The notebook of Girdwood et Turnagain Arm
Follow the shades from morning to sunset.
Fjord subjected to tides, glaciers and humid forest south of Anchorage.
At your own pace
Identity summary
2 to 5 days
Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winter
Recommended car
Coast · Mountain · Forest · Nature
Variable accessibility
Modular rhythm
General presentation
Girdwood et Turnagain Arm
Fjord subjected to tides, glaciers and humid forest south of Anchorage.
The discovery of Girdwood and Turnagain Arm is centred around Alyeska Resort, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and Portage Glacier. The stay thus alternates between the coastline, mountain reliefs, forests and natural spaces, giving a concrete picture of the destination beyond its only best known site.
See all
For a stay of 2 to 5 days, it is better to balance visits and travel times. Also to be anticipated: conditions to be checked according to the season. A car is usually the easiest way to connect the different sectors. Accessibility varies from site to site and deserves to be verified step by step.
Strengths and constraints
Strengths
- Alyeska Resort
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
- Portage Glacier
Before you choose
- Car often useful
- Conditions to be checked by season
Places worth visiting
A selection to start dreaming and organizing the stay — not an exhaustive list of everything there is to see.
Place indismissible
Alyeska Resort
Alyeska Resort concentrates the Alpine experience of Girdwood, between ski slopes, chugach rainforest and views of Turnagain Arm. In winter, the estate attracts for its abundant snow; out of season, trams, trails and panoramas from the heights give another way to approach the valley.
Culture and heritage
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center hosts bears, wood bison, slender, caribou and other animals that are unable to return easily to wildlife. The large enclosures, placed at the foot of the mountains near Turnagain Arm, make observation simple without giving the impression of an urban zoo; it is also a good family option in unstable times.
Nature and panorama
Portage Glacier
Portage Glacier is discovered in a landscape of cold lake, steep slopes and ice from the Chugach Mountains. Depending on the season and conditions, the approach is through the viewpoints, the Begich Boggs centre or a boat trip to Portage Lake, with a very clear impression of a glacial valley in motion.
Nature and landscape
Beluga Point
Beluga Point is a rocky stop on the Seward Highway, facing the powerful tides of Turnagain Arm and the mountains that close the horizon. The place also bears traces of ancient occupation; today it serves mainly as a gazebo to look at the light on the water, the trains along the shore and, sometimes, the beluga.
Practical tips
This information helps know if the destination matches the planned trip before starting a fuller search.
To go further
More activities
Restaurants, walks, culture, leisure and outings to search without leaving the destination card.
The nearest destinations
The closest ideas on the map, to extend your trip.
Similar destinations
Same landscapes and the same pace of travel, elsewhere in the world.
Escaped to discover
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