What to do in Alaska (ANC) for three days?
 

My fiancee and I will be in Alaska for 3 full days for Labor Day weekend, flying into ANC. We arrive at like 8:30pm Friday, and leave around 1:20am Tuesday. I looked into both Denali and Kenai, and my assessment is that Denali is definitely the way to go. I was thinking of driving up Saturday morning, hitting the visitor's center and doing some hiking there, and then taking the bus to Wonder Lake on Sunday. It looks like there are buses available at 7:15, 9:15, 10:15, and 11:15. Does this mean we can take the 7:15, do some hiking, and return on one of the later ones? Does this seem like a reasonable plan? 11 hours on a bus sounds like a bit much for a 3 day vacation, I know, but I figure we may as well go for the best views, since who knows when we will be back. Under this scenario, we have Monday open to do something else, but I am really not sure what qualifies as a reasonable one day activity. Since it is Labor Day weekend, I think I would like to get most of the reservations taken care of, even though it's apparently shoulder season. We aren't really campers, though if that is a vastly superior choice, we would surely consider it. As of now, I am looking at staying in a motel outside the park.

So, nothing is written in stone, I would definitely appreciate alternatives. Thanks!

For such a short trip, I would do Homer / Seward, but that's just my preference. There's more stuff to do on the Kenai if the weather is bad.

If you end up at Denali, there's a decent-sized "car camping" campground right before the visitor center. Very nonthreatening camping. You can also hit the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, on the way to Denali from Anchorage (though Labor Day - http://www.alaskastatefair.org/ ).

Me too!
 

I'll also be in Alaska for three days this summer with similar questions. We were initially interested in getting up to Denali, but it looks like it's nearly a 15-hour drive. It seems hardly worth it for three days. (Although, if someone has a strong opinion, let me know!)

So, our eyes have turned southward to Homer/Seward as JeremyZ recommended.

Any other areas we should look at within driving distance from ANC? (Our primary mode of living will be camping, most likely.)

I have been up there 50 or so times. I'd recommend that you spend a day driving up to Talkeetna - a quaint little place where you may accidentally (as I did) end up driving on the runway... pick the clear day where you can see the peak of Denali from ANC for this - Its a reasonable day trip and you can stop in Palmer/Wasilla for a few minutes on the way if you care to.

Seward is a don't-miss drive. (Homer is much much farther - about 4 1/2 hrs each way). Stop at Exit Glacier on the way (easy to miss, a right turn shortly before town). Seward gets VERY crowded in the summer now as it is the start/end of many cruise ships. Have some halibut fish and chips for me. Another easy "day trip" or you can camp down there. On the drive you will see Dall sheep hanging off the cliffs, and likely to see some birds of note and sea creatures on the trip.

Around Anchorage itself, you can piddle around for a day - maybe take a nice little hike starting at the Eagle River visitor's center (where I once saw some baby bear cubs from afar).

I was at both a couple years back and would recommend, without a doubt, Kenai. Kenai Fjords, Seward, ferry to Valdez, boat out to the icebergs, etc. Some of the most amazing scenery I've ever seen.

Denali was a long drive, and then we were told that the mountain is not visible 70%+ of the time due to weather. We lucked out one morning, and it was neat to see, but not at the cost of missing Kenai. Actually, the best part of the trip north was stopping in Talkeetna and taking a private plane flight of the mountains, including Denali.

I did a four day trip to Alaska last summer and visited Talkeetna, Denali and Seward. It was a lot of driving, especially since they were doing major road repair on the Talkeetna road. If you go to Talkeetna, where you can catch an aerial sightseeing trip of McKinley, be sure to have brunch/breakfast at the Talkeetna Roadhouse.

We spent two days in Denali, including one day on the bus out to Wonder Lake. You don't have to go as far as Wonder Lake though to see the brown bears. It is really hit or miss. There were four sightings on my bus ride but from a decent distance. (Seat 2A, certainly one of the best trip report writers and all-around travelers in FT land, works in Denali over the summer. You may want to private message him.) The second day was spent in the area (lots of activities and hiking options). Two days is not enough for Denali but it was still a great experience, and I look forward to going back and exploring the backcountry, where the good hikes are. The hikes around the visitor centers are not that great imo.

After Denali, we drove to Seward, arriving just in time for a Kenai Fjord evening dinner cruise in which we saw a family of orcas within 4 feet of the boat! That was probably the highlight of the trip since they were so unexpected. The drive from Anchorage to Seward is much more scenic than the drive to Denali. Absolutely stunning! And from the road, one could see the train tracks that literally hug the coastline for a good 15-20 miles. If you are not driving, the train could be a good (but expensive) option. Then again, car rental rates are very expensive in Alaska (I paid $100 a day for a midsize). The only downside with the Anchorage-Seward highway is that it is only one lane for most of it, and you could be stuck behind the same car forever. On our final morning we hiked to the top of Exit Glacier about 5 miles outside Seward. It is a strenuous hike to the top (around 6 hours return I think), but there are shorter more moderate hikes available to. It is even wheelchair accessible to the base of the glacier. Hiking to the top affords stunning views across the entire icefield as well as some animal sightings that you would not see otherwise.

If you drive out of Seward back to Anchorage, just make sure you have a quarter tank of gas or more in your car. Outside Seward there are hardly any gas stations for a good distance until you reach the Aleskyia (sp?) resort area.

Did you get that time off of MapQuest? Having read other posts on these boards, I think it can be done in under 5, although Yahoo! Maps told me 15 (a funny thing too, because points through ANC, such as Seward, were only 7 hours from Denali)

Edited because I'm still learning UBB

My advice is to follow the aforementioned suggestions of going to Seward and save Denali for another time.

I drove to Seward and back, took in the incredible views and scenery, saw the Dall sheep on the mountainsides, climbed alongside Exit Glacier, took the Kenai Fjords dinner cruise, dined on lots of delicious salmon, observed whales in the fjords, etc. Do it. You will not be sorry.

When (not if) you return to Alaska, give yourself some more time to enjoy it. Fly into Anchorage and take the Alaska Railroad to Denali. It is an eight-hour trip one way, but you will not be disappointed. Rent a cabin along the Tanana River just outside of Denali National Park. Go hiking, rafting, fishing — whatever you like to do. Take one of the buses into the Park (as most other vehicles are prohibited from entering certain sections of the Park).

Whatever you do, do not rush a trip to the rest of Alaska. If you are only there for three days and you are in Anchorage, go to Seward.

A few years ago, when my daughter was 13, we spent a week in Anchorage and a couple of the fun things we did were to spend an afternoon picnicking and panning for gold at a great location about an hour south of Anchorage... http://www.akmining.com/mine/crow.htm

Another thing that was great fun was to take a day-trip drive to Seward and hike the Exit Glacier, then have a fabulous BBQ'd salmon dinner at an outside Grill in Seward. It was mid-summer and didn't get dark until midnight. Take lots of insect repellent!

What made this experience even better was that a couple weeks later, my wife, 2 daughters and I were in Maui and snorkeled in Honolua Bay a few mornings and one day rode bikes down the mountain to Pukalani from the top of Haleakala Volcano... What a great, beautiful country we live in!

If you drive past Alyeska at dinnertime between Anchorage-Seward, I recommend you pull off in Girdwood for a meal at the Double Muskey: http://www.doublemuskyinn.com/.

Coming up!
 

Our trip is just around the corner... and we're putting the details into place. As the plan stands, we'll spend the first night in ANC and then head south to Homer, seward and the Kenai penisula.

1) Camping: does anyone know of any good camping spots or Internet resources about camping in Alaska? We'll be hauling our gear from here in Colorado and want to be sure to take the right stuff! What kind of night-time temperatures should we expect? Any other Alaska camping tips? Our goal is to do Alaska on the cheap...

2) Sea Kayaking: We're not experienced kayakers by any stretch of the imagination, but don't want to miss out on this! So far, the best I've found is a 3-hour tour with Sunny Cove for $49. Any other suggestions?

3) Sites to see: What's "not to be missed" on the peninsula? We want to get some good hiking in and obviously see our share of wildlife. I'd love to hear from people that have ventured down there before on similar journeys!

Of course, we'll be recording a lot of our stories on our blog... but that's a couple weeks away yet!

Hey. I've heard great things about Seaside Farm in Homer - you should check it out.

Hiking/camping in Alaska is *way* more wet than Colorado. Bring a rain jacket, or pick one up at the Helly Hansen store in Seward. Waterproof-ish boots are a good idea - I've got a sweet pair of Limmers (from Neptune in Boulder :) ) that are perfect.

And about the bear bells . . .

I thought they were for suckers, and didn't buy 'em before I got to Alaska. Took me a while to realize that pretty much everyone I passed while hiking had some. Scared the crap out of me. Anyway, the point is, these aren't 14ers - it's wild. Be as careful as you should be.

If you're going in the next few weeks, maybe low 50's at night on the Peninsula? Not too bad.

Aquire a Milepost magazine. Great for ideas and local color. My son lives in Homer, so I agree with the rest of the people to skip Denali for now, and do Homer and Seward.

If you save Homer for last you can Halibut fish, have them flash frozen overnight in Homer, and flyout with them home as luggage. If need be, Anchorage has a freezer to keep your fish in, overnight.

Land's End Hotel, at the end of Homer Spit, has a great food bar menu. Sit on the deck and drink in the fantastic scenery. Horseback ride on the spit.

In Homer ride out East End Road. Same road Seaside Farm is on. Keep on going for another 15 -20 miles or so. Skyline Drive is also fantastic.

In Alyeska, about 35 min outside of Anchorage, there is a fun ski lift. Ride to the top and hike. Watch a bore tide come in Katchamac Bay. Many times wind surfers are out there.

You are going at a great time of year. Maybe, you will see early fresh snow in the mountains. But at someone elso said, chances are at some point you will be wet.

Many great things to do and see. It will just make you want to come back when you have more time.

When you do come back to do Denali, travel on Hatcher Pass Road north of Anchorage.

I agree, go to Seward. I've been several times, and I'm going next weekend!

I highly recommend the fjord tour - they have several different itineraries available, but you will get to see the glaciers up close, and quite possibly some whales. Use this link and go down to "day cruises."

The beginning of September is when the weather starts to change - it could be beautiful, or it could be cold and rainy. I recommend a raincoat and dressing in layers.

You still might be able to do some Silver Salmon fishing at that time, if that interests you. Many charters operate out of Seward.

Don't try to do too much
 

Alaska is very big but the maps look small. Don't try to do too much.

Denali is very nice, but has to accommodate lots of visitors in a short season. This means things book up quickly. And the weather is very variable; the chances of seeing Mt. McKinley on any given day are only 1 in 3. I would not recommend going all the way to Wonder Lake given the available time; that's too rushed. Rather, I would suggest taking the Tundra Wildlife Tour which goes out about 53 miles and is a 6 hour roundtrip ($90). They make every effort to spot wildlife. I took this in July. There are good hiking trails near park headquarters that can easily occupy a day. Depending on the weather, a third day could be spent rafting or making another attempt to see the mountain (visible at various locations on the park road, including 13 miles or so out).

There is also a lot to see south of Anchorage. Portage Glacier, Seward, Kenai Fjords.

I would say that you have time for one or the other.