Arctic Valley Road

Arctic Valley provides a quick jaunt into the wilderness of Alaska tucked in between Anchorage and Eagle River adjacent to JBER (Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson). Near the bottom of the road is a great sledding hill that starts at Waypoint 3 and goes down to Waypoint 2, although a JBER Recreation Pass is required if you want to explore beyond the road, sledding included. Bears and wolves along with other wildlife frequent the area, so keep an eye open and see what may be looking back at you! Along the way, there are great views of the greater Anchorage area, Denali, and the northern lights (aurora borealis) on a clear night sky. At the top of Arctic Valley Road (pay to park) you can pick blueberries, hike up and see an old Nike Missile site, site "Summit" (fenced off) that is still used today as a communications site for various government agencies, or go explore the backcountry. During winter the Arctic Valley Ski Area is a great place to ski, it is run by volunteers and is only open on the weekends. In the winter, 4WD (4x4, 4 wheel drive) or good working AWD (all wheel drive) is a necessity as the road is infrequently maintained and is often snow covered and icy from overflow, especially near the top.