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From atop Pioneer Peak, my nephew and I gazed at the view of the Matanuska Valley below. It seemed so far away, but to embark upon this hike -- in an area that now officially ranks as my all-time favorite Alaska hiking destination -- required only a short drive north from Anchorage.

That's the beauty of Mat-Su, known as the "Valley." Mountains, rivers and glaciers surround this rural oasis, yet it's still close to restaurants, lodging and other visitor amenities.

"What we have here is pioneer life right beside the highway," said Patty Sullivan, Matanuska-Susitna Borough public affairs director. "I've always loved that collision of urban and rural ... where people are running on a sled powered by dogs alongside a busy rush-hour commute by car. It does take you to a different sort of mentality."

The Valley also is the breadbasket of the state, dotted with picturesque barns surrounded by fields of green.

In 1935, during the Great Depression, the Federal Relief Administration sent struggling Midwesterners here to build new lives. They could keep the land, the government said, as long as they could make a living from it.

Many of those pioneers succeeded, transforming this distant wilderness into lush, green farms.

Today the Valley, composed of Palmer and the nearby community of Wasilla, has a heartland-U.S.A. vibe. The rich soil generates some of the state's best produce and much of it can be enjoyed at local eateries and farmers markets.

"There is more of a push for the farm-to-table (movement) and supporting local restaurants," said Casey Ressler of the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau. "When you eat here, you're not only supporting the restaurant but you're supporting the farmers."

Visitors to the Valley can experience this wholesome combination of fresh air and fresh food in any number of ways.

While hiking remains at the top of the recreational options -- the borough identified improved hiking access as one of its main priorities in a 2008 tourism needs study -- others abound. Sullivan said the borough touts its stillwater-fishing opportunities as some of the best in the country.

"We have something like 80 lakes all within an hour's reach," Sullivan said. "You only have to own a raft and a pole ... it's about the experience, not combat fishing."

Fly-fishermen can cast for Arctic char, rainbow trout, grayling and Dolly Varden as well as other species.

They should make sure to purchase an Alaska Department of Fish and Game license before heading out, and check out the borough's website, www.alaska-stillwatercapital.com, for fishing reports and lake access.

Canoeing, white-water rafting, mountain biking and birding are other options, Sullivan and Ressler noted.

In the winter, skiing, snowmobiling and dog mushing take center stage, keeping this rural area hopping with activity.

"For many people out here, at any hint of sunlight they're out the door," Sullivan said. "There's no question of housework -- there is no housework in summer. We're just that kind of place."

ATTRACTIONS

Reindeer Farm

This family-owned farm features reindeer, moose, elk and horses, and offers summertime tours as well as scheduled events throughout the year. Those on a budget can drive by and see the reindeer from the road for free. Horseback trail rides are offered from mid-May through late August.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily May 1 through mid-September; by appointment in the winter

WHERE: 5561 S. Bodenburg Loop, Palmer

COST: $7 for adults; $5 for seniors, military and children ages 3-11

PHONE: 907-745-4000

WEB: www.reindeerfarm.com

Independence Mine at Hatcher Pass

There was gold in them thar hills, and here's where you can see how tough Alaska miners extracted it. Maintained by Alaska State Parks, the mine offers visitors a view of the early gold-mining days. Hatcher Pass, named for Robert Lee Hatcher, who first discovered gold in the area in 1906, offers hiking, fishing and, in winter, skiing and snowmobiling.

WHEN: Hatcher Pass open year-round; Independence Mine open in summer from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

WHERE: Mile 17 Hatcher Pass Road, Palmer

COSt: $5 per vehicle Alaska State Parks parking fee

PHONE: 907-745-2827

WEB: dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/indmine.htm

Musk Ox Farm

Learn about the domestication of this Ice Age mammal at a 1930s-era Colony farm just outside Palmer. The nonprofit center offers tours, exhibits, and a gift shop featuring hand-knit qiviut (musk ox wool) scarves and hats.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from Mother's Day until mid-September

WHERE: Mile 50 Glenn Highway, Palmer

COST: $11 for adults, $9 for seniors, $5 for children ages 6-17, free for ages 5 and under

PHONE: 907-745-4151

WEB: www.muskoxfarm.org

Mat-Su Visitors Center

The Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau can help you plan day trips and longer ones for activities from fishing and hiking to camping, sightseeing and rafting.

WHEN: 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily from May through September

WHERE: Mile 35.5 Parks Highway (take Trunk Road exit)

COST: Free

PHONE: 907-746-5000

WEB: www.alaskavisit.com

Colony House Museum

The Palmer Historical Society has helped oversee this long-term restoration project of a New Deal-era home once owned by Oscar and Irene Beylund. The Matanuska Colony, the largest project of the New Deal Resettlement Program, according to the historical society, relocated 204 families from the Midwest to the Matanuska Valley in 1935 to set up a farming community.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday in the summer; by appointment only in the winter

WHERE: 316 E. Elmwood Ave., Palmer

COST: $2 per adult, $1 for children 12 and younger

PHONE: 907-745-1935

WEB: www.palmerhistoricalsociety.org/colonyhouse.htm

Mat-Su Miners Baseball

Baseball can be enjoyed all summer with this Palmer-based team, one of six Alaska Baseball League teams.

WHEN: June and July, at varying locations

WHERE: Home games at Hermon Brothers Field, Palmer

COST: $4 per adult, $2 for seniors and kids ages 6-17

PHONE: 907-745-6401

WEB: www.matsuminers.org

Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry

The museum houses the remnants of the booms and busts that helped grow Alaska's economy and infrastructure -- from trains and planes to automobiles and tractors, and more.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in the summer, starting on Mother's Day; by appointment only in the winter

WHERE: 3800 W. Museum Drive, Wasilla

COSt: $8 per adult, $5 for seniors and kids ages 3-17

PHONE: 907-376-1211

WEB: www.museumofalaska.org

Dorothy G. Page Museum and Historic Town Site

The museum features preserved collections representing the historical heritage of Wasilla, Knik and the Will Creek areas. It is the city's first museum, opened in 1967 in a building constructed in 1931 as a community hall. Outside the museum are relocated historic buildings that have been set up as models of early-era homes in the area.

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, May 1-Oct. 31; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday in the winter

Where: 323 N. Main St., Wasilla

COST: $3 per adult, $2.50 for seniors and $2 for military; kids 12 and younger enter free.

PHONE: 907-373-9071

WEB: www.cityofwasilla.com/index.aspx?page=80

Palmer Museum and Visitor Center

The center is housed in a log cabin in downtown Palmer. Stop by to get visitor information, learn about the region's history and walk through the agricultural showcase gardens featuring annual and perennial flowers and Alaska's famous giant vegetables. The museum exhibits include Native influences, 1900s homesteaders, mining, trapping, farming and the Colony Project.

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily May 1-Sept. 30; by appointment only in the winter

WHERE: 723 S. Valley Way, Palmer

COST: Free; donations appreciated

PHONE: 907-745-8878 (907-746-7668 is the museum's number)

WEB: www.cityofpalmer.org

Iditarod Trail Race Headquarters

Wasilla is home to the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and race headquarters features historic items from the race, including photos, trophies, booties and harnesses. There also is a gift shop. Dog sled rides are available in the summer, weather permitting.

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily mid-May through mid-September; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday in the winter

WHERE: Mile 2.2, Knik Goose Bay Road

COST: Free

PHONE: 907-376-5155

WEB: www.iditarod.com

EVENTS

Friday Fling

Downtown Palmer is transformed each Friday with food vendors, local artists and farmers bringing their fresh vegetables to market. Live music, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., is an added bonus.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, May 18 through Aug. 17

WHERE: Downtown Palmer

COST: Free

PHONE: 907-355-9415

WEB: On Facebook with the Palmer Chamber of Commerce

Palmer Colony Days

The three-day event celebrates all things small town, with craft vendors, music, food, a parade, fun run and smoked salmon contest, among other events.

WHEN: June 8-10

WHERE: Downtown Palmer

COST: Free for events; $20 to enter the annual Bill Mitchell 5-K fun run

PHONE: 907-745-2880

WEB: www.palmerchamber.org

Alaska State Fair

The annual fair has been drawing huge crowds for 75 years, with carnival rides, 4-H demonstrations, a pie-baking contest, giant vegetable contest and all sorts of food, craft, art and entertainment vendors.

WHEN: noon to 10 p.m. (10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday) Aug. 23-Sept. 3; plus $5 parking fee.

WHERE: Palmer Fairgrounds, Mile 40, Glenn Highway

COST: Advance tickets are $9 adults, $5 youth and seniors Monday-Thursday; $10 and $6, respectively, on weekends.

PHONE: 907-745-4827

WEB: www.alaskastatefair.org

RESOURCES FOR OUTDOOR FUN

Valley Mountain Bikers and Hikers: A recreational trail advocacy group that offers hikes and bikes in the area, and works to improve trails in the Valley. Check its calendar for events. vmbah.org, 907-746-6010.

Alaskans for Palmer Hay Flats: This nonprofit organization works to preserve responsible stewardship of the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, and offers public events, including birding, hiking and volunteering for visitors and locals alike www.palmerhayflats.org, 907-357-8711.

Matanuska Greenbelt Trails Association: This group recently received a community service award for its work installing trailhead signs, posts and directional maps. www.matanuska-greenbelt.org

Matanuska Susitna Trails and Parks Foundation: The Foundation works to improve and build trails in the area. www.matsutrails.org

Matanuska Susitna Borough Trail Maps: Download maps at www.matsugov.us/communitydevelopment/trails. Click on the "trail maps" link for details. Or try www.alaskavisit.com/visitors/the-great-outdoors/trail-maps/which has an even wider selection of maps.

Valley fly-fishing: Cast for Arctic char, rainbow trout, grayling and Dolly Varden among other species and look up the fishing report and locations for various lakes in the area. www.alaskastillwatercapital.com