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General Attractions
Alaska Botanical Garden- Take
Tudor Rd. east to Campbell Airstrip Rd., park in the Save II
School parking lot. An interpretive nature trail introduces you
to two gardens of Alaska vegetation in phase one of a five-phase
project to develop comprehensive botanical gardens. Development
began in 1991 through an entirely volunteer effort. The gardens
are continually being expanded and will feature vegetation from
Alaska and areas with similar climates throughout the world.
Chester Creek Sports Complex- on
16th Ave. between A St. and Old Seward Hwy. Includes the George
M. Sullivan Arena with seating for 7,000 for hockey, rodeo,
concerts, fairs and other events (call event hotline at
279-2596); the adjacent Ben Boeke Ice Arena; an outdoor rink and
speed oval; the Anchorage Football Stadium and the Mulcahy
Stadium. The complex borders the 300-acre/120 hectare Chester
Creek Greenbelt with trails for hiking, biking and groomed
Nordic ski trails.
Elmendorf State Hatchery- Corner
of Reeve Blvd. and Post Rd. A visitor viewing area is located
within the compound. The best time for viewing coho salmon is
October. Hatchery is open year-round. Call 274-0065 for hours.
Lake Hood Air Harbor- Lake
Northern Lights Blvd. west to Aircraft Dr. and follow it around
Lake Hood. Lake Hood and Lake Spenard form the world's largest
and busiest floatplane harbor, a popular starting point for
flightseeing trips by float- or ski-equipped planes. Portage
Glacier. One of Alaska's most visited attractions, the Portage
Glacier area features the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center with
displays and a film that explains glaciers and the history of
the area. (See the Anchorage South Driving Tour for more
information.)
Westchester Lagoon Overlook- Take
L St. south to Hillcrest Dr. exit and turn right for a panoramic
view of joggers and bikers during the fall or skating and Nordic
skiing in the winter with the Anchorage skyline as backdrop.
Great photo stop.
Library Z.J. Loussac Public
Library- 36th Ave. and Denali St. An architectural mix of shapes
and forms sitting on 17 acres/6.8 hectares. Winter ice fountain
on building's south side was designed by Carl Nesjar. Bronze
sculpture of William Seward, secretary of state who negotiated
the purchase of Alaska, welcomes you at top of stairs. Inside,
library features a large Alaskana section plus Anchorage
Assembly's meeting chambers and the Wilda Marston auditorium.
Art work includes bronze mural "Alaska's Five Governors" and
paintings by Alaska artists Sydney Laurence and Eustace Ziegler.
The library was named for Anchorage merchant who set up a
foundation to build a new library in the early 1950s. Open
Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Starting
Sept. 12, also open on Sun. 1-5 p.m. Phone: 261-2846.
Museums
Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum-
4721 Aircraft Dr., on the south shore of Lake Hood. Presents the
state's unique aviation history. Museum features 21 vintage
aircraft, a 60-seat theater that regularly shows short films,
observation deck and special exhibits such as the Alaskan
military aviation gallery. Through Oct. 1 open 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
daily. Winter hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Closed mid-March
through April. Phone: 248-5325. Alaska Heritage Library-Museum,
corner of C St. and Northern Lights Blvd. Features
Alaska Native culture- Native
baskets and artifacts, paintings from Alaska artists such as
Sidney Laurence, photos and rare books are among the items
displayed year-round. Open noon-4 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Phone:
265-2834.
Anchorage Museum of History &
Art- 121 W. 7th Ave. (See "Downtown Anchorage" for description.)
Phone: 343-4326. Elmendorf Air Force Base Wildlife Museum.
Visitors can see mounted wildlife displays and hands-on exhibits
year-round. Look for the 10 ft. 6 in./3.2 meter brown bear
exhibit, which misses the world record by 1/8 inch/38 mm!
Building 4- 803 (near commissary). Open year-round noon-5 p.m.
Mon.-Fri. Phone: 552- 2282.
Fort Richardson Alaskan Fish and
Wildlife Center- Rm. 114, Bldg. 600. Displays mounted Alaska
fish and game. Open year-round. Hours 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Fri.;
Phone: 384-0431.
Oscar Anderson House/Elderberry
Park- 420 M St. Anchorage's first wood-frame house, built in
1915. (See "Downtown Anchorage" page XX for description) Reeve
Aviation Picture Museum, 343 W. 6th Ave. (See "Downtown
Anchorage" for description.) Phone: 272- 9426.
Municipal Parks
Anchorage is packed with
neighborhood parks that are great for a quiet walk or
cross-country skiing just minutes from your hotel. Below are some of the larger parks
that offer activities. Call 343-4474 for more information.
Centennial Park- off Muldoon Rd.
on Boundary Rd. This 70- acre/28 hectare park, developed during
the 1967 Centennial celebration of Alaska's purchase from
Russia, has 83 camp sites, some for RV, through fall. Restrooms,
hot showers, cross-country skiing trails plus sledding hill.
Phone: 248-4346.
Delaney Park- Known locally as
the "Park Strip," runs east/west from A to P streets, north and
south between 9th and 10th avenues.
Earthquake Park- W. Northern
Lights Blvd. Interpretive display shows the results of
Anchorage's 1964 Good Friday Earthquake and explains the area's
geology, flora and fauna. At 9.2 on the Richter scale, the most
powerful tremor ever felt in North America, the quake leveled a
number of area neighborhoods. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
runs through the lower area of the park and offers fine views of
Cook Inlet.
Far North Bicentennial Park-
South of Tudor Rd. near Muldoon Rd. Covers 4,030 acres/1,612
hectares of forest and muskeg in east central Anchorage.
Features more than 20 miles/32 km of trails for hiking. During
winter these trails are used for dog mushing.
Goose Lake- Corner of E. Northern
Lights Blvd. and Providence Dr. Miles of
bike/walking/cross-country skiing trails that connect with
University of Alaska Anchorage's trails. Activities include
picnic area, playground and ice skating. World Championship Sled
Dog Race during Fur Rendezvous follows trail bordering lake.
Hillside Park- On Abbott Rd.
Features scenic mountain views and wildlife photo opportunities
on 420 acres/168 hectares of wooded land. Offers miles of
cross-country skiing, including a lighted trail, plus the
Hilltop Ski Area for downhill skiing and the Karl Eid Ski Jump
with three jumps.
Point Campbell/Kincaid Park-
Minnesota Rd. south to Raspberry Rd. Go west into park. This
1,400 acres/560 hectares of mostly wilderness has
hiking/cross-country skiing trails, some lighted for night
skiing. Great wildlife viewing. A heated chalet offers panoramic
views of Mount Susitna and Mount McKinley. Center open Mon.-Fri.
1-9 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Phone: 248-4346. Russian
Jack Springs Park. East on Debarr Rd. to entrance near Boniface
Pkwy. These 300 acres/120 hectares offer golf links summer
through fall and miles of hiking/ cross- country ski trails,
including lighted trails, a novice downhill ski hill and heated
chalet. Call Chalet at 333-8338. Municipal greenhouse at park
entrance features a tropical plant display, exotic birds and
tropical fish. Open to the public year-round, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Phone: 333-8610. Free admission.
Ship Creek Salmon Overlook &
Waterfowl Nesting Area- Off Whitney Rd. Watch for spawning
salmon swimming upstream June through September; wild geese and
ducks live in the warming ponds year- round. Ship Creek is the
historical site of Dena'ina Indian fish camps. Later, miners and
trappers used trails through this area on their way to Interior
Alaska.
Westchester Lagoon Waterfowl
Sanctuary- 19th Ave. and Spenard Rd. Year-round home to a
variety of waterfowl. Offers a half-mile/.8 km marked nature
trail.
Parks, State & Federal
For a complete rundown on what to
see and do in Anchorage-area state and federal parks, contact
the Alaska Public Lands Information Center, 605 4th Ave. Phone:
271-2737.
Chugach State Park- One of the
nation's largest parks, with 495,000 acres/198,000 hectares,
Chugach State Park surrounds the Anchorage bowl on the east and
south. Sculpted by glaciers into a land of sharp peaks,
attractive lakes and broad valleys, the park offers wilderness
experiences including hiking, fishing and camping in the spring,
summer and fall. The park has three campgrounds, ranging in size
from 36 to 17 spaces, and five picnic sites. The park is home to
a variety of wildlife including moose, bear, Dall sheep,
mountain goats, wolves, lynx and bald eagles.
Chugach National Forest- The
nation's second-largest national forest and one of the oldest.
Established in 1907, Chugach encompasses 5.6 million acres/2.24
million hectares and 200 miles/322 km of maintained hiking
trails starting south of Anchorage and stretching into the Kenai
Peninsula and to Prince William Sound. A mixture of mountains,
glaciers, wetlands and tumbling streams, Chugach contains some
of the most spectacular scenery in the world. The most northerly
and westerly of all national forests, Chugach is considered the
most diverse of all 155 national forests. Highlights include:
Portage Glacier, the most visited recreational area in Alaska;
Columbia Glacier, one of the largest tidewater glaciers in the
world; and the Copper River Delta, one of the world's greatest
birding areas. Within the Chugach National Forest are 15
campgrounds and 43 recreational cabins for rent. For cabin
rental call Alaska Public Lands Information Center at 271-2737.
The forest is accessible by road from Anchorage and by boat or
small plane from Seward, Cordova, Valdez and Whittier. Call U.S.
Forest Service at 271- 2500. |
