Anchorage to Portage via the Turnagain Arm
Written: Aug 27 '03 (Updated Sep 08 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful scenery, wildlife, recreation.
Cons: Hazardous road conditions.
The Bottom Line: Scenery is out of this world, and the only way to get to the fabulous Kenai Peninsula. Drive carefully.
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| pilotpat's Full Review: Anchorage |
INTRODUCTION
I originally tried to pack information on this area into my review of Seward, Alaska, and the Kenai Fjords National Park, but I soon realized that there is so much to write about that it really needed its own review.
LOCATION
The Turnagain Arm is the inlet that separates the Anchorage bowl from the scenic Kenai Peninsula. If you are traveling by road or rail to the peninsula, a popular tourist and sporting location from Anchorage, you follow the Seward Highway, which is the only land route. By light aircraft, you are likely to fly along the arm as well, unless you’re heading to the western Kenai.
OTHER DESTINATIONS
Though a site worthy of its own dedicated tourism, the Turnagain Arm usually is part of the journey to the Peninsula. In addition to Seward, look for future reviews of mine for:
Hope
Kenai Canoe Trails
Ninilchik/Deep Creek/Homer
Russian River
WHEN TO VISIT
Most tourists visit Alaska in the summertime, and given a choice of travel times, that’s when I’d go as well. Since moving from Alaska, I’ve tried to align my trips back home with the salmon runs (check out www.alaskaonlinejournal.com for outstanding information on fishing). Be advised that the heaviest tourism usually happens in June through early August, and you may be able to avoid some of the crowds and find some bargains on either side of that window.
I believe that the most beautiful time to visit is in early August, when the fireweed is blooming, and the days are still quite long (at summer solstice, you’re looking at about 21 hrs of daylight, but by August, you’re losing 5 minutes and 44 seconds a day!). This is also the tail end of the red (sockeye) and beginning of the silver (coho) runs, which bring Beluga Whales into the arm.
That said, the Turnagain arm offers awesome scenery 365 days a year, and winter provides great skiing and snowmachining, as well as ice climbing on the cliffs of the arm.
GETTING THERE
In addition to driving yourself, the Alaska Railroad (www.akrr.com) offers service between Anchorage and the Peninsula, which follows the Seward highway along the Turnagain arm. Princess tours offers more comfortable cars on the RR, with domed viewing decks. Many tour companies offer motorcoach service as well.
One of my favorite ways to tour the arm is by light aircraft. This can be pricey if you don’t own a plane or have access to one, but it is well worth it. From Anchorage, one of favorite flightseeing tours I used to bring visitors on was down the Eagle River valley, over the pass into Girdwood, and down to the Turnagain Arm. From there, we’d go down to the Portage Glacier and cross the pass to Whittier. Search for bears and orcas in the Prince William Sound, then cross over into the Knik Glacier and the Gorge. Follow the Knik river into the Cook Inlet, and then head south to land. All this in about 1.5 hours of time on the Hobbs Meter. It will take your breath away.
If you are stuck on the ground, and choose to drive yourself as most do (including me, ‘cause flight time is expensive), be advised that the Seward Highway is not only spectacularly beautiful, but perhaps the most treacherous road in the state. The natural hazards of the Turnagain Arm – rock slides, high winds, occasional wildlife on the roadways, and a high probability of wet weather – combine with the volatile mix of slow-moving tourists (likely watching scenery and not roads), impatient locals speeding to their destination (and often passing slow RV’s in unwise locations), and tired fishermen struggling to keep their eyes open on their way home. I still find it safer driving the Seward Highway than risking my life in most urban highways, but it is something of which to be aware. Drive with your lights on, keep you eyes out for sudden stops or people in your lane, and remember that it is illegal to delay 5 or more vehicles – use the pullouts to let the speedsters pass.
THE ROUTE
Since most experience the Turnagain Arm by road or rail, that’s how I’ll finish the review.
Leaving Anchorage on the Seward Highway, you pass Potter’s Marsh, the best birding spot in the Anchorage area. Wooden walkways lead you out into the marsh from the parking lot, and interpretive signs give information about birds, vegetation, and salmon. Although closed to fishing, the stream that meanders through the marsh gets a good mix of different salmon types, including the huge King (or Chinook) Salmon, through the summer, and the walkway provides a great place to watch them spawn as the Dolly Vardens and Rainbow Trout hover behind, hoping for a quick meal of salmon eggs. The parking lot at Potter’s Marsh is not visible from the road, and usually receives light traffic. Because of this, it has a history of break-ins – usually “smash-and-grabs.” Be smart, and don’t leave anything visible in the car. Better yet, it might be advisable to leave one member of the party behind to watch the car while the others go ahead – the walk through the marsh is relatively short.
Soon after leaving the marsh, you’ll see an old railroad engine on the right, which is a rare snowblowing vehicle once used by the Alaska Railroad to keep the tracks clear. A small interpretive center is there as well.
Entering the Turnagain Arm, passengers should keep their eyes out on the right for pods of Beluga Whales following the salmon runs. On the left, watch the cliffs for Dall Sheep, cousins of the Big Horn. The sheep often walk down close to (or even on) the roadside. Numerous turnouts, many with interpretive kiosks and some with coin-operated binoculars, are available so that the driver doesn’t need to miss out. Some of the pullouts on the landward side of the road are trailheads into the mountains, including the spectacular Turnagain Pass trail that will lead you over the pass, into Eagle River Valley, and eventually to the Eagle River Nature Center. Be bear smart if you plan to hike. Check out the Alaska Fish and Game page – www.adfg.state.ak.us – for some really good tips on hiking/camping in bear country. Bear bells and common sense will go a long way in avoiding confrontations. Bear spray is another popular accessory, though I’m partial to a large caliber firearm.
The Turnagain Arm is home to huge tidal changes – often approaching 30’ difference from high to low. Every year, there are numerous rescues (some unsuccessful) of people who get stuck out on the mudflats during low tide. The glacier silt mud can trap a leg with incredible power, and when you add fast rising (and bitterly cold) water, venturing onto the flats is ill-advised.
Bird Creek is next, improved access to which is under construction, offers good runs of salmon. Silver salmon stocking was halted for construction and won’t be productive until 2004 or 2005, but the Chum (Dog) and odd-year Pink (Humpback) runs are still strong.
The Girdwood turnoff offers your last chance for gasoline and diesel for a long time. There are no stations between Girdwood and Seward, and if I remember right, no stations between Girdwood and Hope or Sterling (which lie on the other two major routes through the Peninsula. The road leads back to the town of Girdwood, and the famous Double Musky restaurant. If celebrities are visiting Alaska, this is where they’re likely to eat at least once. It is fantastic, if pricey. Arrive early, or plan on waiting a long time for a table.
The Alyeska Resort in Girdwood (which I plan to write about soon) offers XC and Alpine skiing in the winter and awesome mountain biking and hiking in the winter. A tram is available for those who wish less exhausting methods of climbing the mountainsides. There are a few B&B’s available for rent as well.
Next is the Portage valley. This is the location of the turnoff for the Whittier tunnel, a single-lane road cut through the rock that allows access to the tiny town of Whittier, which in turn offers boat/ferry access to Prince William Sound and Valdez. The tunnel was constructed only a few years ago, and has effectively killed the once-thriving rail service between Portage and Whittier.
The Portage National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to stop on your journey. The short drive to the newly revamped visitors center is well worth it, and lots of hiking options are available if you have more time. Short cruises across the lake to the Portage glacier are available as well for a fraction of the cost of those in Seward and Whittier, but the wildlife and scenery are on a different scale. The ~1 mile hike into Byron Glacier is relatively level, and though not stroller or wheelchair-friendly, most of it is maintained well enough for families with members on either end of the age scale. Keep your eyes out here for Moose (especially on the flats during winter) and Bear, and scan the mountainsides for sheep and goats.
Big Game Alaska is here also, and offers a good chance to see many of the land and air-based animals of the region up close for a reasonable entry fee.
As you leave the flats and enter the peninsula, you start the climb up into the first pass. At the top, there is a pullout on the right (West) side, marked with a scenic view sign. Stop here and take a look back at the Turnagain arm. It is beautiful.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Member: Pat
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