Talkeetna

Talkeetna

For many visitors, the tiny hamlet of Talkeetna conjures up images of small-town life. It is located 115 miles north of Anchorage in the Mat-Su Valley. The hamlet is said to be the inspiration for the fictional community of Cicely in the TV series "Northern Exposure", so it's no surprise that Talkeetna is so attractive to visitors. Its residents, artistic, outdoorsy and creative, are proud of the spirit of their community and its mountaineering past, which is the starting point for climbers hoping to conquer Denali, the highest peak in North America. Talkeetna was a gold mining center at the turn of the 20th century and retains much of the atmosphere of early Alaska, with streets lined with log cabins, a roadside house and clapboard storefronts. In 1896, gold brought miners to the Susitna River, and by 1910 Talkeetna was a riverboat station that supplied miners and trappers in nearby mining districts. During World War I, the town's population peaked at more than 1,000, but declined after the completion of the Alaska Railroad. Then the town boomed as a base for climbing Denali, Mount Foraker, Moose's Tooth and many other high peaks. Although Talkeetna is small, it offers a wide range of tours, such as plane tours, boat trips and dog sled tours. The local service providers offer guided ATV tours, ziplining, gold panning, guided hiking and heli-mountain bike tours.