Glacier & Wildlife Discovery Tour

Experience the highlights of the Turnagain Arm! This day tour departs Anchorage for the scenic drive south along the edge of the Turnagain Arm on the Seward Parkway. This road is considered to be America’s most beautiful and scenic road, crossing mountain passes and majestic valleys. Along the way, we will try to spot moose, caribou, eagles, and other wildlife. On our way towards Portage Glacier, we will make a couple of stops for photo opportunities along the Turnagain Arm. We will stop at Portage Glacier see as living glaciers continue to carve the landscape and shape life on the Chugach National Forest. Although Portage Glacier is no longer visible from the Visitor Center, due to its retreat, the face of the glacier is still partially in Portage Lake. Find out why Portage Glacier is one of Alaska's most popular attractions. Visit the sheer, awesome face of a mighty Alaska glacier located just an hour from Anchorage. Cruising across Portage Lake on the MV Ptarmigan, you'll stand just 300 yards from a relic of the Ice Age and watch for fractures of ice break off the glacier and crash into the water below Afterward, we will travel to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center opened to the public in 1993. It is located on 200 acres at the southern edge of Turnagain Arm and the entrance to Portage Valley. The center’s mission is to provide care and rehabilitation for injured and orphaned wildlife and to provide wildlife education and awareness. Animals that are unable to be released or survive in the wild are given refuge in the center's spacious habitats. Here people can safely get close, observe and photograph some of Alaska's largest land animals, including moose, bison, elk, deer, caribou, bears muskox, wolves, small mammals, and birds of prey. During spring and summer, visitors can often witness the rehabilitation of orphaned baby animals of various species. After an informative visit through the Conservation Center with the largest of Alaska's wild animals, your tour will continue on towards Anchorage. Lunch* can be purchased from one of the food vendors at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Later, we will ascend the Chugach Mountains for amazing and panoramic views of the Turnagain Arm and beyond! Along the way, stop at the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, Beluga Point, and Bird Point for photo ops of the Turnagain Arm, a narrow waterway that is part of the Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. Keep an eye out for native wildlife such as caribou, moose, and eagles that live in the Chugach National Forest. Continue to the US Forest Service visitor center near Portage Glacier. The glacier is no longer visible from the visitor center due to its retreat, however, your cruise across Portage Lake takes you within 300 yards (100 meters) of the glacier, where you can snap photos and watch for chunks of ice crashing into the water. Once you have seen the glacier, drive to the nearby Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a large nature reserve situated at the entrance to Portage Valley. The center rehabilitates injured and orphaned wild animals, including some of Alaska's largest land animals such as elk, moose, deer, caribou, bison, bears, musk ox, and birds of prey. Learn about these amazing creatures. *Trip Highlights: - Experience the Highlights of the Turnagain Arm. - See stunning scenery along the scenic Seward Highway. - Photo Opportunities along the way with stops at Beluga Point and Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. - Visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. - Enjoy a 1 hour Cruise on Portage Lake. - Enjoy Wide-Open Panoramic vistas high above the Chugach Mountains