Anchorage: Alaska’s Year-Round Wonderland

In Anchorage, adventure doesn’t require a long drive or an early alarm. Some of Alaska’s most scenic trails begin just steps from your hotel, winding from city streets into boreal forest and coastal wilderness. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, one of the state’s most beloved routes, starts near downtown and offers sweeping views of Cook Inlet and the Chugach Mountains—with moose and eagles. Here, you can fit a world-class hike, run, or bike ride into a single afternoon, no road trip required.

Feeling ambitious? Combine Anchorage's most popular paved, multi-use trails (the Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail, the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, the Campbell Creek Trail, and the Ship Creek Trail) into an epic 32-mile route circumnavigating the community. Make sure to track your route on Strava or another app, as this path just happens to resemble the shape of a moose’s head!

Anchorage is the ideal place to begin understanding Alaska’s deep and diverse heritage. The Alaska Native Heritage Center immerses visitors in the traditions and living cultures of Alaska’s Indigenous peoples. Through storytelling, dance, sport demonstrations, and art exhibits, the Center connects you to centuries of history that continue to shape modern Alaska. Here, every performance and artifact tells a story of resilience, identity, and pride—a reminder that Anchorage is as rich in culture as it is in scenery.

And because the Center is open year-round, visitors can engage with Alaska’s living history in every season, from the long days of summer to the quiet beauty of winter.

Anchorage’s art scene is as bold and varied as the landscape that surrounds it. From downtown murals to world-class galleries and museums, there’s art around every corner. Visitors can explore traditional Alaska Native carvings and beadwork alongside contemporary paintings, sculpture, and mixed-media pieces that celebrate life on the Great Land. Each work—whether centuries old or newly created in a modern studio—offers a fresh perspective on the city’s evolving story.

Celebrate Anchorage’s thriving arts community during First Friday, a monthly showcase of local creativity. Stroll through downtown galleries, shops, and venues to meet Alaska artists, explore new exhibits, and discover one-of-a-kind pieces to take home. Each location offers something different, from visual art and handmade goods to live music and special events.

Few cities in the world let you sip coffee downtown one moment and watch a moose cross the street the next, but inAnchorage, wildlife isn’t something you have to go searching for—it’s part of everyday life.

Over 1,500 moose make their home in the city’s parks and greenbelts, Dall sheep graze on nearby mountainsides, and beluga whales sometimes swim through the waters of Turnagain Arm. Spotting these wild residents can be as easy as looking up or stepping outside.

Anchorage takes adventure to new heights—the city is home to some of Alaska’s most dramatic vantage points, best experienced from the air. Helicopter and floatplane tours reveal sweeping views of glaciers, fjords, and the rugged peaks of the Chugach Mountains.

These guided flights operate throughout the year, showcasing different facets of the landscape with each season—from snow-covered winter ranges to summer’s vivid greens and blues. Whether by helicopter or floatplane, a guided tour is one of the most striking ways to grasp the scale and beauty of Alaska’s wilderness.