Self-Guided Seward Hwy Audio Drive: Anchorage to Seward

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Potter Marsh Bird Sanctuary

  It's known for its excellent birding, with about 130 different species found here. You might see bald eagles, northern pintails, Canada geese, canvasback ducks, northern harriers, Arctic terns, and trumpeter swans here, and that's just scratching the surface. Note: The tour is over 118 Miles long per tour, with more than 90+ audio stories per tour, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2
  Chugach State Park

  The largest state parks in the entire country, Chugach State Park. We're talking half a million acres large. It's a gorgeous park, full of lakes, tundra, and a variety of different forest ecosystems.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3
  Turnagain Arm Drive

  The Turnagain Arm is that body of water right there. It's a narrow channel coming off of the Gulf of Alaska, and more specifically, one of two offshoots of the Cook Inlet.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4
  McHugh Creek Trailhead

  From this trailhead, it's only a short walk to a 20-foot waterfall. If we're looking for just a short stop, we can be in and out in 10 minutes--though I must mention that there is a small parking fee.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 5
  Beluga Point

  The name comes from the fact that, yes, it can be a lucky spot to see beluga whales. These white whales are much smaller than some other whales, reaching only 12 to 16 feet in length.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6
  Indian Valley Mine, National Historic Site

  We're now approaching the Indian Valley Mine. A prospector named Peter Strong came to Alaska in 1898, and his mine is one of only a few that operated for any significant amount of time.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 7
  Bird Point

  You'll find a few sculptures of beluga whales, some interpretive signs, telescopes for wildlife-watching, and an access point for the Bird to Gird Trail.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 8
  Girdwood

  If you're a skier, you may know Girdwood as the home of Alyeska, Alaska's largest ski resort. But there's more to do here than just shred the pow.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 9
  Alyeska Resort Mountain Hike

  In the winter, this is ground zero for excellent alpine skiing. In the summer, you can hike on some of the ski trails or explore the trail network on a mountain bike.

  6 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 10

  In its four round-trip miles, this moderate trail travels through a temperate rainforest ecosystem and a gorge, and has lovely views of icy blue creeks.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 11
  Chugach National Forest

  It gets its name from the Chugach Native Alaskans, though that's the name white settlers gave them. They call themselves the Sugpiaq, which comes from the phrase "real people" in their language. They're also sometimes called the Alutiiq, which is just fine, too. The Chugach is the second-largest of all the country's national forests at more than 5 million acres.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 12
  Portage Glacier

  This is a classic glacially carved valley, but unlike in so many other such valleys, the glacier that carved it is still here--and wow, is it a sight.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (Pass by)

  They can just wander anywhere they want! So there's never a guarantee that you're going to spot that moose, or bear, or ruby-crowned kinglet you're so excited to see.

  Admission ticket free
• 13
  Byron Glacier Trail

  Byron Glacier occupies the valley just west of Portage, and it makes for a gorgeous hike. It's an easy 3 miles round trip, flat, and takes about an hour and a half to hike.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 14
  Summit Lake

  It's a nice spot to stop and do some wildlife watching, if anyone's in the mood. It's a wet area, so that means you might spot moose or beavers.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 15
  Tern Lake

  The Inuit people of Alaska's Arctic tell legends about the Qalupalik, terrifying monsters with long hair, long fingernails, and green, scaly skin. They lurk in the Arctic Ocean, where open water meets the ice, waiting to snatch kids who wander too far from their parents.

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 16
  Moose Pass

  If anyone needs a snack or a bathroom break, this is a great place for it. Word is that the name of the town comes from an incident in 1903 between a dogsled-driving mailman and a moose, in which the moose caused a significant delivery delay.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 17
  Kenai Lake

  Fed by glaciers and surrounded by mountains, it sure is pretty in its own right. But the lake has another claim to fame: It's the headwaters of the Kenai River, one of the world's most beloved fishing destinations.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 18
  Resurrection River Trail

  Well, the first 4.5 miles aren't so bad--they're pretty flat, and wind through a spruce-hemlock forest. But after that, things get wild. It's not even really a trail, as hikers have to slog through mud, climb downed trees, cross big streams, and crash through thick bushes to follow it.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
• Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
• At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
• Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.

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