The Great Outdoors

Anchorage opens the door to all that is wild in Alaska.

- By Gregory D. Mccluney

One of the most remote cities of North America, Anchorage nonetheless sits at the crossroads of continents and proves as unique as the wildlife and glaciers that surround it. At 1,706 square miles, the city spans an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, with a population of just 291,000. With a half-million-acre state park within the municipality, Anchorage offers easy access to outdoor activities like biking, camping, horseback riding, off-roading, and snowmobiling.

Boasting the world’s busiest seaplane base, Lake Hood is far more than a novelty, providing the supply chain and lifeline of the many remote oil rigs, hunting camps, and fishing lodges that rely on charter flights for food, equipment, personnel, and supplies. Most visitors to Anchorage, however, arrive at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, serving more than 5 million passengers annually and receiving scheduled flights from Asia to the west and Europe to the east, with reliable service from hubs across the United States. Situated almost equidistant from Tokyo, Frankfurt, and New York, the airport also serves as a critical hub for FedEx. Warmed by the Pacific marine climate even in the coldest months, the city registers relatively mild mean temperatures for its latitude. Travelers visit Anchorage year-round, often via cruise ships in the warmer months.