Hope Alaska

Hope, Alaska

The first gold rush in Alaska happened here—before the Klondike Stampede or the rush the gold beaches of Nome—the first gold rush in Alaska happened in Hope.

Location / Coordinates: Hope, Alaska is off the beaten path. Hope, Alaska is about an hour and a half drive from Anchorage. On the north-end of the Kenai Peninsula, Hope is northwest of the Sterling Highway and the Hope Highway junction about 15 miles. The town of Hope is on southern shores of Turnagain Arm.

Coordinates: Latitude 60.54 & Longitude 149.37

Population / Elevation: A small town, practically at sea level, Hope is home to anywhere from 125 to 200 people, depending on who you ask. The school district, K through 12 has only about 14 children.

Description: Hope, Alaska hasn’t changed much, if at all, since it was established in the late 1800’s. Most of the original buildings are still standing and in use. Today Hope, Alaska is a quiet, historic trip back through time. Hope, Alaska is what visitors to Alaska envision about Alaska--Wooded surroundings, log cabins, an old general store, friendly folksy people.

What to do there: Hope, Alaska is the perfect place to have a picnic and relax, take in the scenery, do a little fishing, look for Beluga whales in Turnagain Arm, and generally enjoy life. Camp on the shores of Turnagain Arm or stay at a B&B, hike the Gull Rock Trail, bicycle in and around Hope, Alaska.

History: Miners arrived in the area by boat, Many rowed themselves up Cook Inlet’s Turnagain Arm in dories. A few of these men decided to name their little town after the next person off the boat. The next person off the boat happened to be Percy Hope, a 17-year-old prospector.

How to get there: From Anchorage, take the Seward Highway about 70 miles to the Hope Road turnoff. Hope, Alaska is at the end of Hope Highway less than 20 miles from the turnoff.

Facilities: Everything the relaxed traveler needs can be found in Hop, Alaska. Bed & Breakfasts, cabins, a library, a couple of cafes, and even a jewelry shop. Hope, Alaska also has a campground.

RV info: Hope, Alaska doesn’t have any RV parks, but you can camp in town or at the state park.

Girdwood Alaska

Location / Coordinates: Girdwood is nestled in the Chugach Mountains with the Chugach State Park to the west, Turnagain Arm to the south and Twentymile Glacier to the east. Girdwood is located east of Anchorage about 35 miles on the Seward Highway (Alaska Highway 1) at the junction with Alyeska Highway.
Coordinates: Latitude 60.94 & Longitude 149.17.
Population / Elevation: Girdwood has an active community of about 2,000 year-‘round. Currently, Girdwood is located up the mountain, two miles inland from Turnagain Arm at an elevation of about 150 feet at the airstrip. Girdwood originally was located at sea level, next to Turnagain Arm. The earthquake of 1964 sunk most of the original Girdwood townsite into the sea.
Description: Girdwood is a beautiful resort getaway both during the summer season and the winter season. One of Alaska’s nicest ski resorts is located here, along with all of the amenities expected of a classic resort village. Surrounded by towering, snow-capped mountains to the north, and vast views of the Turnagain Arm to the south, Girdwood is a favorite destination for both Alaskans and visitors from the “outside.” In the summer season, Girdwood is carpeted with emerald green spruce trees and shrubs highlighted with white waterfalls tumbling down the mountainsides. Sapphire-blue skies are her crowning glory. During the winter season, Girdwood is blanketed with snow and often boasts clear blue skies for even its shortest days.
What to do there: Girdwood offers everything for the outdoor enthusiast: trails to the top of majestic mountains for mountain biking, skiing, and hiking with dogs. The old Iditarod Trail comes through Girdwood. In the late summer months, stop along the way to pick wild blueberries. Don’t forget your camera, the views up here are spectacular! Once on top paraglide piggyback style back down and soar through the valley. For a quick trip up the mountain, ride the tram at Alyeska Resort, have lunch on top and then come back to Girdwood and enjoy the many flowers displayed in hanging baskets around town.
For the more adventurous, take a helicopter from Girdwood up to the glacier and go dogsledding with an Iditarod veteran. Or hike the Aleyska Glacier, or jet boat up the Twenty Mile River.
Summer season in Girdwood is carefree and relaxing. The Girdwood Marketplace hosts live music and local artisans every Sunday. Mark the calendar for the annual Girdwood Forest Fair, a very popular weekend event and showcase for crafts, food, and entertainment. The second Saturday of August is the Alyeska Blueberry and Mountain Arts Festival celebrating the blueberry harvest with food, music and a Classic Alyeska Mountain Run.
Winter in Girdwood is a cozy cabin or a nicely appointed room at the Alyeska Resort, sipping hot cocoa and enjoying the view outside. Finish the hot cocoa, bundle up and head outside. The slopes are open and ready for skiing, snow boarding, and snowshoeing.
History: Like most towns in Alaska, Girdwood started out as a gold mining claim. Its namesake is Colonel James Girdwood, an early miner who set up shop here in the early 1900s.
How to get there: Drive east on the Seward Highway (Alaska 1) about 35 miles from Anchorage. Girdwood has a 2,100 foot gravel airstrip .
Facilities: There are as many places to stay in Girdwood as there are budgets, from campgrounds to Bed &Breakfasts to the resort hotel at Alyeska. The same is true for eating out in Girdwood. The Bake Shop is a favorite for breakfasts of sourdough pancakes or lunches of hearty homemade soups with a chunk of sourdough bread. For something a bit more formal, there is the Chair Five Restaurant or the Alyeska Hotel.
Need a shower? Clean clothes? A nicer smelling pet? The Girdwood Laundry, Showers & Pet Wash can handle it all. Do it yourself, or drop it off to be done for you. It even has an internet café.
RV info: Crow Creek Mine is the only RV park in Girdwood. RVs may park overnight in the Alyeska Resort Day Lodge parking area.

Chitina, Alaska

Blurb: Pronounced “CHIT-na.”
Location / Coordinates: Chitina, Alaska sets on the west bank of the Copper River at its confluence with the Chitina River, at the end of the Edgerton Highway, 53 miles southeast of Copper Center and about 65 miles southeast of Glennallen, nearly 120 miles northeast of Valdez.
Coordinates: Latitude 61.52 & Longitude 44.44.
Population / Elevation: At last count, 90 to132 hardy Alaskans live in Chitina.
Description: Almost the end of the road… The pavement ends in Chitina and what used to be the bed for the Copper River & Northwestern Railway begins. Very remote, this old ghost town is the last place to buy gas and snacks.
Most residents in this village called Chitina, which is half Alaska Native, engage in subsistence activities year-round. Employment is primarily with the village council, village corporation, Prince William Sound Community College, State Fish & Game and highway maintenance offices, and the National Park Service. Many Chitina residents are self-employed or work in retail establishments. The summer season brings an influx of fishermen, tourists and campers to Chitina, Alaska, providing some cash income in fish guiding and other services.
What to do there: Backcountry hiking is very popular in the Chitina area. Maps, books and brochures on the surrounding area and the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve can be obtained at the Chitina Ranger Station during the summer season. Bear-proof food containers may also be obtained here. While you’re at the Chitina Ranger Station, take a minute to see the slide show on the McCarthy Road.
In the summer season dip-netting for salmon on the Copper River brings a large number of Alaskans to the Chitina area. Gardening, berry picking, herb gathering and other ''wildcrafting'' are popular pursuits as well. Winter season activities include trapping, and all the snow sports: snowmachining, dog mushing, skiing, and ice fishing.
History: Chitina, Alaska was established in 1908 as a railroad stop on the Copper River & Northwestern Railway, and as a supply town for the Kennicott Copper Mines at McCarthy. By 1914, a surveying engineer working for the mines, Otto Adrian Nelson, owned most of Chitina—including a general store, clothing store, meat market, stables, a tinsmith, five hotels, rooming houses, a pool hall, bars, restaurants, dance halls and a movie theater. Chitina also supplied electric power to all structures with a unique hydroelectric system.
Then, almost overnight, in November 1938 Chitina became a ghost town. The ore began to play out and the miners were getting restless at the Kennicott Mine. The company told everyone “You have two hours to pack your things and board the last train out of Kennicott.” The mine and the mill shut down. Everything was abandoned, personal belongings, mining equipment, everything. Chitina was devastated as well, as everyone left the area.
In 1963 a bush pilot named “Mudhole” Smith bought the Nelson estate and promptly sold off the townsite of Chitina and most of its buildings. The tinsmith building, one of the few original buildings remaining, is now the home of “Spirit Mountain Artworks.” It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The current owner of Spirit Mountain Artworks doubles as a tire repairman, plugging and patching tires for motorists driving the McCarthy Road to and through Chitina.
How to get there: Road or air. Chitina is located at the end of the Edgerton Highway. The pavement ends here and the McCarthy Road begins. Keep an eye on your gas tank, Chitina is the only gas for 60 miles. Air taxis fly into and out Chitina.
Facilities: Today Chitina has a grocery store, a post office and a couple of places to get a bite to eat. The Chitina Café’s biscuits and gravy is recommended before attempting the long drive to McCarthy.
Several air-taxis depart from Chitina to McCarthy and back. They also offer flight-seeing tours of the area. This is an excellent way to see the area and the glacier. The pilots are friendly and they’re good at spotting moose on the runway.
RV info: There is an RV “park” across the street from the Chitina Airport. Try to find a level spot before you pay and hook-up.