Page 35 - eatg

SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA

This region is teeming with Gold Rush
history in areas like Petersville and
Trapper Creek. It is also home of the
“largests” with Anchorage, the largest
city in the state and Denali (formerly
Mount McKinley) , the largest mountain
in North America. Wrangell-St. Elias
National Park is the country’s largest
national park and rich in wildlife and
towering mountain peaks. Reaching the
coastline, Southcentral Alaska is where
the largest tidewater glacier, Columbia
Glacier flows into the icy blue waters of
the Pacific between Whittier and Valdez.
This is also where more than half of the
state’s residents live. Mt McKinley , Denali National Park

Kantishna Petersville Road Chamber of Commerce, 415 E. Railroad Ave,
Location: 90 miles inside Denali National Park Beginning at Mile 114.8 of the George Parks Wasilla, AK 99654; Phone: (907) 376-1299;
& Preserve, past Wonder Lake on Moose Creek. Highway #3 at Trapper Creek, the 40-mile Petersville Email: contact@wasillachamber.org. Iditarod
Road heads through rugged terrain toward the Headquarters, 2100 S. Knik-Goose Bay Road,
Situated within Denali National Park, Kantishna is Petersville mine area. Wasilla, AK 99654; Phone: (907) 376-5155.
host to an old roadhouse that now acts as a tourist
destination within the park. This area was a gold Talkeetna GEORGE PARKS HWY 3
mining area from 1905-1944. The recorder’s office Location: At mile marker 99 on George & FISHHOOK ROAD TO KNIK
still stands as a reminder of past days of glory. Take a Parks Highway #3, turn east on the Talkeetna
tour to Kantishna Roadhouse for food, gold panning, Spur Road for 14 miles; 120 miles north of
and more. Anchorage; 240 miles south of Fairbanks. Knik
Population: summer 800, winter 400. Visitor Location: 17 miles northeast of Anchorage on
GEORGE PARKS HWY 3 SOUTH Information: Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce, the west bank of the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet;
PO Box 334, Talkeetna, AK 99676; kiosk In Wasilla, S. Knik-Goose Bay Road runs 14
Cantwell located next to the PO; Phone: (907) 414-0376; miles southwest to the old townsite. Population:
Location: Cantwell is located on the George Website: www.talkeetnachamber.org. Talkeetna approximately 270.
Parks Highway #3 at the west end of the Denali Historical Society Museum; Phone: (907) 733-
Highway #8; 211 miles north of Anchorage and 2487. Anchorage
28 miles south of Denali National Park entrance. On Cook Inlet, Glenn Hwy 1 and the Seward
Population: 166 GEORGE PARKS HWY 3 SOUTH Highway; 358 miles southwest of Fairbanks;
725 miles east of Whitehorse. Population:
AT CANTWELL JCT. GEORGE PARKS HWY Willow 301,000. Visitor Information: Visit Anchorage:
3 & DENALI HWY 8 EAST TO PAXSON 524 W. Fourth Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501;
Location: On George Parks Highway 3, Mile Phone: (907) 276-4118; Website: www.
Paxson 60 to Mile 81; 26 miles west of Wasilla, 34 anchorage.net. Log Cabin and Downtown
miles west of Palmer and 64 miles northwest
Location: Junction of Richardson Highway of Anchorage. Visitor Information: Willow Visitor Information Center: Fourth Avenue and
F Street (open daily); (907) 257-2363.
4 and the Denali Highway 8. 344 miles from Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 183, Willow,
Anchorage, 135 miles from Cantwell, 179 Alaska, 99688; Phone: (907) 495-9000; Email: Surrounded by some of the most spectacular
miles from Fairbanks, 186 miles from Valdez. mail@willowchamber.org. wilderness in the United States, Anchorage is a first-
Population: 33. class destination, with all the amenities you’ve come
Houston to expect. The city sits at the base of the Chugach
Paxson is an excellent place to begin exploration Location: On George Parks Highway 3, 29 Mountains along the coast of Cook Inlet and lies as
of the many lakes, trails, and river systems in the miles north of Anchorage between Willow and far west as the Hawaiian Islands and as far north as
area. It is a bird watcher’s paradise, with more that Wasilla. Population: 1200. Visitor Information: Helsinki yet it boasts a mild climate. Four mountain
140 species of birds in its locale. In addition to Houston Chamber of Commerce, 2708 N ranges, (the Chugach, Alaska, Kenai and Talkeetna)
campgrounds, the traveler will find lodges, bed & Anthony Road, Houston, AK 99694; Phone: and the warm Japanese Chugach current combine
breakfasts, and restaurants in the area. (907) 631-8085. Email: houstonakchamber@ to create pleasant year-round temperatures. Spring
hotmail.com; Visitor Center Phone: (907) 892- through fall, Anchorage’s climate is similar to San
GEORGE PARKS HWY 3 SOUTH 6812; City Office Phone: (907) 892-6869. Francisco’s spring weather; winter comparisons
usually remind visitors of ski resorts in the Rocky
Trapper Creek Big Lake Mountains, Canada or Europe.
The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
Location: Mile 114.9 George Parks Hwy #3 at Location: 60 miles north of Anchorage. serves as the primary port of entry into Alaska’s
the junction with Petersville Road. Population: 3000. Visitor information: Big largest city. With hundreds of flights each day,
Lake Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 520067, reaching Anchorage via air is comfortable, convenient
Trapper Creek is the southern gateway to Denali Big Lake, AK 99652; Phone: (907) 892-6109; and time-efficient.
National Park and Preserve, offering spectacular Email: biglake@mtaonline.net Visitors venturing to Anchorage can also drive
views and year round services. from anywhere on the continent, any time of the year.
Wasilla The Alaska Highway, which links Alaska with Canada
AT TRAPPER CREEK Location: On George Parks Highway #3, and the contiguous United States, is fully paved and
JCT. GEORGE PARKS HWY 3 45 miles north of Anchorage. Population offers services all year long. Another option is to
& PETERSVILLE ROAD 8,400. Visitor Information: Greater Wasilla take the Alaska Marine Highway to a nearby port

137