For View Seekers
For a bird’s- eye view of the city and its surroundings — with a chance of seeing Denali (at 20,310 feet, the highest mountain peak in North America) — head to the Flattop Mountain trailhead on a $23 RT shuttle. A short, flat, half-mile trail gives you panoramic views of the Cook Inlet, city, and mountains. Residents enjoy coming here for summer solstice to start a midnight hike; the sun just barely dips below the horizon, giving us 19 hours of daylight.
If you don’t want to get up high but still want to see Anchorage’s iconic skyline with the Chugach Mountains in the background, head to Point Woronzof. Take in the view and watch planes flying to and from the airport, which is just a stone’s throw away. Moose are often spotted here, so keep an eye out for one of the 1,500 lumbering giants that call Anchorage home.
For those who prefer to take in their view with a cocktail in hand, head up to the Crow’s Nest at the top of Hotel Captain Cook (939 W 5th Ave) and watch the sun set over Anchorage.
FOR THE BUDGET CONSCIOUS
Surrounded by nature, Anchorage is a free outdoor playground, so if you’re on a budget simply head outdoors. But if visiting the Heritage Center and the Museum is on your to- do list, grab the Alaska Culture Pass for a 30- percent discount — you’ll only pay $ 32 for entrance to both locations. A complimentary shuttle ferries people between the two.
Head down to Ship Creek, where you can spot salmon swimming upstream, in season. Walk across the bridge and see people fishing, right in the heart of downtown. The fish are most active in the hours before and after high tide, and you can even strike up a conversation with some of the fishers to learn about subsistence living, which is still a common way of life for many here.
Modern- day Anchorage was shaped by the 1964 earthquake — 4th Avenue downtown was split down the middle as visible seismic waves drove through the earth. To learn more about the quake, head over to the Alaska Experience Theatre for an $ 8 movie showing the sheer destruction. The theater also shows videos on the crackling • aurora borealis that dances through the sky.
Head down to Ship Creek, where you can spot salmon swimming upstream in season. Walk across the bridge and see people fishing down below, right in the heart of downtown.