Alyeska Activities

Besides the skiing and snowboarding at Alyeska Resort, there are a moderate amount of Girdwood winter activities on offer. Some of the activities are not based at Girdwood or Alyeska and a tour requires a decent drive to access the activity, so often the activities are half day or full day activities, not something to do before or after skiing. The concierge at Hotel Alyeska can assist with the planning of various activities. 

Alyeska Heli Skiing

Up the ante on your Alyeska skiing or snowboarding experience by going heli skiing. Chugach Powder Guides Heli Skiing is based in Girdwood, and offers 5 day packages that include lodging at the Hotel Alyeska, or single day heli skiing. Single day heli skiing is available on Saturday and Sunday. Weekday (Mon-Fri) 1-day heli ski reservations can be made no more than 30 days in advance.

This is definitely something worth putting on your bucket list. Alaska heli skiing is world renowned for the challenging steeps (mellow slopes available too), the bountiful snow, and a coastal snowpack that enables the steeps to be skied.

Cross Country Skiing

There are 5km of Girdwood cross country ski trails in Moose Meadows, which are easily accessed from Hotel Alyeska. The groomed trails are for classic as well as skate skiing. Trail maps are available at the hotel and you can rent cross country skiing equipment at Hotel Alyeska, including boots, poles and skis.

Moose Meadows can also be utilised for snowshoeing and snowshoe rentals are also available.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

You might see a moose wandering down the main street of Girdwood in Northern Exposure style, or if your wildlife spotting isn’t going so well, go to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The center has a good range of animals including elk, bison, moose, black and brown bears (they may not be out of hibernation), reindeer, lynx, deer and wolves, and the majority of the animals are in very spacious enclosures.

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is 15 miles from Alyeska Resort on the Seward Highway (Mile 79 Seward Highway, Portage). You’ll need your own wheels to get there, or you might be able to get a taxi there.

Northern Lights

Alaska is well renowned for the Northern Lights aka Aurora Borealis. The frequency of northern lights spotting may not be as high compared to more northerly locations such as Fairbanks, but there’s still a good chance of seeing the lights, particularly if you utilise a forecasting app to help your planning. Of course, there’s no guarantee when the northern lights will show their glory, but cold moonless nights will up your chances.

For guests of Hotel Alyeska, a northern lights wake-up call can be provided on request. You might not see much if you just peer out the hotel window, but if you go for a little walk away from the lights of the resort, you’ll get a better viewing.

Flightseeing

Flightseeing blows ordinary sight seeing out of the water! Most of the classic Anchorage boat tours don’t run during winter and spring (except for a couple of whale watching tours in spring), and considering the remoteness of much of Alaska, flightseeing is a great way to see the superb landscapes that this state has to offer. There are different options for flights including tours over glaciers, glacier landings, and a Prince William Sound tour.

Other Nearby Activities

Other activities in the region include glacier snowmobile tours, dog sledding, and ice fishing.

Or guests of Hotel Alyeska can do a little bit of ice skating on the pond out the front of the hotel.

Relaxation

The Spa at Alyeska (at Hotel Alyeska) offers a range of day spa treatments and massages.