Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center & Turnagain Tour with Walk in The Rainforest

Take a shuttle along the glacier-carved shores of the Turnagain Arm, scoping out craggy cliffs for Dall sheep and scanning the water for surfacing beluga whales. On this guided excursion, take a scenic drive outside of Anchorage and spend some time visiting orphaned animals at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

Get picked up from the Anchorage Visitors Center, where you can hop in a comfortable shuttle and let your guide plot a course to to the south. Pass through Chugach State Park, along waterfront roads that offer sweeping views of the Turnagain Arm. Look for beluga whales coming in from Cook Inlet, try and spot eagles nesting in evergreen treetops, and spot Dall sheep framed against the black backdrop of steep mountainsides. Your tour includes stops at Beluga Point, Portage Valley, Potter Marsh and a brief walk in the rainforest guest have told us they felt like they were “walking into another world” “enchanting” “spiritual” so you won’t want to miss this experience.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Mile 79 Seward Highway, Girdwood, Anchorage, AK 99587

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, musk-ox, caribou, bison, and more! The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is a sanctuary dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through conservation, research, education and quality animal care. AWCC has provided care for hundreds of displaced animals because visitors like you have made critical contributions in the form of admission fees, donations, memberships, and gift shop purchases.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Chugach State Park, Mile 115 Seward Highway, Girdwood, Anchorage, AK 99587

Beluga Point: Popular photo stop with panoramic views of Turnagain Arm, with possible opportunities to see Dall sheep and Beluga whales. Timing is everything hopefully you will see both!

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Portage Glacier, Portage Lake Loop, Girdwood, Anchorage, AK

Portage Valley: You will see Explorer Glacier, Middle Glacier, Byron Glacier and Take a Walk through a Rainforest. Next grab a snack or meal to enjoy on your ride back to Anchorage at Portage Day Lodge.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Potter Marsh Bird Sanctuary, 154th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99587

Potter Marsh:With its nearly panoramic view of Turnagain arm, Potter Marsh, peppered by spruce, cottonwoods and alder trees, is one of the most accessible and scenic wildlife viewing areas in Anchorage. About halfway along the boardwalk, Rabbit Creek flows underneath and provides a good spot to see spawning chinook, Coho, or humpback salmon from May to August, depending on the species. Moose also frequent the marsh year round.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Alaska Wild Berry Products, 5225 Juneau St, Anchorage, AK 99518-1483

Alaska Wildberry Products: See the World’s Largest Chocolate Water Fall! The store hires locals to pick “Alaskan Berries” to make into the wonderful delights. You can also watch the workers make these delights through the glass wall. At the chocolate display case there is a tray of sample chocolates and if you did not sample the item you wanted to try just ask they want to satisfy.

Duration: 15 minutes