Top 10 Quick Adventures in Alaska

Our Top 10 Quick Adventures

1. Explore on a Knik River ATV Tour

Our 90 minute Knik River Trail Adventure is the perfect introduction to ATVing while getting to explore some beautiful landscapes. Come learn how to ride a side by side and follow your guide along beautiful forested trails, across splashy creeks, and to views of the Knik Glacier.

This adventure is just 45 minutes from Anchorage in the Palmer area. It makes for a great day trip from Anchorage, or pit stop along a longer drive up to Denali or Glacier View. Don’t miss out on this thrilling adventure that will take you into one of the prettiest glacier valleys in all of Alaska!

2. Book a Matanuska Glacier Walk

Book a three hour Matanuska Glacier Tour to walk on ice and see the infamous ice falls. Meet your guides to get geared up and be driven to the glacier to start your walk. You’ll get safety gear and learn how to walk on the ice so that you can explore on a glacier!

Stare up at the ice falls, look for blue pools, and learn about the ever changing landscape that carved the mountains around you. This is a great way for those who are able to hike around on a glacier and get transported to a landscape unlike anywhere else.

The Matanuska Glacier is located in Glacier View, about 2.5 hours from Anchorage.

3. Go Horseback Riding

Explore dunes & forested paths by horseback in the Knik River Valley. You’ll get to meet horses and take in beautiful views! Choose between a 90 minute or 3 hour tour to get into the backcountry and explore. You’ll have plenty of time to take in the beautiful views and get to know your steed!

You can find this adventure in Butte, just 50 minutes from Anchorage and right outside Palmer, Alaska.

4. Hike in Hatcher Pass

Head up to Hatcher Pass, outside of Palmer just 1.5 hours from Anchorage, to go hiking in the mountains. You can go for a short hike around Independence Mine, at Skeetawk, or around Summit Lake when the road is open. There is so much to explore up in these mountains!

You can find alpine lakes, wildflowers, and beautiful mountain views. Head to the Hatcher Pass Lodge for a snack after exploring and learning about the gold mine history in the area.

5. Denali Flightseeing

See the Alaska Range from the air and have a chance to view Denali! A flightseeing tour out of Talkeetna is the perfect way to explore from a plane. This popular experience lasts 1 to 2 hours, and you can add a glacier landing for some more adventure!

Talkeetna is just 2 hours north of Anchorage and makes for a great stop on your way to Denali.

6. Float the Kenai River

Go on a scenic float of one of the prettiest rivers in Alaska. You’ll meet your guides in Cooper Landing, just 2 hours from Anchorage, to get out on the beautiful crystal blue river.

This scenic float will take you through beautiful landscapes where you can see wildlife like moose, bears, and eagles. You’ll also learn about the culture of the area and hear stories about the native peoples and early settlers.

7. Boat Tour

Take a 4 hour scenic boat tour to see some wildlife and beautiful landscapes in Seward! This tour allows you to see wildlife like whales, otters, puffins, eagles, and more. You’ll also get to see the coastal forests and mountains that make Resurrection Bay so beautiful.

Enjoy the narrated tour and learn about the area from the ship’s naturalist. Don’t forget your camera! Seward is just 4 hours south of Anchorage and makes for a great spot to explore the coast and try some seafood.

8. Dog Sledding

While in Seward, go on a dog sledding adventure to meet some sled dogs! This 1.5 hour tour will take you through the wilderness on a tour like no other. Help sled dogs train for the winter time by being pulled in a cart along a beautiful trail. These pups are meant to move and you’ll get a feel for a traditional way in which Alaskans travel in the wintertime.

You’ll learn about the Iditarod from accomplished mushers, get to pet some pups, and see what it is like to lead your own sled dog team!

9. Book a Half Day Fishing Charter

A 4 hour fishing charter could send you home with lots of fish for the freezer! Catch salmon, rockfish, lingcod, and pollock on this deep sea charter. You’ll have plenty of time to reach fishing grounds, enjoy the views, and reel in some fish!

This tour is located in Seward and would pair well with a half day wildlife tour or dog sledding as mentioned above!

10. Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

One of the best ways to ensure you see wildlife during your trip is to support the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Head 1 hour south of Anchorage to reach the center – you can visit on your way to the Kenai Peninsula or make a day trip from Anchorage. You’ll see all sorts of animals such as black bears, brown bears, musk oxen, foxes, wolves, moose, caribou, and more!

This center serves as a haven for the native Wood Bison population. Thanks to the conservation center, Wood Bison have been reintroduced to their natural habitats after nearly becoming extinct. Visiting this spot helps to promote conservation efforts in Alaska!