Anchorage is an alluring destination for travelers. Outdoor adventures, beautiful natural landscapes, tasty cuisine such as Alaskan seafood, and diverse wildlife: this city has something for everyone. While tourists often head to popular destinations in the downtown area, there are plenty of hidden gems to explore elsewhere in the city. Here is a nine-stop, do-it-yourself car tour that will give you a taste of Anchorage’s culture, history, and natural beauty.

9 Stops on your customized car tour of Anchorage (downtown area not included)

1. Panoramic Overlook

Located in Chugach State Park, the Glen Alps Overlook is easily accessible by car from Anchorage and offers panoramic views of Anchorage, the Cook Inlet, and the surrounding mountains. It's an ideal spot to survey the natural beauty of Alaska and see the vast wilderness that surrounds Alaska’s largest city. The overlook is a launching spot for some excellent hiking trails, but even if you don’t have the time or inclination for a hike, it is worth the trip. Park in the Glen Alps lot and walk an easy ¼ mile loop to view the panorama stretching from the Turnagain Arm to the south to Denali in the north.

2. Local Ski Hill, Ski Jump, and Ski Trails

The Hilltop Ski Area is found in Anchorage in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains and provides winter skiing and snowboarding, as well as summer mountain biking and trail hiking. The views at the top are stunning, yet it’s an interesting place to visit even if you never get out of the car – near the entrance you can see the Karl Eid Ski Jump facility, with a 10-meter, 20-meter, 40-meter, and “big daddy” jump at 65 meters. Envision yourself flying off that big hill and see if you don’t get a few butterflies in your stomach. Hilltop is also a connection point to the Service trails, a network of top-quality Nordic (cross-country) ski trails that are groomed for use throughout the winter and provide wonderful summertime hiking and biking.

3. Neighborhood Air Strips

Alaska is home to over six times as many pilots as any other state. The state has almost one-fifth the land mass of the rest of the United States, yet only 15,000 miles of road. Air travel is the norm. Many homes are designed with extra-wide garages to house private planes, and neighborhood air strips are scattered throughout the city. You can see one of these unique transportation hubs on Cange Street between Huffman and O’Malley Road. Surrounded by private homes, the air strip is regularly used for take-off and landing. For safety and out of respect for the privacy of the neighborhood homeowners, please stay on the road and do not enter the air strip.

4. Fabulous Flowers

In the summertime, the flowers in Anchorage are sublime. Rich, colorful blooms cascade from hanging baskets and vibrant beds abound throughout the city. Bell’s Nursery on Specking Road showcases some excellent examples. The store offers Alaskan gifts and a garden-themed coffee shop, but you can also enjoy the flower baskets from your vehicle as you slowly cruise through the parking lot. Gorgeous flowers can also be seen at the Loussac Library and many places downtown.

5. Salmon Swimming Through the City

Campbell Creek Park on Lake Otis Drive is a family park that provides easy access to a gently sloping edge of Campbell Creek. There you can find baby salmon, and sometimes spot adult king, silver, or sockeye salmon fighting their way back upriver to their spawning grounds. A paved trail runs along the creek and various footbridges offer opportunities to look for the mighty fish who often like to rest in shaded corners during their journey upstream.

6. Hopping Seaplane Hub

The Lake Hood Seaplane Base is the busiest seaplane base in the world. Enter via Wisconsin Street and Lake Shore Drive, then slowly drive along the north side of the lake, taking in the impressive number of float planes, each parked in a private slip. Look for the Five Fingers, channels that were dredged out of the lake in the 1970s to make more space for plane parking. Pause for a while at Lake Hood Beach or another safe spot with a clear view, and chances are you will see a plane taking off or landing. Note the traffic patterns established to avoid accidents on the lake. If you happen to encounter an airplane on the road, be sure to yield the right of way.

7. Earthquake Evidence

Alaska was struck by the 2nd largest earthquake ever recorded on March 27, 1964. It registered 9.2 on the Richter scale. It also lasted over 4.5 minutes, which may not feel like a long time when it comes to a commute or an arrival delay, but in terms of earthquakes, it’s an eternity. Anchorage sustained severe damage and an entire neighborhood slid down the bluff toward the Cook Inlet. Earthquake Park was built to commemorate that spot. Walk down the paved trail to see exhibits and explanatory displays. In the over sixty years since the quake, the hillside has become overgrown with trees and brush, but you can still see the earthquake evidence if you know what to look for. Directly off the Earthquake Park parking lot there is an opening in the brush where the ground abruptly drops then rises; these changes were caused by landslides during the earthquake. Similar abrupt changes can be seen throughout the wooded area below the park.

8. Postcard-Worthy View

Follow Northern Lights Blvd west from Earthquake Park; where Postmark Drive intersects, you will find “Airport Park,” a gravel lot that offers a lovely view of the Anchorage city skyline with the Chugach Mountains for a backdrop. You will see images of the city taken from this spot in guidebooks, brochures, and every postcard rack in town. This is one of Anchorage’s best angles, and the view is worth the trip. On a clear day, Denali is visible over the hills to the north. In the winter, spring, and autumn, this park is a wonderful place to view the northern lights.

9. Moose Sightings

There is no place in Anchorage where you are guaranteed to see a moose, but there is also no place where one CAN’T be seen. Downtown parking lots, Starbucks drive throughs, private porches, even a hospital lobby – moose have been there. The Anchorage bowl is home to over 1,600 moose, so they are a common sight. Some likely spots on your tour include the road up to Glen Alps, the Hilltop trails, and the area around Earthquake Park. After you finish stops 7 and 8, follow the road west to Point Woronzof Park; moose are often seen in the woods along the road. And no matter where you are, keep your eyes peeled. Don’t be in too much of a hurry, and glance down side streets; you never know where one of these giants might be hanging out.

While on your tour, don't forget to indulge in some delicious Alaskan-made sausages and seafood. Alaska Sausage & Seafood in Anchorage is a family-owned business that has been serving delicious and fresh food products since 1963. For quality smoked sausages and Wild Alaskan smoked seafood, this store is a must-visit and is centrally located in midtown at 2914 Arctic Blvd. Call (907) 562-3636 or visit their website to learn more.