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Accessible Girdwood, Alaska

Girdwood Alaska has been voted one of the 10 most beautiful towns in Alaska. It’s also loaded with wheelchair-accessible tour options and activities that are suitable for people with mobility issues. Yes, even skiing and snowboarding!

I visited this gorgeous area a couple of years ago and had an amazing time. If you’re looking to visit our 49th state, I hope you’ll read this guide to Girdwood, AK.

Where is Girdwood, AK Located?

Girdwood is just 25 miles south of Anchorage, Alaska. 10 miles from Prince William Sound, 60 miles from Kenai Fjords National Park, and 171 miles south of incredible Denali National Park. Nestled near Chugach State Park and the Chugach Mountain range with quick, easy access to viewing 26 gorgeous glaciers in Prince William Sound, Girdwood is the perfect place to start your Alaskan adventures.

How to Get to Girdwood, Alaska

To get to Girdwood you’ll want to fly into the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. From there you can rent a car and drive the 25 miles south to Girdwood.

Visitors can also opt to take the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Girdwood. It is a 10-15 minute taxi/uber/Lyft ride from the airport to the Anchorage Train Depot. Wheelchair lifts are available at all summer stations. Unfortunately, winter trains do not offer an accessible lift in Girdwood.

Once in Girdwood, you can use the local bus system to get to your hotel. The Girdwood bus schedule can be found here. All buses are wheelchair accessible. Best of all, all shuttle buses are free!

Where to Stay in Girdwood Alaska

I stayed at the nearby Alyeska Resort, located at the base of Mount Alyeska. It’s by far the largest resort in the area and my pick for the best place to stay.

The Alyeska Resort has 17 ADA-accessible rooms and all guest rooms feature a non-audible strobe alarm for hearing-impaired guests.

The hotel’s website also helps you build an itinerary online. Choose from summer activities like glacier cruises, fishing trips, ATV tours, and more. Or select from winter activities like Northern Lights tours, snowmobiling, and ski lessons. There are also year-round options like wildlife viewing, museum trips, and town tours. Bottom line, Alyeska is not only a beautiful resort, but they also make it super easy to plan your stay.

When to Visit Girdwood, Alaska

When is the best time to visit Alaska? You may think that winter in Alaska is an ideal time to visit. And while you will certainly find tons of winter activities like skiing, snowmobiling, and looking for the sometimes elusive aurora borealis, winter in Alaska is rough. For one, the amount of daylight hours is severely limited. As in, Alaska in December gets an average of 5 1/2 hours of daylight. Also, as you might imagine, it can be bone-chillingly cold. As winter vacation destinations go Girdwood is a little far south for reliable northern lights sightings and a little far north to get more than a few hours of daylight. Consider heading north to Fairbanks for your Alaska winter vacation if you want to see the aurora borealis.

I will also warn as someone with terrible joint pain and arthritis, visiting Alaska during winter was more than a little rough on my joints. But the good news is, you don’t have to visit Alaska in the winter to have a great time. In fact, depending on what you’d like to see and do, it’s almost better if you don’t visit Alaska in winter. Summer is a perfectly good time to visit Girdwood. May through September is the best time to visit if you want to have the most options available to you when it comes to activities and available daylight hours. The peak season is June through August.

Things to Do in Girdwood, Alaska

There are many things to do in this beautiful area of Alaska. To help you plan your trip, I’ve put together a list of the best Girdwood activities, attractions of Girdwood, things to do nearby, Alyeska Alaska things to do, and things to do in Seward, AK.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center helps rescue and protect Alaska’s wildlife. Visitors can view bears, bald eagles, bison, and other animals up close at the Center.

The animals in the care of the Conservation Center were either abandoned at a young age or injured in the wild. They lack the skills needed to survive in the wild and are reliant on humans for their care. This is not a zoo. When possible the Center works to reintroduce these animals into the wild.

Guests have the option to drive or walk the 1.5-mile loop through the 200-acre sanctuary. Fear not, all animals are behind fences and not roaming freely to interact with cars.

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center does not provide wheelchairs or scooter rentals for guests, however, it’s quite easy to view a ton of wildlife from your car on the 1.5-mile loop. There are also several areas to pull over and view the wildlife up close.

Click here for Tickets to Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

LOCATION: Mile 79, Seward Hwy, Girdwood, AK 99587

Pan For Gold

Crow Creek Mine is an old-school mine that allows you to pan for gold and tour its buildings, many of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. The mine offers a free shuttle through Glacier Valley Transit. This is ideal for anyone staying at the Alyeska Hotel, small B&Bs, or vacation rentals in downtown Girdwood.

In the summer months, visitors are treated to salmon bakes and live music. Check the calendar for event details.

Crow Creek Mine has wheelchair-accessible pathways and facilities compliant with the ADA.

LOCATION: 601 Crow Creek Road, Girdwood, AK 99587

Girdwood Brewing Company

Sample some local craft beer at Girdwood Brewing Company located in downtown Girdwood, Alaska. The brewery has a beautiful timber-framed taphouse as well as outdoor seating in its beer garden, complete with fire pits.

The Brewery offers four core beers and a series of rotating taps. Root beer, cold brew coffee, and kombucha are also available for those who don’t drink alcohol. Visitors can grab a bite to eat from one of the local food trucks usually on site.

Girdwood Brewing Company is wheelchair accessible.

LOCATION: 2700 Alyeska Hwy, Girdwood, AK 99587

Seven Glaciers Restaurant

Of all the restaurants in Girdwood, nothing beats Seven Glaciers. Take the aerial tram 2,300 feet up to Seven Glaciers Restaurant, a AAA Four Diamond restaurant with stunning views of the Alyeska Hotel and the seven surrounding glaciers, Crow Glacier, Raven Glacier, Eagle Glacier, Clear Glacier, Goat Glacier, Milk Glacier, and Alyeska Glacier. The tram is wheelchair accessible.

Dinner is a 3-4 course prix fix chef’s tasting menu featuring Alaska contemporary cuisine. The focus is on local seafood, wild game, and seasonally foraged produce. Seven Glaciers was named one of the 100 best wine restaurants in the US by Wine Enthusiast in 2019.

LOCATION: 1000 Arlberg Ave, Girdwood, AK 99587

Take A Day Trip to See the Glaciers

If you visit during the warmer months, make sure you take a glacier cruise.

Visitors can take the Glacier Discovery train to nearby Whittier and catch a glacier cruise. Adventure into Prince William Sound as you tour the world’s densest concentration of tidewater glaciers and watch as they dramatically calve into the Pacific. This is also a great opportunity to view wildlife like otters, bald eagles, mountain goats, and Dall’s porpoises.

With Phillips Glacier Cruises you can see College Fjord, Blackstone Bay, Chugach National Forest, and 26 glaciers on a 5 1/2-hour cruise.

All vessels have an ADA-accessible restroom. The 26 Glacier Cruise utilizes high-speed catamarans that provide excellent stability and can more easily accommodate most guests who require a wheelchair during the cruise. It is best to contact them in advance of your cruise should you have any questions.

If you require the use of a motorized wheelchair, contact Phillips Glacier Cruises at 907-276-8023 to discuss available options.

LOCATION: 100 W Camp Rd Whittier, AK 99693

Portage Valley

Portage valley is home to a number of hanging glaciers. Start at the Begich Boggs Visitor Center to learn about the area from their interactive exhibits. Guests can then opt to take a one-hour trip to Portage Lake to see Portage Glacier up close.

Nearby Byron Glacier is visible from the valley via a short hike on Byron Glacier Trail.

Begich Boggs Visitor Center is wheelchair accessible.

LOCATION: Portage Lake Loop, Girdwood, AK 99587

Hiking

There are several great trails in the Girdwood area that are wheelchair accessible and/or rated easy or moderate enough for those with mobility issues.

Winner Creek Trail - A 4.9-mile out-and-back trail rated easy. The trail has an 866-foot elevation gain. It takes approximately 2 hours and 18 minutes to complete. Winner Creek Trail takes you from Alyeska hotel along Winner Creek to the Glacier Creek crossing. The first portion of the trail is wheelchair accessible.

Girdwood Park Loop - This is an easy, flat, .2-mile loop around Girdwood Park that’s perfect for getting a little exercise and enjoying nature. The trail is along the roadway and wheelchair accessible. Because it’s alongside the road it is recommended hikers wear bright clothing and/or flags on their mobility equipment.

North Face Trail - This is considered a moderate trail. The trail runs through Chugach State Park. Because it’s on State Park land it requires a parking pass. The trail is a 4.2-mile out-and-back trail that’s very popular with bird watchers. It has an elevation gain of 1,998 feet. The best time to visit is June through August. Visitors also have the option of taking the tram up and hiking down. It is NOT suitable for wheelchairs.

Crow Pass Trail - This is another moderately rated trail. The trail is a 6.2-mile out-and-back hike with a 1,958-foot elevation gain that takes an average of 4 hours to complete. The best time to hike this trail is June through October. The views are spectacular, but it can be windy at times and the trail is NOT wheelchair accessible.

For more trails check out my favorite hiking site, All Trails.

Snowmobile Tours

One of the best things to do in Alyeska, Alaska, a snowmobile tour is a perfect thing to add to your Alaska winter itinerary. Available from Alyeska Resort, snowmobile tours take guests on a trip through the Chugach Mountains darting through the snow-covered fields and paths.

I’ve never attempted to ski as my body cannot tolerate falling down without dislocating something, so taking a snowmobile ride through the mountains was the perfect winter activity.

Alyeska resort offers 3 different snowmobile tours of varying lengths, from 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours. No experience necessary.

The Festivals

Girdwood Forest Fair is a family event dedicated to Alaskan artists, exotic foods, and entertainers from across Alaska. It’s one of the best free things to do in Girdwood. The event is run solely by volunteers and supported by patrons. The rules are: no dogs, no politics, and no religious orders. While I disagree with the whole “no dogs” thing, I can totally get down with the rest of it.

The fair usually takes place in July. For exact dates, and other fantastic festivals and events, check the Girdwood activities calendar.

Visit Nearby Seward, Alaska

Seward is a port city set on an inlet in the Kenai Peninsula. It’s a 3-hour drive from Girdwood but offers plenty of beautiful scenery and things to do. It’s easy to travel from Anchorage to Seward.

Things to do in Seward:

Kenai Fjords National Park - This is another great spot to take a Glacier Cruise. Major Marine Tours offers wheelchair-accessible tours of the Kenai Fjords from Seward.

The Seward Sea Life Center - Get up close and personal with Alaska’s sea life. The Sea Life Center is part aquarium and part wildlife rehabilitation center. Guests can see harbor seals, Steller sea lions, puffins, giant octopuses, and much more. The Seward Sea Life Center is wheelchair accessible.

See the Murals - Seward has been dubbed the mural capital of Alaska, and you know I love a good mural. Visitors can follow this walking tour of some of the amazing murals painted by Alaskan artists.

KMTA National Heritage Area Guide

The Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area is a great place to learn about the rugged frontier of Alaska and its incredible history.

The Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area (KMTA NHA) includes a landscape of mountains, rivers, lakes, glaciers, and fjords. The area includes the communities of Girdwood, Moose Pass, and Portage.

Drive through the Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the longest combined rail and highway tunnel in North America, visit the haunted Estes Brothers Grocery, see the historic Iditarod Trail Monument, and more.

Alaska.org has a great guide to all of the KMTA National Heritage Area attractions. A lot of the attractions can be viewed from the car on a drive through the area. I highly recommend renting a car for your stay as the drives through this stunning countryside were some of my favorite parts of my trip. This brings me to my next Alaska travel highlight…

Ghost Forest

During the 1964 earthquake, many trees had their roots swamped with ocean salt water and were killed. You can see their remains as you approach Girdwood along the Seward Highway. Portage was destroyed when much of the ground along Turnagain Arm sank an incredible 5 to 9 feet!

LOCATION: The Ghost Forest lies along the Seward Highway at Mile 79, on your left heading south from Anchorage to Seward.

Skiing

If you travel to Alaska in winter, Challenge Alaska offers adaptive ski and snowboard lessons for those with mobility impairments. Located at the Alyeska Resort, Challenge Alaska also promises to never turn away a student for an inability to pay. Scholarships are available to help make skiing truly accessible to all.

Per their website, all lessons include:

“All equipment needed for stand-up or sit skiers, or snowboarders, including any specially adapted equipment.

A pre-lesson assessment of individual needs, and equipment fitting
One all-mountain, all-day lift ticket
A private lesson on the slopes, with individual instruction from teachers trained by Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) in the most current adaptive techniques: one or two instructors per participant
Use of Chalet during the lesson”

Lessons are offered in both half-day and full-day and need to be scheduled in advance. Please call (907)783-2925 or email ski@challengealaska.org to schedule lessons.

LOCATION: 1000 Arlberg Ave, Girdwood, AK 99587

Northern Lights Viewing

In winter Alaska comes alive with the green hues of the northern lights. But before you book those winter vacations hoping to see the northern lights, check the aurora forecast website. The aurora borealis can sometimes be seen as far south as Anchorage and Girdwood, but you’ll have a better view if you head north to Fairbanks.

I tried my luck chasing down the northern lights in Girdwood, but sadly the sky ended up being far too overcast during my one-week stay. I guess this is a sign I should try my luck again with a trip to Iceland. Any excuse to travel…

What Not to Do In Girdwood, Alaska

You may see other blogs and websites recommending dog sledding as a fun Alaskan activity. I’m here to beg you not to engage in this activity. I’m a huge dog lover and don’t believe dogs should be forced to pull humans in a sled for our enjoyment. I know many will hold differing opinions. But the life of a sled dog is not easy and they’re sometimes kept in downright abusive environments. I’m not saying this is the case here in Girdwood, but after seeing several former sleddogs elsewhere in the world, my heart just breaks for them. It’s best to skip the dog race and Iditarod trail sled. Be kind to our furry friends and check out other things to do in Girdwood, AK.

Travel Alaska

I hope you’ve enjoyed these trip ideas. As you can see there are a ton of things to do in Girdwood, Alaska, and the surrounding areas. If you have any questions or have something to add to this list, please leave it in the comments below.

Happy travels!

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