Starting at the shore of Turnagain Arm in Anchorage affords travelers the opportunity to see spectacular ocean wildlife, as it is a stretch of water rich in salmon, the favorite food of Beluga whales. The track winds through the enormous Chugach National Forest before joining the mainline at Placer Valley which is populated with everything from bears and coyotes to migrating swans and terns. Once the train reaches Spencer Glacier, passengers have option of disembarking for a narrated hike up to Spencer Lake or to continue on the train up to Grandview for a breathtaking vista of mountains, waterfalls and meadowland. The train then returns to Anchorage but the quickest route is to disembark at Portage and then take a bus the rest of the way. Adult tickets are priced around $100 round-trip, while children travel half-price, as of December, 2010.
For around $50, half-price for kids, travelers can take Alaska's flagship railway from Anchorage to Fairbanks. The route passes through Talkeetna, home to America's highest mountain, Mount McKinley, as well as countryside teeming with wildlife. As the train continues on towards Denali, it passes sandbanks frequented by both brown and black bears and straight across land that forms part of the caribou migration route. At Denali, travelers may choose to alight and visit Denali National Park. The journey ends in the city of Fairbanks, where the Tanana and Chena rivers meet to carve out the Tanana Valley.
The Coastal Classic Train begins in the Chugach National Forest. Here, it is not uncommon to see Dall sheep grazing near the train tracks or bald eagles gliding on the thermals overhead. The route continues through the Placer River Valley, forested by polar and willow trees, and up through Moose Pass. This stretch of line, cut high into the Kenai Mountains, affords views on both Trail Glacier and Bartlett Glacier. The track then descends to Kenai Lake, over Snowy River and down through the forestland of sitka spruce where it terminates in the city of Seward. At only $75 for a single ticket, and $38 for children this tour is absolutely essential for anyone planning to explore the majesty of the Alaskan landscape.
