Hurricane Turn Train (Talkeetna to Hurricane Gulch)

This train leaves from Talkeetna from Thursday through Sunday during the summer season. Guests can choose to ride round trip to Hurricane Gulch, hop off at any given mile post, or take a guided rafting trip down the Susitna River.

Take this train to...

• Experience a flagstop train used by locals, which stops with the wave of a flag
• See wilderness areas accessible only by rail
• Option of returning by raft from Chase with Denali View Rafting
• Travel with flexibility; the conductor will let you off at the mile post of your choice.

Meet the Locals

Riding the Hurricane Turn Train between Talkeetna and Hurricane Gulch is a great way to meet local Alaskans in a casual, laid back environment. Many of the passengers on the train are Alaskans who use the service as a way to reach cabins or homes that are inaccessible any other way. This train still operates as a flag stop service, allowing passengers to hop on and off as they please. To disembark, they simple notify the conductor of the milepost where they wish to stop. To get back on, its as easy as a wave of a flag. The area where most of the cabins are located is known as Chase, which is home to approximately 40 year round residents. They use the Alaska Railroad as their lifeline to transport necessary goods from the larger cities back to their homes in the wilderness. Often these individuals are very open to sharing their stories, and will paint a picture of what life is really like in backcountry Alaska.

What it’s really like

In addition to meeting local Alaskans, it’s a chance to see parts of Alaska off the road system. You’ll slowly chug through vast stretches of trees, with mountains looming overhead, looking for wildlife. Go all the way to Hurricane and you’ll cross the spectacular Hurricane Gulch bridge over Hurricane Creek, 296 feet above the water. Departing from Talkeetna, you can get off at any mile post along the 2-hour, 55-mile route to Hurricane, then pick up the train on the way back that afternoon, or spend a few days before you depart.

Riders can also spend a half-day and take the train just 10 miles, to Chase, then slowly float back down to Talkeetna on the Susitna River with Denali View Rafting. It’s an easy way to do a mellow float down a glacial river. Your guide will stop along the way to show you salmon spawning areas and to walk on a glacial silt island. You’ll have lunch along the way, and all the while you’ll keep an eye out for bear, bald eagles, beavers, fox, and moose. Lunch, snacks, refreshments and rain gear are provided. The total tour time is 4.5 hours and costs $169 per adult and $120 per child.

Summer Schedule

Winter Schedule

• The Hurricane Turn Winter Train only operates the first Thursday of each month from October thru May.