This post was most recently updated on August 16th, 2019
This summer marked an exciting goal for my husband and I – we finally got to visit Alaska, something that has been on both of our bucket lists for a long time! We split our trip into two sections, exploring north of Anchorage for about 5 days. We then explored within the city and southward for another 4 days. As we planned our trip, we were worried we wouldn’t be able to sample enough of Alaska by staying close to Anchorage. Suggestions from other travelers made us feel like we might need to spend long stretches of time driving inland to see anything worthwhile! We are happy to announce that there is plenty of adventure to be had even within an hour of Anchorage.
Alaska did not disappoint us. The entire nine-day trip was a paradise of green, larger-than-life trees and mountains, beautiful overcast weather (such a nice break from the 90+ degrees we were experiencing at home!) and postcard-worthy views at every turn. In this post you can hear all about our activities from Eagle River to Willow, Alaska, including salmon fishing, hiking, and our stay in a private cabin nestled between two private lakes in Wasilla!
North of Anchorage: Eagle River
We made Eagle River our home base for most of our travels around Anchorage. Just a 20-minute drive north of Anchorage, Eagle River is a perfect launching spot because it’s close to beautiful attractions but not as crowded or busy as Anchorage. It’s also much more scenic than downtown Anchorage. In Eagle River we enjoyed close-by sites like Mirror Lake, a recreational lake for canoeing, fishing, and swimming, as well as the beautiful Thunderbird Falls.
Along the Thunderbird Falls trail (a very easy and short stroll on a wide and well maintained trail) we enjoyed picking and eating wild berries, constantly consulting with Google to make sure we weren’t eating anything poisonous (tip, stay away from the mushrooms which also grow bountifully in this area).
Eagle River Nature Center
Thunderbird Falls
Probably one of Eagle River’s greatest assets is the Eagle River Nature Center, surrounded by a plethora of beautiful hikes and educational experiences within Chugach State Park. Near this area my husband and brother-in-law enjoyed some overnight backpacking. Working northward from Eagle River you can see Eklutna Lake, a glacial lake where Anchorage gets most of its drinking water, and enjoy hiking, kayaking and fishing.
Keep some cash on hand
Many (but not all) of these outdoor attractions require a $5 fee that you place in an envelope and slide into a payment box, so carry lots of $5 bills with you because no one will have change for you and you can’t pay with a card! We ended up scrounging our car and wallets for every single coin we could find! Also, be bear aware! The first thing you should purchase in Alaska is bear spray if you intend to do any outdoor activities. We saw one black bear from afar in the vicinity of the Eagle River Nature Center – you would never want to run into a bear unprepared!
Backpacking near Eagle River Nature Center
A Little Farther North of Anchorage: Wasilla
The highlight of our time north of Anchorage was our stay in a private cabin in Wasilla, Alaska. This cabin is nestled up on a ridge, overlooking two small lakes with the most breathtaking view. Even though we did have neighbors (very spread out, nothing at all like the crowded neighborhoods I’m used to in suburban Utah), the cabin was completely secluded and from our view atop the ridge, we felt as if we were deep in the forests of Alaska. In reality we had the convenience of a grocery store, gas station and restaurants only 10 minutes away. The cabin itself is a cozy 14×20 feet but offers great amenities – an oven, stove top, microwave, coffee maker, small fridge/freezer, space heater, a full-sized bed as well as a futon and loft sleeping area, and a TV with a DVD player.
What is a dry cabin?
The cabin is a dry cabin, which means it has no running water or plumbing. Yes, this means there’s no conventional bathroom but rather an outhouse. The owner also provided two 5-gallon containers of clean water, set up on a draining wash basin for rinsing dishes, brushing teeth, filling up water bottles, etc.
Expect a degree of rustic-ness in the cabin, but the owners generously provide plenty of dishes, utensils, pots, clean linens, camping chairs, use of their canoe and life jackets (this was one of my favorite parts of our stay!), a small collection of DVDs, and a large dose of hospitality, making our stay comfortable. After all, if you can plug in your phone and recharge it, pop popcorn and watch a movie, how much are you really “roughing it” anyway?! While there’s no WiFi, both of our phones had full reception and perfect use of data while we were there.
Perks of this cabin
The owner is one of the best perks about the cabin – he’s the kind of guy who will make you a hand-drawn map and tell you about the best restaurants in town. He even told us about the best location to watch locals, himself included, go dip netting – a form of fishing using large diameter nets to scoop salmon out of the water that can only be performed by Alaskan residents. Seeing the banks of Fish Creek (in Knik) lined with entire families–kids included–in mud up to their knees scooping fish was one of my favorite things in Alaska!
Dip Netting in Fish Creek
If you are a camper, this cabin would be a great fit for you! If you’re not a camper, go with a Best Western. But you will never forget what it feels like to wake up to views like this. To me this kind of front row seat to nature’s best is worth the sacrifice of a few luxuries. It’s also a fraction of the cost compared to the hotels in the area!
View from porch of the cabin
Fishing in Wasilla
Wasilla, about an hour north of Anchorage, was a great home base for our fishing adventures. We decided not to shell out the money for a fishing guide as we have some fishing experience already. But I can totally understand why people do. The fishing guide book instructing anglers on local restrictions, guidelines, schedules, and approved equipment and methods is daunting to say the least!
We felt much better after we got some clarification from the employees at the 3 Rivers Fly and Tackle store in Wasilla. Salmon is basically Alaska’s currency so fishing there is no casual thing. Per the recommendations from 3 Rivers, we found good fishing at Willow Creek State Park in Willow, AK as well as the Little Susitna River in Houston, AK. Both provided shore-fishing opportunities without too much hiking or getting your feet wet, although many people do wear waders or boots.
Fishing Protocol
Also, be prepared to fish with neighbors. If it’s a good spot for fishing, you will not be alone. There were even signs at Willow Creek State Park instructing anglers on the rules of crowded fishing. Like removing your line from the water if a neighboring fisher yells “Fish on!” and not stealing someone’s fishing spot while they are cleaning a fish. Here’s something we learned from Alaskan locals – don’t keep the salmon if they’ve already spawned. Apparently the meat turns to mush and doesn’t taste good. You’ll know they’ve spawned already if their coloring has turned from silver to a rich array of calico colors like bright red and olive green, depending on the species. Unfortunately, spawned chum salmon (which the locals also call dog salmon) were all we caught during late July.
Our time north of Anchorage gave us all the wild, rugged Alaskan experiences we were looking for, all within our budget and without spending hours traveling far from Anchorage. Stay tuned for another post about our adventures in the city of Anchorage and south to Portage Valley!
Where do you go for a taste of adventure?
About the author:
As you know, Postcards & Passports promotes family and family travel. This post was written by my oldest daughter, Jessie Heaton. Jessie has always loved exploring new places and trying new foods. She manages a dance company in Provo, UT and works in social media promotion while juggling the demands of a home, two precious children and an adventurous husband! If you’d like to read more from Jessie, see Free for Kids in Salt Lake County, Light of the World Garden (in Lehi, Utah), and Luminaria – A New Christmas Tradition (also in Lehi, Utah).
Disclaimer: Jessie was hosted for her stay at the Wasilla dry cabin; her review in this post is based on her actual experiences and her honest opinion.
If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it with other fellow adventurers!
What an awesome trip!! I’m glad to find out that you don’t have to go very far to get a great experience near Anchorage; I’m sure when we finally get around to visiting Alaska we’ll be starting in or around that area.
Love that you came to Alaska! You described it perfectly 🙂
I enjoy your blog 🙂
Thanks! So glad you enjoy the blog. Do you live in Alaska, then?
So cool! I really would love to visit Alaska, I keep hearing such amazing things. That cabin is adorable as well!
I actually really thought Alaska was just snow and ice! It actually looks beautiful. Your pictures conjour up a place I would really love to visit. Hopefully I will get there one day!
Discovered Alaska in three doses.And I believe now we have covered most of it, except for the northernmost and westernmost towns.
I would love to spend some time here in the thick of nature. I love the little cabins, they looks so cute and quiet. The view from them is incredible too
So glad you got to visit Alaska – it was at the top of my bucketlist too – we got there last year, and LOVED anchorage! We rented a car, and totally agree with you, it can be really overwhelming with traveler suggestions, in a big vast state like Alaska, but there really are so many cool things to do within an hour or so. We stayed in Wasilla for a couple of nights too! Didn’t go fishing, which sounds like fun, so might have to plan for a return trip.
Glad you got the wild, rugged Alaskan experiences you were looking for!
What gorgeous landscapes! So glad it turned out that you’ll have a lot of time to enjoy all the things you wanted to do. Fishing sounds nice in such surroundings and that cabin of yours in Wasilla between the two lakes… So lovely! It must have been amazing to wake up to such a view. 🙂
Good to see a blog about Alaska. The landscape is just amazing. Love the fishing part as well.
Alaska must have been amazing! It’s one of these not too discovered places. I love the Wasilla – looks so cool to stay in private cabin!
wow! this is amazing, you are seriously enjoying your life!!
btw thanks for this article 🙂
Wow I’ve never seen this side of Alaska. So much greenery! Good tip on purchasing bear spray when going hiking!
Alaska is one of my dream destinations, too!!! Everything you shared is just awesome! I love most the Mirror Lake that looks so calm and the dry cabin with a gorgeous view. It’s so beautiful!
We were thinking of Alaska for this fall, but changed our mind because of weather considerations. I guess summer will be a better time to take full advantage of all the outdoor beauty and enjoy experiences like you describe in Anchorage here.
Fall quickly turns into winter in Alaska. It’s a very different experience than going in the summer!
This is an area I’d love to explore. The dip netting looks especially fun. The fact that it’s so easily accessible from Anchorage is a bonus.
I love the dry cabin where you were staying. It looks very cozy plus with super amazing views! So great to read about this side of Alaska 🙂
I’ve only visited Alaska on a cruise, but I couldn’t get enough. I would love to get further north than Anchorage and take in some of the amazing hiking and wilderness it has to offer.
I spent a long and VERY hot Aussie summer discovering the excellent private-eye novel series of Dana Stabenow, set in Alaska – a totally alien landscape compared to Outback Australia where I normally hang out! But the scenery and experiences described in this blog post have really shown me what Alaska looks and feels like – it’s amazing how close that is to how I imagined it! The standout for me would be staying in the Wasilla log cabin – but I’d always take the bear spray to the outhouse!
Alaska looks lovely and is definitely on my bucket list. The fishing sounds like fun, but too bad all the salmon you caught had spawned! I had no idea that made them inedible.
I continue to be amazed at all of the wonderful places to travel in Alaska. I went on a cruise there and just loved it. Now I need to hit these spots!
We love to fish! I will add this to our next vacation spot since it is rather close by.
i am in love with the idea of that cabin!! there is nothing like logging off and relaxing in the wild!