Anchorage to Seward: Visit Glaciers before your Alaska Cruise

So you’re headed to the port at Seward from Anchorage to start your Alaska Cruise of the Inside Passage. But don’t miss this incredible Alaskan wilderness and stunning snow capped mountain landscapes along the way. Exit Glacier is the perfect opportunity to get up close to these beautiful Alaskan glaciers, and is only a short detour from the Seward highway.

The journey along the Seward highway will normally only take 2.5 hours, but there are some truly fantastic landscapes to enjoy along the way. Join me as I take you along the Seward highway with stops at the Alyeska Resort, Portage Glacier, Whittier, Exit Glacier and Seward.

Here is a short 3 day itinerary and route map;

Alyeska Resort

A popular winter Ski Resort and the sates largest, it’s only an hour away from Anchorage.During the summer months this is a great base for a stop-over and exploring the region on the way to Seward Alaska. A destination in it’s own right, the Alyseska Resort, boasts the Seven Glaciers Restaurant, situated at the top of the mountain. It’s a short cable car ride away and complimentary ride for guests!

With beautiful views across the Chugach mountain range this is the perfect way to start or finish your Alaska cruise experience.

Portage Glacier

Next stop along the Seward Highway, is the town of Portage and the impressive Portage Glacier. But to get that awe-inspiring view of the Glacier you’ll have to either take a scenic boat ride across the Portage Lake from Begich Boggs Visitor Center, or take a walk to the Portage Viewpoint from Whittier. Either option will bring you into view with these stunning rivers of Ice and their myriad of geological features; like the Moraine, which are dark striped deposits of rock which travel down the Glacier like a conveyor belt.

To access the Portage Glacier viewpoint, you will first need to drive through the Portage Glacier Railroad tunnel, which links Portage with Whittier. Impressively this is the longest highway tunnel in North America (at 2.5 miles). The walk is uphill to the Portage Glacier viewpoint (see map) but only takes about half an hour to reach. Beware of Bears in this area of Alaska and make sure you know the correct procedure to fend off a Bear; Stand your grand and do not run away!!

The tunnel shares both a railroad and highway, meaning that either trains or cars can only use it at the same time. This will leave motorists with a wait at either end of the tunnel as you await the train to pass through. It’s an impressive drive through the tunnel to Whittier, so ensure you leave enough time to fit it on your itinerary.

Summit Lake

Continuing your navigation along the Seward highway I can highly recommend a stay at the Summit Lake Lodge. A family run property with cosy log cabins adjacent to the tranquil Summit Lake. Bounded by snow capped mountains and evergreen forests this is a beautiful Alaskan landscape. If time permits consider the detour to Hope, where a meandering road leads to this quaint village on the coast.

The benefit of staying at the Summit Lake Lodge is the proximity to the Exit Glacier, which allows enough time to explore whilst still arriving at the Seward cruise terminal in time for your afternoon check-in.

Exit Glacier

The beautiful, but sadly receding Exit Glacier is the perfect visual indicator of climate change. And the rate of recession is accelerating. President Obama even visited Exit Glacier during his historic trip to Alaska in September 2015 to highlight the plight of Exit Glacier’s demise.

The Exit Glacier is easily accessed from the visitor centre car park with a short walking trail which leads to this impressive viewpoint (Pictured above), when I visited in May 2015. The walking trail navigates through pristine woodland and a small uphill section leads to the viewing area. You want to allow one hour each way for this walk.

This view down from Exit Glacier shows the extent of the recent recession of the Exit Glacier and the valley floor left behind.

Summary of the Anchorage to Seward Itinerary

Read about taking an Alaska Cruise through the Inside Passage.