Bear Creek, AK Road Trips

Founded in 1903 as the ocean terminus of what is now the Alaska Railroad, Seward prides itself, not only on its natural beauty, but as Alaska's only deep-water, ice-free port with rail, highway and air transportation to Alaska's interior and major urban population centers.

1 The Sealife Center, 301 Railway Ave, ☏ +1 907 224-6300, toll-free: +1-800 224-2525. Aquarium and research facility featuring marine life of the Gulf of Alaska. The Sealife Center is Alaska’s only public aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center. Exhibits feature puffins, octopus, sea lions and other sealife. $20 adult, $15 student (12-17), $10 child (4-11), age 3 and under free. (updated Sep 2015) 2 Exit Glacier. Exit Glacier is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park accessible by road. Here you can stroll the trails, walk very close to an active glacier or take a ranger-led walk. It is a place where you can witness up close how glaciers re-shape a landscape and learn how plant life reclaims the barren rocky land exposed by a glacier's retreat.

Seward's highlights are the neighboring Kenai Fjords National Park, sport fishing (for salmon, halibut, ling cod and salmon shark), glacier and wildlife day cruises, kayaking, sailing, hiking and mountain biking, quaint and quirky townsfolk, 4th of July celebrations and the Silver Salmon Derby. 1 Stoney Creek Canopy Adventures. - located in Seward 4th of July Mount Marathon Race. Three miles up and down, complete with cliffs, waterfalls, and loose sharp rocks, a great Alaskan event Seavey's Ididaride, Exit Glacier Rd. Here you can see one of the family's 3 dog yards. Go for a ride on a buggy with a team of dogs, play with puppies, and get up close and personal with Mitch's gear and sled. You get a tour guide through the property and learn about the grueling ididarod race. 2 Adventure Sixty North (A60N), 31872 Herman Leirer Rd, ☏ +1 907-224-2600, [email protected]. 7 am to 6 pm. Year-round outfitter providing guided sea kayaking trips. Offers sea kayak rental and gear rentals. Explore glacier regions, heli kayak tours, heli kayak dog mushing tours, heli hike on Bear, Aialik & Holgate Glaciers, view sea life and wildlife. Ice/glacier hiking on Exit Glacier. 4hr trips, full day excursions, overnight sea kayaking adventures, call for water taxi information and local shuttle service. (updated Jun 2016) Exit Glacier Guides, ☏ +1 907-224-5569. Daily ice hiking tours on Exit Glacier, crampons and equipment provided.. Also offers a shuttle out to the glacier/Harding Icefield Trail for $20 round-trip.

There are a ton of great places to eat in this little town; from hearty breakfast joints to fine dinner dining. Exit Glacier Salmon Bake, Mile 1/4 Exit Glacier Rd, ☏ +1 907-224-2204. Great low key place with good food and pitchers of beer. The Railway Cantina, 1401 4th Ave, ☏ +1 907-224-8226. Excellent tacos and burritos. Apollo Restaurant, 229 4th Ave, ☏ +1 907-224-3092. Great food and Delivery Pizza. Chinooks Waterfront Restaurant, 1404 4th Ave, ☏ +1 907-224-2207. Great place for lunch, dinner or drinks. Beer, wine and full bar. Ray's Waterfront, 1316 4th Ave, ☏ +1 907-224-5606. Very Good food, especially the seafood. Good view. Most entrees are $20 - $30 Resurrection Roadhouse, ☏ +1 907-224-7116. After a day of exploring, unwind at the Resurrection Roadhouse which features great dining and Seward's largest selection of brews on tap.

Sea Bean Cafe, 225 4th Ave, ☏ +1 907-224-6623. Cozy little cafe with new Macs and free Wi-Fi. Locally owned and oporated. You can get a great cup of coffee, or a protein smoothie. Has sweets, sandwiches, soups. Gluten free options. Yukon Bar, ☏ +1 907-224-3063. 4th & Washington Classic place. Look for the dollars pinned to the ceiling by all the other visitors. In the summer catch a show by local hero Hobo Jim. The Pit Bar, Mile 3.5 Seward Hwy, ☏ +1 907-224-3006. A wild place, even for locals, this place is just on the other side of the city limits and stays open until five in the morning. Go after two to see a kind of carnival. The Ale House, 215 4th Ave. A small place that has a great selection of specialty beers on tap and by the bottle.

Waterfront Park, Ballaine Blvd, ☏ +1 907 224-4055. Right on the water, this is your best bet for paid camping spot. Online and phone reservations only. There are multiple 'campgrounds': some are more oriented to RVs (Alice, Marathon, most of Resurrection) while others better accommodate tents (Williams, area south of Jefferson and Ballaine). Tents $20, RVs $40. (updated Sep 2023) Exit Glacier Road. There are many small off shoot roads where one can park a van or camper. Across the Bay. Take Nash road around to the other side of the Fjord. Good camping spots north and south of the ship yard. Miller's Landing, Lowell Point (End of Lowell Point Rd, at beach), ☏ +1 907-224-5739. Tent camping sites, full service RV sites (including beachfront), showers, laundry, general store, free wi-fi. They also run a water taxi, fishing charters, and kayak guiding and rental services. Extremely "rustic" place with very friendly staff, all Seward locals! The Van Gilder Hotel, 08 Adams St, toll-free: +1-800-478-0400. Step into history and experience the only remaining multiple story building to survive the 1964 earthquake in Seward. View of Alice Mountain. Hotel Seward, 221 5th Ave, ☏ +1 907-224-8001. Wonderful boutique hotel in Historic Downtown Seward. One of a kind 'wilderness' lobby and historic photo display. Also features "Gene's Place," Hotel Seward's Victorian inspired lounge with light fare cuisine. Hotel Edgewater, 200 5th Ave, ☏ +1 907-224-2700. Seward Windsong Lodge, Mile 0.5 Exit Glacier Rd, ☏ +1 907-224-7116.

Seward is located 127 road miles south of Anchorage. The Seward Highway is a very scenic 2.5-hour drive from Anchorage to Seward, but can be slow in peak summer. In 2017, the Alaska Department of Transportation announced a Milepost 75-90 Rehabilitation Project to make major safety improvements to a busy crash-prone section of the Seward Highway from Girdwood to beyond the Portage curve toward Turnagain Pass. In July 2015 a tour bus crash at Milepost 79 (Portage Glacier Road and Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center) killed one man and critically injured several others, causing a 10-hour traffic jam. During the summer months, up to 15,000 vehicles use this 15-mile stretch of Seward Highway daily. The Alaska Railroad offers daily rail passage between Anchorage and Seward in the summer, May 13 to Sept 14. The trip between Anchorage and Seward -- the Coastal Classic -- is arguably its most scenic section, and you can take the train one-way. The train parallels the Seward Highway along the Turnagain Arm, but also heads up into the mountains away from the road, pass glaciers and alpine meadows you won't be able to see by car. Adventure Class (with shared access to older vista dome railcar) Round Trip/One Way fare: $178/$105 adults, $89/$53 children (2-11); GoldStar Service (New Dome Railcar) Round Trip/One Way fare: $363/$213 adults, $215/$126 children. Passengers are required by TSA to check-in at the ticket window (an hour before at Anchorage, 30-45 minutes before at Seward) and show a government issued photo ID (for those age 18 and older) to receive boarding passes.

Seward is a great place to walk around. For those needing a ride, here are some options. Summer Shuttle Bus, +1 907-224-4020, is operated daily by the city of Seward during the summer months when the cruise ships are in town. The shuttle runs a loop starting at the cruise ship dock to the Alaska SeaLife Center, and circulates approximately every 15-30 minutes. Free (tips appreciated) Tidewater Taxi +1 907-727-1929. Water taxi servicing Resurrection Bay, Kayakers Cove, Alaska State Park Cabins and elsewhere. Hertz of Seward, 907-224-4378. Rentals for a day or longer with one-way drop off in Anchorage available. Seward Bike Shop, 411 Port Ave., 907-224-2448, sewardbikeshop.com. Rents bikes by the hour or day. There is a bike path along the water from the harbor to the front of town. PJ'S Taxis, 907-224-5555.