Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Landscape Photography Locations => Topic started by: madlantern on February 13, 2017, 02:12:43 pm
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Will be in the Anchorage area in June for another trip. Have about 2-4 days in to spare though. Is there anything worth photographing there? I understand Denali is not too far away.
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If you are interested in photographing moose, check out Kincaid Park (near the airport) or head up to Flattop and hike the Powerline Trail. Be careful around cows with calves - they can be quite aggressive. The birds should be returning to the area. Westchester Lagoon and Potter Marsh (great for scenics also) are ideal for bird photography.
I used to enjoy driving the Seward Highway and seeing what's around. Great views of the Turnagain Arm and possible Dall Sheep and Black Bear on the roadsides.
Hatcher Pass has the remnants of a mining area that is enjoyable to wander around.
I lived there for three years and never ran out of things to photograph within the Anchorage area. Feel free to PM me if you'd like more details. I'm jealous of your trip!!
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Anchorage itself can be pretty photogenic for street photography, especially downtown. The drive to Girdwood on Turnagain Arm is beautiful.
Denali is "close" in the sense that it's in the same state, but it's about a 2-3 hour drive to get to where you can see it from the highway and 4-5 hours to the National Park entrance. They say the top of the mountain is only clear of clouds about 33% of the time, so it'll take a bit of luck to see her and that's assuming there aren't any forest fires making visibility nil. I feel like I see her more often than that, but I'm looking from the north and on a clear day the mountain is visible from Fairbanks.
If you do plan to go to the NP, the bus tour on the Park Road is worth it for seeing wildlife and beautiful landscapes. I've only ridden the camper bus out from Kantishna after flying in, but despite a wet cloudy day I saw a good amount of critters. It's an all-day affair, but completely worth it imo. Plus on the drive to the park you'll pass the best restaurant in the state, 229 Parks.
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Here are a few suggestions for when you are in Anchorage in June: Check out the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center for easy viewing of wildlife https://www.alaskawildlife.org/, it is about an hour from Anchorage near the bottom of the Turnagain Arm as you are heading towards the Kenai Peninsula on the Seward Highway. As you are driving there be sure to keep an eye out for Beluga whales and the Alaska Bore Tide http://www.alaska.org/advice/alaska-bore-tide. On your other side keep an eye out for Dall Sheep especially at Beluga Point. When you are in Anchorage check out Point Woronzof http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewinglocations.pointworonzof. Nice views of the skyline of Anchorage and on a clear day you can see Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter and Denali. Look for moose there as well. Someone mentioned Hatcher Pass which is always a good trip for photos but on the way there look for the Alaska native cemetery in Eklutna. http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2013/10/30/tiny_wooden_homes_house_the_dead_at_this_alaskan_cemetery.html be prepared for some mosquitoes on steriods, you have been warned. Along the way you should expect to see lots of wildflowers such as lupine, fireweed and forget-me-nots, so be sure to bring a macro lense. If you have time I would recommend a whale watching trip from Seward or Whittier. Have a great trip.