Where is Alyeska Resort?

Alyeska Resort is located in the town of Girdwood, 42 miles southeast of Anchorage in southern Alaska, nestled against the world renowned Chugach Mountains.

The town of Girdwood doesn’t quite seem to know where it is, because many of the streets are named after other ski areas e.g. Innsbruck, Aspen, Loveland. At least the main road into town is called the Alyeska Highway!

Flights

One of the advantages of Alyeska Resort is its close proximity to a major airport. The Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is 41 miles from Alyeska. No longer a stopover for passengers flying to East Asia, Anchorage isn’t a particularly “international” airport for passengers, with most flights in winter and spring originating from other USA cities. There are about 20 flights per day from Seattle to Anchorage. You can see flight options here.

Airport Transfers to Alyeska

There are no scheduled buses or shuttles between Anchorage Airport and Alyeska. The only option is private transfers, which are pretty expensive. Unless you plan to stay at Alyeska Ski Resort for a long period of time, it can often be cheaper to rent a car and drive there.

Driving to Alyeska Alaska

Having a rental car is also advantageous because the town of Girdwood is rather spread out. It’s also handy if you want to do a little sightseeing or go to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Alyeska. There is a good range of rental cars available at Anchorage Airport or in Anchorage.

The 42 mile drive between Anchorage and Alyeska is a very spectacular one on fine days. The Seward Highway heads right along the coast of the Turnagain Arm (in 1778 Captain Cook entered the Cook Inlet only to find it didn’t connect to Prince William Sound. You guessed it… he had to turn around again, although not sure where he’d turned previously!) is very picturesque. Depending on the time of year, the channel opening looks pretty dramatic, with massive ice chunks and the white peaks in the background.

The turn off from the Seward Highway to the Alyeska Highway is well sign posted.

NB The Turnagain Arm is also famous for its bore tides; a phenomenon where the tides are sometimes so big that the tide comes in as a wave.

Getting Around Alyeska and Girdwood

The base area of the Alyeska Ski Resort is somewhat spread out, and it’s about a mile between Hotel Alyeska and the day lodge (close to the Sitzmark Bar). And from there it’s another mile to the main street of Girdwood (not that it’s really a MAIN street), and Girdwood continues on for another 2 miles out to the Seward Highway.

So if you don’t have a car or don’t want to use your car because you want to partake in a few beverages, you can take the local bus.

The Glacier Valley Transit buses run from the Aerial Tram Terminal (next to Hotel Alyeska) and loop past the Sitzmark and day lodge and a few major streets of Girdwood. There is a night bus too, although it doesn’t continue into the wee hours of the night.

Or for guests of the Hotel Alyeska, the lovely bell men sometimes offer an on-demand shuttle service between the hotel and local restaurants.

Other Ski Resorts Nearby

Considering the amazing mountains and snow in Alaska, there are surprisingly few (proper) ski resorts.

The little Hilltop Ski Area in Anchorage is about 40 miles away. Artic Valley (Alpenglow) is 48 miles from Alyeska.

Of course, there are plenty of Alaska heli skiing options.