8 Worthy Pit Stops from Anchorage to Denali National Park and Preserve 2024

1. Eagle River Nature Center

Forty min­utes from down­town Anchor­age lies Eagle Riv­er Nature Cen­ter, a gate­way to Chugach State Park and a glacial riv­er val­ley as wild and dra­mat­ic as any in Alas­ka. 

Nature programs and hiking trails in magnificent mountain valley. Backcountry cabin and yurt rentals, wildlife viewing and start of Crow Pass Trail. The Eagle River Nature Center is operated by a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide connections to nature through interpretive education, resource protection and outdoor opportunities. 

Enjoy an easy, 3‑mile nature walk on the Albert Loop or trek up-val­ley 5 miles to see plung­ing water­falls and 3,000-foot cliffs. In win­ter, tra­verse the trails on cross-coun­try skis or snowshoes.

Parking fee: 

$5/vehicle for 24 hours.  Fee station located by the front door.  You can pay by credit card or cash ( no change given). 

2. Eklutna Historical Park

Dating back to 1650, the park is the area's oldest continuously inhabited Athabaskan 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. View the colorful Spirit Houses built over the graves of the deceased, along with an Orthodox Christian Cross -- a custom that came from the melding of the cultures.

Guided tours are available Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm from May 15 - September 15.

3. Alaska Museum of Transportation and Industry

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 Pioneering women, gold mining and aviation. Only four miles from downtown Wasilla, the museum is a fun destination for families; kids love the vintage toys and train displays, and special events are entertaining and educational.

The museum is self-guided, with informational placards and displays on everything from telephones to farming equipment. The largest exhibit is trains, with four old cars, plus the original Matanuska Train Stop building. It’s open during special events, which occur most weekends: vintage car shows, 4x4 displays and obstacle course races, quilt shows…you name it!

In addition to the planes and trains, including military aircraft and tank cars, you can see the car that President Harding toured Alaska in, plus look at some of the original farm equipment used by the farmers in the Palmer Colony.

There’s a gift shop and a park with picnic tables and miniature trains, a perfect place to spend a couple hours.

Admission Fee:

Adults $8, Seniors $5, Children (3-17) $5, Families $18. Active military and their families are free.

4. Susitna River Bridge

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 railroad bridge crosses the water on the eastern edge of Denali National Park. Dating back to 1921, the bridge today is on the National Register of Historic Places.

5. Talkeetna Turnoff

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 Alaska. One reason: that huge mountain that you're always in the shadow of. Yes, this is where climbers base themselves for their assault on Denali (Mt. McKinley). You can't miss 'em: skin-tight neon spandex, raccoon sunburns, wild hair, the look of victory—or defeat—in their eyes. That look is called summit fever. And as tales are shared, in all kinds of languages, you can't help but catch it, climber or not.

But it's the locals who have shaped Talkeetna's character. Feisty and independent, they love that their town boasts a wild and wooly past of gold mining and trapping. They even stopped the Parks Highway from coming through town and ruining its unique personality.

You'll meet some of these locals and climbers as you wander through “downtown”—a collection of historic buildings and old miner cabins that are still very much in use. You'll quickly see that art is this town's passion: live theater productions, musicians playing in the pubs, artisans selling their creations in Main Street's shops.

And that other hum you hear? It's the call of adventure: fishing, jet boating, and river floating are all in the blood of Talkeetnans. So is flying: this is where you'll find companies with the most experience soaring around the summit of Denali. These seasoned Alaskan bush pilots stand ready to whisk you up to that magical peak, or set you down on a virgin glacier.

That's Talkeetna. That's real Alaska. So go ahead, make that turn.

6. Alaska Birch Syrup & Wild Harvest Products : Kahiltna Birchworks Shop

When planning your 2024 Alaska vacation make sure you come visit their Taste, Tour & Shop facility at Mile 1.1 of the Talkeetna Spur Road. (Open mid-May through September.) You’ll also find Alaskan food prod­ucts (many wild har­vest­ed), botan­i­cals, and func­tion­al art like pot­tery, tiles, birch bark and wood crafts. Prod­ucts are also avail­able online. 

Sam­ple deli­cious syrup and sweets made from birch trees at Kahilt­na Birch­works in Tal­keet­na — the world’s largest pro­duc­er of birch syrup. They also offer delicious Alaska Supreme ice cream, fresh cookies and coffee. Come enjoy their beautiful gardens. Due to the accommodations they made for Covid, they now offer an outdoor service window for ice cream and quick purchases.  Entry into the gift shop and production area is monitored so they do not overcrowd. They are back to doing full tastings of their products! They will modify any Covid precautions as it becomes necessary and will follow CDC and local guidelines.

7. Trapper Creek

Located along the George Parks Highway between Wasilla and Denali National Park and Preserve, it might be easy to miss the small town of Trapper Creek – but before you cruise by, consider making the adventure-laden side trip down Petersville Road for camping, fishing and fantastic views of Denali.

Petersville Road winds 39 miles from Trapper Creek into the Dutch Hills through a homestead area notable for its spectacular views of Denali and numerous cabins that double as lodges and bed and breakfasts. At Mile 18.7 the road reaches historic Forks Roadhouse, established in 1900 to serve the thousands of miners living in tent cities in the area. Nearby is Peters Creek, where the Mat-Su Borough has set up a rustic camping area for visitors who want to spend a few days fishing for salmon and trout or panning for gold. Dollar Creek Bridge is also located here and provides off-road vehicle users, mountain bikers and hikers access to a system of backcountry trails on the other side.

Back along the Parks Highway, Trapper Creek offers gas, groceries and a few restaurants for highway travelers headed north or south.

8. Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge

From the moment you arrive at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge in Denali State Park, you know you’re somewhere special. A subsidiary of Princess Cruises, Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge is located south of the National Park near the Chulitna River. With a host of recreational activities, exceptional amenities, and awesome views of Denali (especially from our brand new Treehouse, featured on Animal Planet's Treehouse Masters!), the lodge is a true wilderness retreat! Relax on the deck at the lodge after a walk on one of their many hiking trails or make a s'more at their fireside patio. Their premier wilderness lodge has it all!

9. Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve is most famous for being the home of Mount McKinley, also called Denali, meaning "The Great One." At 20,320 feet, Mount McKinley is the highest peak in North America. The park, which is larger than the state of Massachusetts, has only one road, making it the perfect backcountry adventure. Try to spot The Big Five: moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and grizzly bears.

Popular homes in Denali National Park and Preserve from $189/night. Book tours at Tripadvisor.com through Extrabux, then you can get up to 9% super cash back.

If you’re not from Anchorage and are coming from far away, you might need to rent a car before starting this trip. We suggest browsing RentalCars.com as it aggregates all the major car hire companies helping you find the best deal available.

Alternatively, you can also rent a motorhome or RV from Outdoorsy which has a huge selection of options available.

Renting a car on RentalCars.com, and don't forget to sign up at Extrabux (What is Extrabux?) , then you can get up to 6% super cashback from Extrabux! Sign-Up Bonus: Free to join it & get $20 welcome bonus!

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