Matanuska-Susitna Borough: Glaciers, Trails and Culture
Accommodation in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Matanuska-Susitna Borough combines impressive landscapes with trails, lakes and places where Alaska’s history can be experienced firsthand. The Susitna River runs between the Alaska Range and the Talkeetna Mountains. When choosing a vacation rental or holiday home, it is therefore worth deciding in advance what you want to focus on during your trip: glacier views, hiking days, water activities, winter sports or culture can be given different priorities.
Glacier Views and Trails Through Nature
A notable starting point is the Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site on the Glenn Highway Scenic Byway, at milepost 101. The area offers public viewpoints of Matanuska Glacier, but no direct access to the glacier. The Edge Nature Trail leads through the forest to viewpoints on a 20-minute walk. In summer, activities there include hiking, glacier trekking and rafting on the river. A day-use or annual parking pass is required for several trails in the borough.
There are also various types of trails away from the glacier. Bearberry Bluff is a 1.1-mile-long, unpaved single-track loop trail through the forest. The Morgan Horse Trail is open year-round and is designed as a non-motorized route between the Lazy Mountain Recreation Area and Maud Road. The Bear and Fox trails are connected to a roughly 33-mile trail network within the Matanuska Greenbelt.
Lakes, Rivers and Seasonal Experiences
Matanuska Lakes State Recreation Area encompasses several lakes stocked with trout and grayling, including Matanuska Lake, Canoe Lake, Irene Lake and Long Lake. Their location in ancient glacial crevasses between moraine ridges is the result of glaciers that shaped this landscape 30,000 years ago. At Willow Creek State Recreation Area, you can fish for salmon, rainbow trout, grayling and Dolly Varden. Willow Creek also offers Class I–II whitewater rafting as well as opportunities for day trips or overnight excursions. On the Nancy Lake Canoe Trail System, the travel time on the river from the road to the portage is four to five hours.
The season changes the character of the trip. Summit Lake State Recreation Site is used primarily by skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers in winter. Denali State Park offers opportunities for roadside camping and exploring the wilderness. Those who reach the region by rail or want to connect individual stages of their journey will find ticket sales and baggage service at the Alaska Railroad station in Talkeetna. The Denali Star Train connects Anchorage, Wasilla, Talkeetna, Denali and Fairbanks.
Museums, Mining History and Local Highlights
The cultural side includes the Mountain Exhibit at the Talkeetna Historical Society Museum. A room-sized model shows Denali and the surrounding peaks of the Alaska Range; the exhibit also provides information about the history of mountaineering. The museum is located in the original building of the Territory of Alaska Talkeetna School, which opened in the 1936/37 school year. Iditarod Headquarters presents the history of the Iditarod race and the world of sled dogs.
At the Palmer Museum, you can see agricultural equipment outdoors. Rotating temporary exhibitions focus on Palmer’s art, history and culture. Other exhibitions trace the region’s history from the Ahtna and Dena'ina areas through the fur trade, railroad and gold mining to the Matanuska Colony Project of 1935. At Independence Mine State Historical Park, visitors can pan for gold with a gold pan and shovel; the Assay Office presents exhibitions on sample analysis, retort processes and other mining techniques. The Musk Ox Farm is dedicated to the responsible keeping of musk oxen, qiviut production and public education.
For further travel planning, you can also explore the places Talkeetna, Palmer, Wasilla and Willow individually. This allows you to combine your search for suitable accommodation with the experiences that are key to your trip: nature trails and glaciers, water activities and fishing, winter activities or museums and regional history.
For the main travel overview: Alaska.
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