Talkeetna

Said to be the inspiration for at least one television show, this historic Alaskan town serves up all sorts of outdoor delights. Talkeetna sits at the end of a 14-mile spur road off the Parks Highway. It's a two-hour drive (or Alaska Railroad ride) north of Anchorage, but a world away from the city. Just before the road drops into Talkeetna, an overlook faces a panoramic assemblage of Alaska Range summits, including Mt. McKinley. Charming wooden buildings line Talkeetna's main street, providing accommodations, meals, saloons, and shopping. Several air taxi operators are at the airport, providing stunning flightseeing trips over Denali ...

Said to be the inspiration for at least one television show, this historic Alaskan town serves up all sorts of outdoor delights. Talkeetna sits at the end of a 14-mile spur road off the Parks Highway. It's a two-hour drive (or Alaska Railroad ride) north of Anchorage, but a world away from the city. Just before the road drops into Talkeetna, an overlook faces a panoramic assemblage of Alaska Range summits, including Mt. McKinley. Charming wooden buildings line Talkeetna's main street, providing accommodations, meals, saloons, and shopping. Several air taxi operators are at the airport, providing stunning flightseeing trips over Denali National Park; many include a glacier landing. The town is a popular stop for cruise-tour packages (by bus or train), but is also the primary hub for mountaineers heading to the dangerous slopes of Mt. McKinley. It is located at the junction of three rivers, and local companies provide jetboat tours and fishing for salmon or trout. In town, visit the fascinating Talkeetna Historical Museum, but also poke around historic Nagley's Store and the crusty old bar inside Fairview Inn.

About the Expert

Don Pitcher has written or photographed 10 travel guidebooks to Alaska, Wyoming, Yellowstone-Grand Teton, and the San Juan Islands for Avalon Travel Publishing, Random House, and Sasquatch Books.