The largest and most important of Alaska’s urban cities, Anchorage has a great scenic location amid stunning natural beauty. The city is the thriving commercial and financial centre of the state. Walking trails and parks link the neighborhoods here, meaning you’re never too far away from nature. Anchorage is a great starting point for people visiting the mountains, glaciers and wilderness of this enchanting state and with national travel are good deals online for car rental in Anchorage.
Getting there
Alaska’s busiest and most common terminal for tourists is Anchorage International Airport, located 10 kms west of the city itself. Flights are available from various cities in the US; while the cities of Valdez, Homer, Cordova, Kenai, Iliamna and Kodiak in Alaska are also accessible from Anchorage. By rail, two primary passenger services during the summer season run along the Alaska Railroad from Seward on the south-central Kenai Peninsula, to the northern city of Fairbanks, stretching over 750kms.
The drive to Alaska and Anchorage by rental car is 3,620kms from Seattle and 5,470kms from Los Angeles, on beautiful roads with the majority of the journey along the Canadian Pacific coast. The main road into the state is the Alaska Highway, accessible via Whitehorse in Yukon, Canada. An alternative is to travel by ferry or cruise ship from Vancouver or a number of cities in the US on the Pacific coast.
Key attractions
Apart from the stunning scenery that surrounds Anchorage by rental car, the city offers some attractions of its own, all keeping within the nature theme. The Elmendorf Air Force Base Wildlife Museum features the worldеs second largest stuffed bear at just over three metres; while the Potter Marsh Bird Sanctuary allows for inspection of the local birdlife. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art offers closer inspection of the areaеs past.
Out and about
One of the nations largest parks, Chugach State Park, is located to the east and south of the Anchorage bowl by car rental and affords beautiful wilderness experiences and great hiking, fishing and camping during spring, summer and autumn. The area known as Turnagain Arm is home to Portage Glacier, with icebergs bobbing around Portage Lake. Also worth seeing are: Tustumena Glacier in the Kenai Mountains; Matanuska Glacier, accessible from Glenn Highway; and Exit Glacier, found on the Kenai Peninsula. During the winter months, visit the ski resort of Mount Alyeska in Gordwood.
Leisure options
Anchorage is a great place for outdoor types. There are a number of cycle and walking tracks, indoor rock-climbing at the Alaska Rock Gym in the city, and rock-face climbing along many locations on the Seward Highway. The Flattop Mountain Trail, Williwaw Lakes Trail and the Wolverine Peak Trail are among some of the tracks on offer. Check online for national travel deals to Anchorage.
Safety
Anchorage is a safe city; however, you should be careful when participating in outdoor activities, especially in a colder climate. Driving on dark and icy roads can place you at risk of accidents as well. Furthermore, hospital and medical fees in the US may not be what you would expect back home, so we strongly advise you to take out travel insurance.