Location: South Central Alaska, from Anchorage to Seward
Length: 127 miles (204.4 km)
Time To Allow: 2-1/2 to 8 hours


Description/Highlights/Points of Interest

The Seward Highway takes you through the awesome natural beauty of south central Alaska between Anchorage and Seward. From jagged peaks and alpine meadows to breathtaking fjords and crystal lakes, the Seward Highway offers a concentrated series of diverse landscapes and experiences found together nowhere else in the nation. You might even see Beluga whales in Turnagain Arm or a dog team along the route in winter.

Suggested Itinerary

The Seward Highway is in a richly varied and highly diverse area of Alaska. Over the 127-mile (204 km) length of its route the character of the byway continually changes with topography, its proximity to water, mountains, and towns. The Seward Highway begins in the town of Seward nestled among the fjords surrounding Resurrection Bay. Nearby Kenai Fjords National Park offers the chance to see puffins, otters, eagles, arctic terns, whales, seals and other marine life.

Traveling north, the landscape surrounding the byway becomes one of alpine meadows dotted with rivers and lakes. During late July and early August, Ptarmigan Creek Recreation Site, 23 miles (37 km) from Seward, is an excellent place to stop and watch the incredible salmon run when thousands of red salmon can be seen in this creek heading upstream to spawn.

Further north, approximately 75 miles (121 km) from Seward, is Twentymile Flats, an expanse of lowlands and intertidal mudflats where three river valleys empty their silt-laden waters into Turnagain Arm and provide unobstructed views of the surrounding mountain peaks and glaciers. The view here is breathtaking, definitely worth stopping and taking in for a few minutes at the very least.

Continuing another five miles (eight km) along the byway is Portage Lake. Portage Glacier located on the far side of Portage Lake is rapidly receding out of the lake and provides an incredible opportunity to watch glacial action on fast forward. One-hour boat tours are available to better witness the action.

The remaining portion of the Seward Highway travels along the Turnagain Arm and offers the traveler a plethora of things to see, both on and off the water. Turnagain Arm experiences the second highest tides in the world, often up to a 38-foot change in water level. Bore tides, a rare natural phenomena when the front of an incoming tide is a moving wall of water from 3 to 5 feet high, can be witness during extremely low tides in Turnagain Arm. Contact the city of Anchorage for details and tidal reports.

The city of Anchorage is located at the northern terminus of the Seward Highway. With its rich history as a city on the edge of one of the final frontiers, Anchorage offers a wealth of historic and cultural sites that may be enjoyed whether you have an hour or a day to spend.

The following organizations offer trips near The Seward Highway:

Grand Alaska
Tauck World Discovery
Enjoy the best of Alaska on a 15-day excursion that features a 7-night Gulf of Alaska cruise aboard Princess. Adventures include flightseeing, river rafting, a thrilling journey by rail and cruises along scenic inland waterways. Tauck is pleased to offer a number of balconied-rooms to ultimately experience Alaska's breathtaking scenery.

Tour Alaska & the Yukon
World Wide Country Tours
The rush is on! Cruise Arctic waters and venture among massive glaciers…then come ashore to explore the heritage of Alaska and the Yukon up close. Discover the majesty of America's "Last Frontier." Cruise the Inside Passage aboard Holland America's ms Volendam. Trip highlights include a stay in Denali National Park, glaciers calving in Kenai Fjords National Park, and a ride on the McKinley Explorer domed train.