Alaska Trip planning with these helpful tips & links, Alaska Weather courtesy Alaska Gold Rush B&B & Cabins, Palmer, Alaska, (AK)

(BE SURE TO BROWSE ALL THE WAY TO THE END - There's a lot of great info on this page! )

Whatever your plans, Alaska Gold Rush B&B is a convenient hub
with easy access to all these activities and more.

Mountain biker's, hikers, berry-pickers, shroom-er's,
tourist's Paradise in the Summer!

Snowboard, X-Country Ski, Snowmachine, Snowshoe,
Downhill, Skijoring in the Winter.

Opportunities abound to discover the "Real Alaska" with local recreational activities and renowned Alaskan Attractions just moments away.

Make your trip to Alaska memorable and make the most of your Alaskan Vacation with a stay at the Alaska Gold Rush Bed & Breakfast and Gold Camp Cabins.

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DIRECTIONS
From Anchorage:
Take the Glenn Highway (Hwy 1) North toward Palmer. (45 miles from Anchorage). Do not take the Old Glenn Hwy Exit. At the interchange of the Parks Highway, stay on Glenn Hwy (Hwy 1) toward the right to go to Palmer. Go through all 3 of Palmer's stoplights. One mile past Palmer turn left onto Fishhook Road (the road to Hatcher Pass & Independence Mine). Follow Fishhook Rd. to mile 5.5 ( you will see the blue directional sign on the right hand side of the road just before you reach New Hope Rd.) Turn left onto New Hope Road. Go one block & turn right onto Lucky Shot Lane. We are the first house on the LEFT. There is a B&B sign at the entrance to the driveway. Main House is Green w/ white & cranberry trim. 7850 Lucky Shot Lane. Check in at the Main House please.

From Wasilla:
From the Parks Highway in Wasilla, take the Palmer-Wasilla Highway toward Palmer for 7 miles to the intersection with North Trunk Road. Take a left onto Trunk Road and continue on it until the road ends at the intersection with Palmer Fishhook Road. Turn LEFT there (toward Hatcher Pass) and continue 2 1/2 miles and turn left onto New Hope Road. Go one block and turn right onto Lucky Shot Lane. We are the first house on the LEFT. House is Green w/ white & cranberry trim. 7850 Lucky Shot Lane. Check in at the Main House please.

North - Talkeetna -70 / Cantwell -168 / Denali National Park - 195 / Fairbanks - 316 / Chena Hot Springs 478 / Deadhorse-Prudhoe Bay ( North Slope) 801

South-central - Hatcher Pass-26 /Matanuska Glacier - 60 / Wasilla -10 / Knik Museum - 25/ Willow - 40 / Anchorage - 42 / Girdwood - 79 / Portage 102 / Whittier 108

Kenai Peninsula - Hope - 130 / Seward - 168 / Soldotna - 189 / Kenai - 200 / Homer - 275

Several established trails are found in the Talkeetna and Chugach Mountains around the head of Knik Arm. They include:

Crevasse Moraine Trail System (7 total miles, less possible, no significant elevation gain)—Several trail loops interconnect in a variety of ways. Good for running, hiking, and cross-country skiing. Trails wind through moraine deposits. From Mile 2 of Palmer-Wasilla Highway, take Loma Prieta Drive to end. RT—H–2 hrs.

Lazy Mountain Trail (3 miles, 3,000' gain)—Begins at Lazy Mountain Recreation Area, then climbs to the summit of Lazy Mountain, with great views of Sutton, the Matanuska valley, and Knik Arm. Take Old Glenn Highway (Arctic Avenue in Palmer) from Mile 42 of Glenn Highway, cross the river, turn left on Clark-Wolverine Road, and turn right on Huntley. RT—5–7 hrs.

Matanuska Peak Trail (7-plus miles, 5,600' gain)—Trail contours up around drainage of McRoberts Creek, crossing several small streams, then climbs up exposed ridge to stellar views from the 6,117-foot summit. Take Old Glenn Highway (Arctic Avenue in Palmer) from Mile 42 of Glenn Highway, cross the river to mile 15.5, turn east on Smith Road, and drive to its end and the trailhead. RT—all day (start early, check weather, be prepared).

Pioneer Ridge–Knik River Trail (6 miles, 5,200' gain)—Take the Glenn Highway to the Old Glenn Highway 4 miles east of Eklutna. From Old Glenn Highway, turn up Knik River Road and continue 3.6 miles to the trailhead. Trail climbs through cleared alder and spruce to high exposed ridge. Fantastic views of Chugach Mountains and Knik Valley. RT—all day (start early, check weather, be prepared).

Here are some interesting Alaskan Web Sites Courtesy of Alaska Gold Rush B&B & Cabins!

April and May-melting snow, spring creeks, mud, icicles, snow, frost, spring buds, greenery

June and July-warm sunny weather, wildflowers, most popular time to visit, mosquitoes

August and September-Cooler weather, rain, wild berry and mushroom harvests, amazing fall colors

October and November-cold rain and snow, quiet, rapidly losing daylight hours, cold

December and January-Dark, very cold, quiet, brilliant aurora borealis, dog sled racing and Fur Rondy begins.

February and March-Best for backcountry exploration by snowmobile or skis, warmer temps, longer sunny winter days, Iditarod begins.

Mary's Travelogue

Here is my ideal 1st trip to Alaska: First, buy a Milepost so you can see where you are going. Fly in to Anchorage, rent a car (off the airport site to avoid 27%tax), travel to Alaska Gold Rush B&B and stay for 2 or 3 nights. While there, see Hatcher Pass, Independence Mine State Park, Matanuska Glacier, Iditarod Museum, Musk Ox Farm, Reindeer Farm, Palmer Visitor Center & Gardens, Colony House Museum, Knik Museum, Fort Green, Dorothy Page Museum, Pan for gold, shop, (go to the Fair if it is end of August), etc, etc. Then travel to Denali, being sure to stop in Talkeetna on the way, spend 1 or 2 nights in Denali, Have dinner at the Denali Princess Lodge's "Music of Denali" Dinner Theatre (make reservations early). The next morning, take the bus ride into the Park all the way to Kantishna 180 miles round trip, total of 13 hours. Buy your supplies before you leave the Palmer area (cheaper) & take lots of mosquito repellant and maybe even a mosquito hat. The next morning, go on to Fairbanks. Stay 2 or 3 nights there and go on the Riverboat ride, see the Gold Mines, the University Museum and go to the Salmon buffet at Discovery Land. Then come down to Valdez ( a long driving day) & spend 2 nights there. Take a Glacier tour boat ride, visit the towns museums and then come back to Palmer and spend another night at Alaska Gold Rush B&B before traveling down to Seward for a night there and see the Sea Life Center & take another cruise or go fishing out of there, come back to Anchorage and fly back home. That would be a very full ten or more day trip.
The next trip (or if I had 5 more days) would be to include the Kenai Peninsula and Homer area instead of going up to Fairbanks and around but essentially the same otherwise.
You can't see Alaska all in one average length trip and most people end up coming back for their second trip or more. The land is so vast and there is so much to see. But these would be the highlights to me, knowing what I know now and having traveled to all of these places several times.

-Mary

Map/Trip Planning

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