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Where do Alaskans go when they want to get outdoors? With 23,000 square miles of mountain trails, glaciers and wildlife, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, known as the Mat-Su or the Valley, is often the answer.

"One of our tag lines is 'where Alaska comes to play.' We're kind of everybody's backyard here," said Casey Ressler, marketing and communications manager for the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Because the Valley is so close to Anchorage, it's an ideal day trip and makes a perfect base camp for more adventurous travel.

The Mat-Su lies between the Alaska Range and the Talkeetna and Chugach Mountains. The wide open spaces and fertile glacial soil made it an ideal location for a New Deal resettlement community known as the Matanuska Colony. Since then the area has expanded rapidly, particularly after construction of the highways connecting the valley to Anchorage, making it a bedroom community for commuters.

Those highways can be a destination on their own.

The Glenn Highway to Lake Louise is a National Scenic Byway. Along the way, stop for a hike on Matanuska Glacier, the largest Alaska glacier accessible by road.

The Valley's other major thoroughfare, the Parks Highway, runs all the way to Fairbanks and can be a beautiful scenic drive year round.

Off the Parks highway is the town of Talkeetna, where climbers begin their trek up North America's tallest mountain, Mount McKinley.

Visitors looking to have a backcountry experience but still be back in their hotel or RV for dinner should consider Hatcher Pass. The area just north of Palmer and Wasilla is a popular choice for Alaskans. In the winter it is frequented by skiers and snowmachiners (it's never "snowmobile" here). In the summer it's a destination for hiking, camping, kayaking and even gold panning.

The pass is home to the Independence Mine State Historical Park, which offers tours of the defunct mine during the summer.

The rivers running through the Valley may have been full of gold once, but now are swimming with salmon: Anglers hope to catch their limit in the spawning streams of the Matanuska and Susitna Rivers.

"It's such a great place, especially for visitors." Ressler said. "You can get out of Anchorage and see all of Alaska right here."

Mat-Su Visitors Center

Find out all there is to do in the Valley.

Where: 7744 E. Visitor's View Court, Palmer. Off the Parks Highway at the Trunk Road exit

When: Tour information and maps are available daily from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The office is open from mid-May to mid-September, seven days a week.

Phone: 907-746-5000

Web: www.alaskavisit.com

Colony House Museum

Located in Palmer's Historic District, the house and outbuildings offer a glimpse of rural life in the Matanuska Valley during the heyday of the Colony, a New Deal resettlement project.

Where: 316 E. Elmwood Ave., Palmer

When: Summer hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; winter tours by appointment

Cost: $2 adults, $1 children 12 and younger

Phone: 907-745-1935

Web: www.palmerhistoricalsociety.org

Alaska Raceway Park

Watch fast-paced drag racing at Alaska's home for the International Hot Rod Association.

Where: Mile 10.4 Old Glenn Highway, Palmer

When: Most weekends from Mother's Day to Labor Day

Phone: 907-746-7223

Web: www.alaskaracewaypark.com

Musk Ox Farm

This nonprofit farm is dedicated to preserving and domesticating the musk ox, prized for its soft wool known as qiviut. Visitors can get close to the animals and browse the gift shop for hand-knit qiviut items.

Where: Mile 50 Glenn Highway, Palmer

When: From June 1 to Aug. 30, open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with tours starting every 45 minutes. September to May by appointment only.

Summer cost: adults $8, seniors $7, children $6

Phone: 907-745-4151

Web: www.muskoxfarm.org

Reindeer Farm

Get as close to reindeer as Santa Claus does. This farm offers visitors the opportunity to hand-feed and pet tame, gentle reindeer, as well as to see moose, elk and bison.

Where: 5561 S. Bodenburg Loop, Palmer

When: Open May 1 to mid-September, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily

Cost: $7 adults, $5 children 3-11, toddlers free

Phone: 907-745-4000

Web: www.reindeerfarm.com

Independence Mine

Take a trip back to the gold rush. The Independence Mine State Historical Park is actually the remnants of two mines that were merged in 1938. The tour begins at the mine manager's house, which now houses the visitor center and museum. After that, visitors can take a self-guided tour of the mine.

Where: Mile 17.3 Hatcher Pass Road. Take the Glenn Highway, turn left onto Hatcher Pass Road, turn right on North Gold Cord Road.

When: The park is open 24 hours a day from early to mid-June -- depending on the weather -- until Labor Day. The visitor center is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily starting in mid-June.

Cost: $5 parking fee

Phone: 907-745-2827 for the mine; 907-745-3975 for the park headquarters

Web: dnr.alaska.gov/parks

Mat-Su Miners Baseball

See future major leaguers before they're famous. The Mat-Su Miners are part of the Alaska Baseball League, made up of college students from around the country.

Where: State Fairground, Glenn Highway, Palmer

Cost: $4 for adults and $2 for kids and seniors

Web: www.matsuminers.org

Palmer Hay Flats

The Hay Flats cover 45 square miles of wetlands, forest, lakes and tidal sloughs. The trails through the game refuge allow visitors a chance to view moose, birds and other animals in their natural habitat.

Web: www.palmerhayflats.org

Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry

The museum tells the story of Alaska through the transportation routes and technology that shaped the state.

Where: 3800 W. Museum Drive; Mile 47 Parks Highway, Wasilla

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily during the Summer

Cost: $8 adults, $5 children, seniors and military

Phone: 907-376-1211

Web: museumofalaska.org

Dorothy G. Page Museum

Discover what life was like in the early days of Wasilla through historic buildings and local and traveling exhibits.

Where: 323 N. Main St., Wasilla

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday in the summer; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday in the winter

Cost: adults $3, seniors $2.50, military $2, children 12 and younger free.

Phone: 907-373-9071

Web: www.cityofwasilla.com/museum

Palmer Visitor Information Center

The log cabin in downtown Palmer includes the Colony Showcase Garden, which features annual and perennial flowers and Alaska's famous giant vegetables. The visitor center also is home to the Palmer Museum of History and Art, which features artifacts from early 1900s pioneer life. Exhibits include dairy farming, mining, the Colony project, homesteading, mushing and trapping. A historical walking tour begins at the center.

Where: 723 S. Valley Way, Palmer

When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, May through September; winter by appointment

Cost: Free

Phone: 907-745-8878

Web: palmermuseum.org

Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Headquarters

You needn't endure snow and cold to enjoy the Iditarod. The race takes place in March, but summer visitors to race headquarters can see Iditarod race displays, souvenirs and videos. In summer, dog sled rides with a wheeled cart are available. A musher is on hand with sled dogs and puppies; rides are available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Where: Mile 2.2 Knik Road, Wasilla

When: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from mid-May to mid-September. Winter hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cost: Free; $10 for dog sled rides

Phone: 907-376-5155, ext. 108

Web: Iditarod.com

Mat Su Events

Friday Flings

Downtown Palmer comes alive on Friday evenings with live music and an open air market featuring Alaska-grown produce and crafts.

Where: Downtown Palmer

When: 6 p.m. Fridays, May through August

Cost: Free

Phone: 907-745-2880

Web: palmerchamber.org

Palmer Colony Days

A festival honoring the 1935 Colonists who started the Matanuska farming community. Events include a car rally, craft fairs, farmer's market, carnival rides, fun run, parade and live entertainment.

Where: Downtown Palmer

When: June 10-12

Cost: Free

Phone: 907-745-2280

Web: palmerchamber.org

Houston Founder's Day

Celebrate the History of Houston with music, barbecue, and fireworks. Third weekend in August

Where: Downtown Houston

When: Aug. 19-21

Phone: 907-892-6869

Web: houstonak.com

Alaska State Fair