziplining.

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

Glaciers Galore

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.

Some glaciers you can literally reach out and touch, some you can walk on or climb across and some you want to observe from a very safe distance. Here are a few of the top ice capades around Southcentral Alaska.

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.

Riders in the Sky

BOB HALLINEN / Anchorage Daily NewsOwner/Guide Laura Caillet is ready to catch Marta Campbell on one of the platforms. Denali Zipline Tours has 9 ziplines several swinging bridges and a rappel in the forest canopy outside of Talkeetna, AK's on Friday, July 27, 2012. 120727

Greenery rushes by on all sides. You’re dancing in the sky to the tune of wheels whirring along the cable.

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.

Kayaking

A kayaker collects beached glacier ice along Derickson Bay in Prince William Sound for coolers back at camp. Much of Prince William Sound is accessible to paddlers using water-taxi drop-off services out of Whittier and Valdez.

Whether it's on your own or with a tour, paddling is a great way to see wildlife.

Kayaking and guide services

Books about Alaska Outdoor Activities

Gold panning

Pan for gold on your own, or as part of a tour.

Hiking

Matt Szundy, a guide for The Ascending Path, leads clients from Minnesota up the north face of Mount Alyeska in Girdwood. The company offers three-hour hikes on the mountain, which in the winter is a ski mountain.

Whether you like a gentle amble or a strenuous climb, Alaska offers world-class hiking.

Services for hikers, climbers and campers

Books about Alaska Outdoor Activities

Travel deals

Catch a travel deal

Catch a travel deal

Check back often for the best deals for traveling Alaska.

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Cruises

Day tours

Dog sled tours

Fishing Guides and Charters

Flightseeing

Glacier and Wildlife Tours

Wilderness Lodges

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Photo Galleries

Bird Treatment and Learning Center hold open house

Petra is a bald eagle that has been with Bird TLC since 1995. Bird Treatment and Learning Center invited the public to visit and learn about bald and golden eagles at its Save the Eagles event on Saturday, January 12, 2013.

Bird Treatment and Learning Center invited the public to visit and learn about bald and golden eagles at its Save the Eagles event on Saturday, January 12, 2013.

Aerials from Birchwood to the Alaska Range

Sunlight sparkles off the braided channels of the Susitna River near the mouth where it empties into Cook Inlet on Sunday, September 9, 2012.

The Susitna Valley and Alaska Range from the air.

A Day along Turnagain Arm

Tracey Knutson steps onto the shore with a salmon near the Twentymile River bridge on Monday, August 13, 2012 along the Seward Highway. Knutson, her son Bergen Knutson, Mike Benoit and dogs Karma and Drake were on a trip up the Twentymile River.

Turnagain Arm mud, trains, kiters and more.

Birds of Summer 2012

A pair of swans float on the still waters of Kashwitna Lake as the sun sets along near the Parks Highway north of Willow on Tuesday, August 14, 2012.

Avion families in the Anchorage area.

Denali Zipline Tour

Alan Campbell zips through the forest. Denali Zipline Tours has 9 ziplines several swinging bridges and a rappel in the forest canopy outside of Talkeetna, AK on Friday, July 27, 2012.

Zipline through the forest canopy outside of Talkeetna, AK.

PHOTO GALLERY

Birds of Spring 2012

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

The leaves turn yellow as the fall colors grace Kincaid Park on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

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.

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