A number of Alaska cruises begin or end in Seward, a port city of less than 3,000 people located 127 miles south of Anchorage. Depending on traffic, the drive on the Seward Highway takes about two and a half hours.
In most cases there is no reason to rush. While cruise ships disembark passengers in Seward early in the morning, many flights out of Anchorage have late-evening departures. Planning ahead for this “bonus” day will help you get the most out of your Alaska vacation.
While transfers by bus or train are available, renting a car in Seward with a drop-off at the Anchorage Airport will give you the most flexibility. There is a Hertz location in Seward; do confirm your rental well in advance of your trip to ensure availability. The rental car company will pick you up at the cruise pier.
Once you have your vehicle, you will head to the start of the Seward Highway, a scenic road with rugged, untamed landscapes. You will drive through Chugach National Forest, taking in views of the Kenai Mountains and Turnagain Arm, home to the World’s second highest tides.
It’s helpful to have a copy of The MILEPOST 2019: Alaska Travel Planner.
1. If you are planning eating lunch while hiking, or just want to have “road trip” supplies, the Safeway at 1907 Seward Highway is a good place to stock up. In addition to a bakery and deli, there is a in-store Starbucks.
2. Before you leave Seward, you may want to stop by the Alaska Sealife Center at “Mile 0” of the Seward Highway on the shores of Resurrection Bay. The center — which includes an aquarium, a research center and a marine mammal rehabilitation facility– gives visitors close encounters with puffins, octopus, harbor seals, sea lions, and other marine life.
3. Or, you might want to look for whales, sea otters, and sea lions while cruising through Resurrection Bay on a Major Marine boat tour such at the Resurrection Bay and the Kenai Fjords Orca Cruise. If you’ve got more time, there’s 5-Hour Kenai Fjords Wildlife cruise.
4. If you want to get up close to a glacier, visit Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. About 4 miles out of Seward, you will see the turn-off. Exit Glacier is located 8.4 miles up the spur road.
Exit Glacier is especially notable for its system of hiking trails that take you very close to terminus of the glacier and up to the Harding Icefield itself. You can also see how much this glacier has receded over the years.
5. While the famous Iditarod dog-sled race takes place in March, you can still experience the first-hand thrill of dog-sledding and cuddling husky puppies in the summer at the homestead of three-time Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey. Seavy’s Ididaride Sled Dog Tours is located at 12820 Old Exit Glacier Road (on the way to Exit Glacier.)
6. Back on the Seward Highway, about 30 miles north of Seward, you will come to the tiny town of Moose Pass, Alaska. The town of 200 residents got its name in 1903 when a moose got in the way of a mail carrier’s dog team. There’s still plenty of moose in the area, and the small town’s post office is a fun place to mail postcards with a Moose Pass, Alaska postmark. There’s also a funny sign to check out for those who have “an axe to grind.”
7. To learn more about glaciers, glacial activity, and America’s second largest national forest, turn off Seward Highway at Portage Glacier Road to reach the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center in Portage Valley. A number glaciers “hang” from the mountains in Portage Valley, a part of the Chugach National Forest. Run by the Forest Service, the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center is located on the shore of Portage Lake. The Forest Service offers guided hikes on Byron Glacier Trail.
8. If you want to see bears and other wildlife up close in a natural enviroment, visit the Alaska Wildlife Conversation Center off of the Seward Highway just north of Portage Glacier Road. The center houses animals that are being rehabilitated; visitors may walk or drive a 1.5-mile scenic loop that passes by various enclosures that house animals in their natural habitat.
To reach the town of Girdwood and the Alyeska Resort, turn off Seward Highway onto the Alyeska Highway. There are several attractions worthy of a stop here.
9. Interested in panning for gold? Crow Creek Mine — established in 1896 — allows visitors to relive the Historic Gold Rush of Alaska. The property still produces gold today, offering a Gold Prospecting experience.
10. If you are hungry, be sure to stop at The Bake Shop in Girdwood, a favorite of locals and visitors for more than 40 years. Breakfast is served until 1 pm; you might try the famous the SUMMER OF ’76 breakfast special that was developed in honor of the United States’ bicentennial, and includes three of the legendary sourdough pancakes. Or, just grab one of the restaurant’s famous, huge sweet rolls with a coffee to go.
11. For breath-taking panoramic views, take a seven-minute Aerial Tram ride from the Hotel Alyeska ski resort in Girdwood to the top of Mt. Alyeska. The observation deck is the perfect place to enjoy lunch with an unbeatable view. Or, hike the North Face Trail starting from the Alyeska Hotel courtyard. If you are up for vigorous 2.5 mile hike with 2,000 vertical feet of elevation gain, you can score a complimentary scenic Tram ride back down.
Back onto the Seward Highway, there’s 37 miles of driving from the Girdwood junction to Anchorage. With the waters of Turnagain Arm on one side of the highway and the Chugach Mountains on the other, this is one of the most scenic drives in Alaska.
12. Watch for Dall Sheep on the rock cliffs on the right side of the road; this area is home to 1,200 Dall sheep. If you want to stop, turnouts at Beluga Point, Windy Corner or Bird Point are perfect spots to view the Kenai and Chugach mountains and spot Dall sheep.
13. The other side of Seward Highway is hugged by the waters of Turnagain Arm — a narrow waterway that boasts North America’s second highest tides — after the Bay of Fundy in the Canadian Maritimes.
The tides in Turnagain arm can reach up to 40 feet, and they come in so quickly that they produce a bore tide — a large wave of water up to six feet tall moving up to 20 mph.
Photo by Frank K.
When the dramatic tides recede from Turnagain Arm, the shores of the waterway become quicksand-like mudflats that are very dangerous to hikers.
Continuing on the Seward Highway will take you into the city of Anchorage, where the highway ends at an intersection with 5th Avenue. Highway AK-1 — as it is also known on maps, continues on for a short period as 5th Avenue in downtown Anchorage, before turning into the Glenn Highway.
14. Upon arriving into Anchorage, there are numerous places to eat, drink and explore if you have more time before your evening flight. Do allow plenty of time to get to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to return your rental car, and check in for your flight. Alaska Airlines suggests arriving two hours before your scheduled flight. You may be surprised at how busy this airport is at 12 midnight.
Have you made the drive from Seward to Anchorage, Alaska? What did you most enjoy on the trip?
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Learn more about Seward and Alaska with these resources:
The Man Who Bought Alaska: William H. Seward