Anchorage to Fairbanks (Parks Highway)

Dating back to 1650, the park is the area's oldest continuously inhabited Athabaskan Indian settlement. Russian Orthodox missionaries came here in the early 1800s, and you can still see St. Nicholas Church, the oldest standing building in greater Anchorage. Snap some pictures of the colorful Spirit Houses build over the graves of the deceased-a custom that came from the melding  More...

Transport yourself to the Alaska of the past in this museum and historic town site. Check out mining digs as you travel down stairs painted like an old mine shaft. Then learn about the hard-rock gold mining in Hatcher Pass during the 1930s. View artifacts from Athabascans, learn about dog mushing, and walk through a historic dentist’s office. The main museum building, once a  More...

This is one of Alaska’s few flat state parks. And because it’s studded with lakes, it’s a great place to take a summer canoe trip or winter cross-country or snowmobile expeditions. The state has created several different loops—complete with portage routes and cabins—that make for easy, multi-day adventures.

Another unique feature of this park is  More...

Dedicated to the technology that opened the Last Frontier, this museum is a gearhead’s dream. And it’s pretty darned interesting even if you aren’t into trains, planes or heavy machinery. Set on 20 acres, you can wander through old train cars, around commercial fishing boats and cars and explore old farm and oil machinery. Or head inside and learn about Alaska  More...

The Official Race Start begins in the town of Willow on the first Sunday in March. Come see the mushers head out on “The Last Great Race” and get a feel for a small-town Alaskan winter. The race begins at 2 p.m., with mushers leaving the gate every two minutes. Several thousand fans show up to cheer on the 60 to 70 dog teams; vendors selling food and souvenirs set up at  More...

Hatcher Pass is known for its mining history and scenic beauty. Most traffic reaches the pass from the Palmer side. But the route from the "Willow side" is just as pretty. It's a little rougher around the edges, but easily drivable in summer by most vehicle types. Numerous potholes and hairpin turns near the top of the pass require careful navigation.

Surprise! This bridge over the Susitna River appears without warning, so if you want to stop and see this huge drainage, slow down and pull off the road at either end. Alaskans call it the Big Su. We fish it, paddle it, and snow machine its frozen braids. Bush pilots even navigate by this river.

The Susitna River winds its way over 313 miles of Southcentral Alaska; this old  More...

It's Milepost 98.9. Why should you care?

Because if you make the turnoff—right where the wooden grizzly stands on its hind legs—you'll be on your way to one of Alaska's funkiest little towns: Talkeetna.

In fact, driving this 14-mile path—the Talkeetna Spur Road—is kind of like following the white bunny down the rabbit hole of  More...

Trapper Creek is a major intersection of the Parks Highway and Petersville Road, with gas stations, restaurants, and a post office.  Known locally as the southern gateway to Denali State Park, Trapper Creek only had 423 residents at last count.  Excellent outdoor recreation opportunities in both the summer and winter draw visitors from all over the state.  Of course,  More...

One of the best Denali (McKinley) viewpoints on a clear day. Also picnic sites, bathroom, and 9 campsites. 

Geographic features are often named on a whim. This mountain was called Mt. McKinley for many years, named after a US President. In 2015 the mountain was renamed Denali, the Athabaskan word meaning “the high one.”

Fantastic views of Denali (McKinley) on a clear day. Picnic area, bathrooms, and 20 campsites. 

2019 UPDATE: Trail, day use area, kayak tours & rentals, and public use cabins are open, but the main campground will be temporarily closed beginning in 2019 due to the danger posed by trees infested with spruce-bark beetles. Rotting trees have been toppling. State parks plans to reopen the campground after the hazardous trees have been removed.

This is one of four trails that lead to Kesugi Ridge. From the Denali State Park campground at Byers Lake, this gentle stroll is the perfect way to spend a few hours. Wander through spruce and birch trees on the north side of the lake and enjoy big views of the Alaska Range and Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) from the east side. 

2019 UPDATE: Day use area and public use cabins are open, as are kayak rentals and tours on Byers Lake. The main campground will be temporarily closed due to the danger posed by trees infested with spruce-bark beetles. Rotting trees have been toppling. Campground will reopen after the hazardous trees have been removed.

73 camping sites, 3 public use cabins, and hiking trails. Guided day hikes, kayak rentals, and kayak tours available. 

The Chulitna River flows to the south out of a huge valley from Broad Pass, one of only two breaks in the Alaska Range Mountains, where the highway, the train, the geese, and the river, all pass on their way to Cook Inlet.  It offers a chance for a float of 75 miles and can take as little as 3 days in kayaks but can be a nice 4 or 5-day trip. Canoes and kayaks are fun on the  More...

This bridge is the connection between southcentral Alaska and the interior of the Territory. The bridge represents an engineering marvel for the day and age it was constructed, and is as strong today as when it was constructed nearly a century ago.

Blueberries and mountain views dominate Broad Pass. Watch for moose and caribou, too. And berry pickers in the fall. This is the highest point on the Parks Highway.

Here is the junction of the Parks and the Denali Highway. The Denali Highway is approximately 135 miles long stretching from Paxson to Cantwell, connecting the Richardson and Parks highways. Before the Parks Highway was completed in the early 1970s, the Denali Highway was the only road access to Denali National Park.

Stop here to stretch your legs above the confluence of the Nenana and Jack Rivers. Look up for Dall sheep, down for caribou or moose, and across the Nenana for the train.

In a strip of restaurants pumping out good meals, 229 Parks stands alone as creating fine dining-quality meals using the freshest, highest quality ingredients. They are committed to quality, and the menu changes often to reflect what is fresh or in season. That could be berries, mushrooms, fish or greens. Their salads are excellent, as are the entrees. If you order small plates, you'll get to sample more of the menu! They also do pastries and coffee for breakfast.

Mention Healy and inevitably the conversation veers toward the Usibelli Coal Mine. It lies just a few miles east of the highway and employs nearly 100 people year-round. They send their coal to power plants around Alaska and export it to Pacific Rim countries. Healy school children nicknamed the mine’s dragline “Ace-in-the-Hole.” The dragline is the largest mobile  More...