Anchorage Private Half-Day Nature Tour

Your journey along Turnagain Arm and Portage Valley is a treat you won’t want to miss! This tour includes a one-hour visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. On the way to the wildlife center you will be traveling through the Chugach State Park down Alaska’s most scenic stretch of highway.
Turnagain Arm is a “Must See destination”

You will travel with an experienced guide dedicated to your group who will give you in depth information and share personal experiences in this amazing land!

You will receive personalized service so if you would like to spend a bit longer somewhere, or make an extra stop, no problem! And feel free to ask all the questions you want about Alaska. Your guide loves to share!

This will be the best possible tour option for those who like a private, personal touch.

Not included:

• Wildlife Center Admission Fees (Adult $20, Retired $18, Youth over five $16, Under 5 Free)

What to expect:

Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

43520 Seward Highway, Mile 79 Of The Seward Highway, Girdwood, 99587, Alaska

View Alaska's most famous animals up close in a natural setting. During this visit you'll get great pictures of real live Bears, Moose, Muskox, Caribou, Bison, and more. Your guide will give you a tour through the park and then give you time to explore on your own.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Turnagain Arm Drive

Seward Highway, Anchorage, Alaska

Just south of Anchorage, the Seward Highway hugs the dramatic shorelines of Turnagain Arm, arguably one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in America. Chugach State Park's 3000-foot mountains jut up on your left.
On the right, the sprawling, sometimes four-mile-wide flats of Turnagain Arm seem to stretch like a plain to the opposite shores of Cook Inlet, where mammoth sloping mountains abruptly stop their flat expanse. Each turn reveals another scenic wonder.

Pass by without stopping

Potter Marsh Bird Sanctuary

154th Ave, , Anchorage, 99587, Alaska

Potter Marsh is a 0.5-mile wooden boardwalk trail that parallels the Seward Highway in Anchorage and is known for it’s incredible wildlife viewing, especially for bird watching.
It’s part of the 16-mile Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, and it makes a great addition to any Anchorage itinerary.

Pass by without stopping

Beluga Point

Mile 110, Seward Hwy, Mile 110 Seward Hwy, Anchorage, 99516, Alaska

This is a popular stop as you travel the Seward Highway. Here you'll find 180 degree views of Turnagain Arm. There's an extensive viewing area with spotting scopes and interpretive signs. This is an excellent spot to watch the bore tide. The incoming tide stretched the entire width of Turnagain Arm and can be six feet high as it rushes in. Watch for kayakers and surfers riding the wave for several miles. Look for beluga whales rolling in the surf.

10 minutes

Bird Point

Bird Point, Anchorage, AK 99540, USA

Here's another great stop to take in the scenic beauty of the mountains and the Turnagain Arm.
And don't forget to look for Beluga whales a few hours before high tide (as they come in with the tide to feed on the salmon). The best chance to see a Beluga is if the salmon or hooligan are running, but even if you miss them, the amazing views make Bird Point a perfect stop.

10 minutes

Portage Lake

Portage Lake, Anchorage, AK 99587, USA

Deep enough to submerge an 80-story building, the lake was carved out over thousands of years of glacial advances. While Salmon make their way into the lake, you may not see them due to the immense deposits of glacial silt. The silt also protects them from predators such as birds and larger fish. However, they eventually make their way to clearer waters. Look for dense blue icebergs from Portage Glacier blown to shore.

10 minutes