One Day in the Anchorage Area: An Anchorage Day Trip for Busy Foodies

The Perfect Anchorage Day Trip: Eklutna, Talkeetna & Hatcher Pass

Since I only had one day in Anchorage… I got out of Anchorage.

Ok, maybe that’s a little unfair. But I was visiting Alaska for the mountains, wildlife and scenery, so renting a car and exploring the area around Anchorage felt like the right move. Anchorage itself has plenty to do, but with only one day, I knew I wanted to prioritize nature and not spend a ton of time in museums (which would have been my backup plan if it rained.)

After doing a ton of research, I decided to use Anchorage as our base and spend the day exploring beyond the city. I’m absolutely convinced I made the right choice.

In one day, we packed in a glacial lake, a waterfall hike, a historic Native cemetery, a brown bear sighting, an adorable town, musk oxen, an abandoned gold mine, an absolutely gorgeous mountain drive, and a very Alaskan grilled cheese.

Oh, and I got sucked into quicksand.

It was a good day.

It’s in a commercial area close to the airport, so I wouldn’t necessarily choose it if your plan is to spend your entire visit walking around downtown Anchorage. For our trip, though, the location was very convenient.

Our flight arrived late Friday night and our transfer to the cruise port left from the airport on Sunday, so the hotel’s free 24-hour airport shuttle meant we didn’t have to worry about transportation on either end of our stay.

For our day of exploring, we rented a car through Turo and had it delivered directly to the hotel. We walked outside Saturday morning, got in the car and started our day. without having to deal with an Uber ot wait at on an airport car-rental line.

In terms of amenities, the hotel has a lobby bar/bistro, a small gym, an indoor pool, and an outdoor firepit. It also has free wifi, free breakfast and free self parking. The hotel also offers a free shuttle to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, which could be useful if you have more time to explore the next day. 

The rooms were clean and spacious, and the blackout curtains were very appreciated in July when the sun was only down for a few hours. 

Price: Rooms run about $300-400 if you book at least a few weeks in advance. They aren’t cheap, but nothing in Alaska is and it will be difficult to find a decent hotel for much less. I personally love Hyatt because they have a great loyalty program and a very good value if you pay for your room with points, which is what we did (we used 15,000 points for a den room and were upgraded to  a studio suite.)

One thing I quickly learned about Alaska is that they take their drive-through coffee huts VERY seriously. They’re everywhere. And they’re awesome. 

Grab something for the road because there’s a lot to see today.

I grabbed an enormous iced mocha from Perkup Espresso, a cute family-owned spot just a few blocks from the hotel. It wasn’t the fanciest coffee ever, but the espresso was strong and the chocolate flavor was great.

Eklutna is a Dena’ina Athabascan village and one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the Anchorage area. Russian Orthodox missionaries arrived in the 1800s, and the cemetery shows an interesting combination of Native and Russian traditions, like the collection of brightly colored spirit houses built over the graves. The houses are a traditional way of honoring the dead, while many of the graves also feature Russian Orthodox crosses.

There’s also a small Russian Orthodox church and a few short walking trails on the property.

Cost: Free. 

The long, narrow lake sits in a glacial valley surrounded by the Chugach Mountains and it’s honestly stunning. I did NOT expect to see that gorgeous shade of blue-green in a cold climate! 

You can turn Eklutna into a much bigger outdoor adventure if you want to — there are trails, biking, kayaking and camping — but we kept our visit pretty casual. We walked around near the trailhead, took in the scenery and explored the shoreline.

Which brings me to an important travel tip: Do not assume the ground near a glacial lake is solid just because it looks solid.

I stepped into what I thought was mud and immediately started sinking.

It turns out glacial silt acts very similarly to quicksand. I was able to pull my leg out easily, but I did spend the rest of the day pretty muddy.  

As we left, I was hit with another “OMG ALASKA!” moment: we saw a brown bear walking across the road! 

Cost: $5 day-use parking.

The walk to the falls view is about a mile each way and was generally pretty easy, although there were a few steep parts. 

I loved having the opportunity to stretch my legs and take in the nature. The trees were so big and it smelled so good in the woods. Honestly, though, I was a little disappointed by the waterfall itself, so this isn’t a stop I’d consider a must-do. If I did this day again, I’d probably spend more time at Eklutna Lake (I wish I rented a kayak!), check out nearby Mirror Lake, or save my hiking time for Hatcher Pass.

Cost: $5 day-use parking

I’ll be honest, the highway drive isn’t the most interesting thing ever. But all of a sudden at one point I looked up and BOOM there was a view of Denali. I can’t even explain how breathtaking it was. Photos don’t do it justice at all. 

Talkeetna is a small town with a quirky, artsy vibe. It actually reminded me a lot of Woodstock, NY, near where I grew up. There was an outdoor market, some cute independent shops and eateries, and a river park where you could go rafting and take in more views of Denali. 

We walked around for a bit and then stopped for lunch at Mountain High Pizza Pie. Good pizza was definitely not on my Alaska bingo card, but this place was impressive. We got the classic pepperoni with fresh basil, and it was cheesy, spicy, and delicious. I do regret not trying the reindeer sausage pizza or one of their other specialty pies though!

We took advantage of the gorgeous weather and sat outside, but there was also plenty of indoor seating. 

Cost: A small pizza (enough for 2 people for lunch) is $15-20, depending on toppings.

Instead, we turned around and headed to Independence Mine State Park and Hatcher Pass, about 2 hours back toward Anchorage. 

This stop was really cool, and I’m so glad we changed our plans and got to see it!

Gold was discovered in the Hatcher Pass area around the turn of the 20th century, and it started a huge rush. Independence became part of one of Alaska’s most productive hard-rock gold-mining operations. Although the mine has since been abandoned, several old mining buildings remain, and have been turned into a museum.

It was really cool to walk around an actual abandoned mine town that didn’t feel touristy or fabricated at all. Plus the whole thing is surrounded by absolutely ridiculous mountain scenery.

What I especially liked about Independence Mine is that you can make it as active as you want. Walk around, check out the exhibits inside the buildings, and grab a free-to-borrow panning kit form the gift shop if you’re feeling lucky.

Cost: $5 day use parking

One important thing to know: the road over Hatcher Pass is seasonal, and part of it is unpaved. Check the road conditions before you go. We went in mid-July when the road had just opened and there were still some patches of snow in some spots! 

There were people hiking, picnicking, and base jumping and it was fun to watch them while taking in the views.

If you want to walk around and explore, there’s plenty to see. But if you’re traveling with someone who can’t do a ton of walking, you can still drive through the area, stop at viewpoints and see quite a bit.

We also saw arctic ground squirrels playing on the side of the road. They looked like tiny chipmunk-gophers and were so cute!!

Cost: $5 day-use parking; can use the same pass as Independence Mine

The Musk Ox Farm is the world’s only nonprofit that raises Musk Oxen, an Ice Age species that once roamed with woolly mammoths. They look a little like Highland cows crossed with snuffleupagus from Sesame Street, and it was pretty wild to see them in person. 

The oxen produce fibers called quivit that are soooo soft. Like cashmere, but even finer. If you’re a knitter or crocheter, you can buy some at the gift shop. It’s gorgeous, and also EXPENSIVE. As tempting as it was, I had to pass. 

Cost: $16/adult for a 1 hour guided tour; reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are accepted when space is available. Gift shop access is free. 

We stopped at 49th State Brewing and we split the Crabby Grilled Cheese, which had huge chunks of crab meat with Swiss and cream cheese on sourdough bread. It came with fries and a cup of seafood chowder, and Shawn ordered a second bowl of chowder for himself. Everything was so good and I couldn’t get over the giant chunks of crab in the sandwich and the amount of fish in the chowder. 

Since it was a brewery, we had to try their beer. It was good, but the homemade sodas really stole the show when it came to beverages! I had the wild blueberry cream soda and Shawn had a birch beer.

They didn’t take reservations and there was a pretty decent size crowd on a Saturday night, but the wait was only about 20 minutes (we got there around 7pm, so prime time for a dinner rush.) We sat on the rooftop deck, which has a fun vibe and great views. I was glad I had a puffer vest with me though, because it got pretty cold! 

We also ordered the lager loaf with honey butter along with Shawn’s chowder, which made a very tasty breakfast for me the next morning!

Cost: About $70 plus tip

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Practical Notes

Dress in layers.

And make sure at least one of those layers is warmer than you think you’ll need. I got so sweaty hiking to Thunderbird Falls that I almost stripped down to my tank top. By the time we got to Hatcher Pass later that day, I was very glad I had a down vest and kind of wished I had gloves. The weather can change dramatically throughout the day, especially as you gain elevation.

Download your maps before you go.

Cell service can be spotty once you get farther outside Anchorage, especially on the drive toward Independence Mine, so don’t rely on having a signal when you need directions to your next stop. The roads are pretty straight and we never went too long without service but was glad to have a few screenshots of our route for backup.

Wear shoes that can get dirty.

Even if you aren’t planning any serious hiking, expect dirt, mud and potentially wet trails. I also discovered some very soft ground along the edge of Eklutna Lake and spent the rest of the day claiming I’d been sucked into quicksand. This is not the day for the cute white sneakers.

Make reservations for the Musk Ox Farm.

This is one of the few stops on this itinerary that runs on an actual schedule, so reserve your tour ahead of time and use that as an anchor when planning the rest of your day.

Check conditions for Denali and Hatcher Pass before you leave.

We originally planned to head further north to Denali Viewpoint South, but the clouds weren’t cooperating with mountain views, so we adjusted. Hatcher Pass is also at a higher elevation and conditions there can be very different from what you’re experiencing in Anchorage. Check the weather, visibility and current road conditions that morning and be willing to change your plans.

Use those long Alaska summer days.

One reason we were able to fit an admittedly chaotic number of stops into one day was the seemingly endless summer daylight. You don’t have to race back before sunset, so take advantage of it. 

Don’t forget to look out the window.

One thing that doesn’t really show up on an itinerary: the views between the stops were sometimes just as good as the stops themselves. We pulled over a few times just because we saw something interesting or wanted a better look at the view. (Or, you know, because we saw a bear out the window!!) Try not to get too committed to a tight time table because you’ll want the flexibility to stop here and there as things pop up. 

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The Full Anchorage Area Itinerary at a Glance

Morning: Coffee → Eklutna Historical Park → Eklutna Lake/Thunderbird Falls
Midday: Drive north → Lunch and Denali views in Talkeetna 
Afternoon: Head toward Hatcher Pass → Independence Mine State Historical Park → scenic drive through Hatcher Pass → Musk Ox Farm
Evening: Return to Anchorage → Dinner at 49th State Brewing 

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Final Thoughts

So, what’s 100% worth your time as a Busy Foodie? Independence Mine and Hatcher Pass, hands down. The scenery was unreal, and I loved that you could experience so much of it without committing to a major hike. Eklutna Lake was another favorite (although next time I’m renting a kayak!), and Talkeetna was worth the drive for the Denali views, quirky little-town vibe, and Denali views. And definitely save room for the Crabby Grilled Cheese (it’s big enough to share) and homemade sodas at 49th State Brewing.

Save your time and skip Thunderbird Falls if you’re trying to squeeze a lot into one day. The walk through the woods was lovely, but the waterfall itself was underwhelming. I’d use that time to kayak at Eklutna Lake or hike around Hatcher Pass instead. And if it’s cloudy enough that your chances of seeing Denali are slim, I’d consider skipping the drive to Talkeetna and spending more time around Palmer and Hatcher Pass.

Would I do another trip to Anchorage? Absolutely. Next time, I’d slow things down a little: rent that kayak at Eklutna Lake, actually make it in time for a tour at the Musk Ox Farm, and spend more time hiking around Hatcher Pass. Maybe even rent an RV and spend a night or two in the mountains. I’d also love to spend some time in Anchorage itself and visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum, which I’ve heard is excellent.

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