Anchorage - Alaska's Largest City

Anchorage is located in the southcentral area of the State of Alaska and is the state’s largest city. The city sits on a strip of coastal lowland to the west and extends upwards into the Chugach mountain range to the east. It is officially called the Municipality of Anchorage and is a consolidated city-borough of the state of Alaska.

The latitude of Anchorage is slightly north of Oslo Norway and Helsinki Finland. Turnagain Arm is to the south consisting of some of the world’s highest tides. It sits due south of Mt McKinley/Denali and northeast of Kodiak Island and Cook Inlet. Chugach State Park forms the eastern boundary and the city’s seacoast on the west is mostly treacherous mudflats. The area of Anchorage is larger than that of Rhode Island.

Weather patterns throughout the year in this area range from a mild summer with an average of 16 inches of rain and temperatures ranging from 55 to 78 degrees F. to winter average temperatures of 5-30 degrees F. with an average snowfall of 70 inches. This past winter the total snowfall doubled with the largest snowfall on record on April 25th with 17.2 to 22 inches and a total April snowfall of 29.7 inches breaking a 1963 record.

Residents in Anchorage love summers due to the long daylight hours and many outdoor activities extend into the wee hours of the morning at times. Some mow their grass at midnight and others enjoy all night bike rides and hikes using the hundreds of miles of trails which meander from the northern Eagle River area through downtown Anchorage, along the coast and south along the Turnagain Arm.

The top three choices of hiking trails are the Winner Creek Trail in Girdwood, south of Anchorage about 40 miles, which is also where Aleyska Ski Resort is located for those winter ski weekends; Flattop in Anchorage located in the Chugach mountain range east of Anchorage; and Independence Mine at Hatcher Pass northwest of Wasilla and about 60 miles north of Anchorage. Winner Creek meanders through a lush northern rain forest and employs a hand-tram that adventurous hikers can cross just for the fun of it. Flattop, the most popular trail, includes a steep above tree-line boulder hop that offers the best bird’s-eye view of Anchorage. Independence Mine is also above tree line and is located in a historical setting. Another great place to hike including board walks, creeks, rivers, forests and viewing decks is Eagle River Nature Center located at the south end of Eagle River Road about 20 miles north of Anchorage. 

Good waterproof hiking boots, water, and a snack or two plus a light jacket and mosquito spray in the summer are a must for these hikes.

Biking is another popular year-round sport for a lot of residents. Their favorite trails include the 12.5 miles Indian-to-Girdwood trail which begins along the Seward Highway in Indian south of Anchorage and winds through the woods and along the north end of Turnagain Arm to Girdwood. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail starts downtown Anchorage and skirts the water’s edge ending up in Kincaid Park in the southwestern part of Anchorage and meanders a total of 11 miles. Bicycle rentals can be found at Downtown Bicycle Rental which offers all sorts and sizes of bikes on an hourly, half-day or full-day basis. www.alaska-bike-rentals.com

The world’s busiest floatplane lake is located across from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and includes the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum. The museum offers 20 airplanes on display including a 1944 Grumman Widgeon amphibian, a 1928 Stearman, a Stinwon L-1 and an Army reconnaissance aircraft which is the only one still flying. A presentation of Alaska’s aviation heritage and its flying pioneers and veterans is offered. There is a flight simulator, two theatres showing aviation films, and photo displays of early bush pilots. It is located at 4721 Aircraft Drive and is open 9 am to 5 pm daily. More information can be found at www.alaskaairmuseum.org.

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