The Last Frontier: A Guide to Alaska with Kids

There are two major things to keep in mind when planning your Alaska itinerary with children: Number one: Outside of Anchorage, everything is going to be a DRIVE. It’s important to think about just how much time in a car your kids can handle, as well as scheduling bathroom and food breaks. Google Maps is your friend! (Keep in mind, too, that summer is road construction season). Number two: Alaska is an extremely adventurous destination. There are age requirements for almost everything, whether it be 5+, or even 16–18+. Always check with the activity company before booking to make sure everyone can participate (or ask your travel advisor).

Disclaimer: We traveled in May and August. Many of these activities are unavailable or done differently during the colder six months of the year.

Musk Ox Farm: Located in Palmer, this cute little farm is home to numerous musk oxen, all with fun names! Tours are readily available, and the guides are knowledgeable. Very kid-friendly, and there’s a nice gift shop.

Reindeer Farm: Also located in Palmer, this could easily be a kid’s highlight of the trip. Again, tours are readily available and the staff is amazing.

Hatcher Pass: This is a short scenic drive from Palmer. This is what remains of an old mine, including a few of the surrounding buildings. There’s a fair amount of reading if you’re interested in the history, but plenty of space for kiddos to run around and use their voices.

Alaska State Fair: Held annually in August in Palmer, this state fair was actually more enjoyable than my hometown’s, which says a lot because it’s a big deal! Parking was very well-organized and plentiful. There were all sorts of vendors and the best Alaskan food all in one place. We didn’t bring a stroller on our trip, so I was really excited that there was a stroller/wagon rental at the entrance of the fair. I also appreciated that tickets weren’t required for adults who rode rides with their children due to height requirements. There’s so much more I could include here, but all this information is put together well on their website!

Glacier Cruise: There are quite a few glacier cruise options in Alaska, but we chose the 26 Glacier Cruise in Prince William Sound, departing from Whittier. I liked that there were assigned tables, so we could unpack all our things and come and go as we pleased. The commentary was great, and the salmon chowder that was served was incredible. Even though the tour was six hours, my daughter never got bored, and the baby slept for most of it. This was a great way to see Alaska and its glaciers that are only getting smaller every year! Another fun side tidbit was the drive through “the tunnel” into Whittier—where the road is actually train tracks! We also did the Major Marine cruise out of Seward. While also enjoyable, I thought the 26 Glacier Cruise was more impressive, and had a no-motion-sickness guarantee (we were all feeling a certain way on the Major Marine cruise).

Dog-sledding: Like the glacier cruise, there are a lot of dog-sledding experiences in Alaska. We chose this one because they were willing to let our newborn participate, and it was operated by the most recent Iditarod winner (2023)! The scenic ride up the hill was beautiful, and it was so much fun seeing the dog team in their element and doing what they love. It was fun to listen to Ryan Redingtion speak about his racing experience, and we got to hold puppies! This was a great family experience.

Denali National Park: First of all, this is an over-four-hour drive from Palmer. That said, the park itself is “driving.” You can only take a private vehicle to mile 14; beyond that, you must be on a tour bus. You can get on and off some of these buses, but they do require car seats, and the car seat must go with you if you get off. Given all the car seat logistics and the lengths of these tours (all day basically), we opted not to do the bus. We drove to mile 14 twice and saw lots during this stretch! We look forward to trying the tour bus route when the kids are older.

Wildlife Conservation Center: This is a great place to see all the Alaskan wildlife that you don’t end up seeing in the wild. You can drive through or park and walk the grounds. It’s a fantastic place to visit for all ages!

Kincaid Park: Located in Anchorage, it is not uncommon to see bears and moose here! While there are miles and miles of trails, they were all family-friendly and a great alternative to the hikes found out of town (where the mosquitoes were abundant, to say the least).

Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours: This was one of our top favorite activities, and although the price seems a little steep, it really was worth it. We did the full-day ATV ride out to Knik Glacier. All ages are allowed, as long as they fit in a five-point harness forward-facing car seat, which is provided! These people have thought of everything—truly, all you need to bring is some warm under layers and a camera. They provide helmets, goggles, gators, waterproof jackets and pants, and boots. It’s all in like-new condition as well. It was so nice not having to worry about bringing all of that—or cleaning it up later! A campfire lunch was served at the glacier, and it was delicious. Drinks and snacks were also provided. The trails to get there were challenging enough to not be boring, but nothing that would make you uncomfortable. Overall, it was an awesome and unique experience!

Eagle River Nature Center: This is a privately maintained wildlife preserve. There are acres of trails with ample wildlife-viewing opportunities. This is the only place where we saw a brown bear in the wild!

If you are a sea-foodie like myself, Alaska will not disappoint! But all food in this remote state will come at a price. We weren’t disappointed with any of our meals.

Palmer Alehouse (Palmer): Yummy food with a lot to choose from, so everyone can find something they like. My daughter particularly liked the mac and cheese.

Bearpaw River Brewing Company (Wasilla): Great pizza can be found here! They also have nice outdoor seating that’s very open for the littles to be their rowdy selves.

Big Dipper Homemade Ice Cream (Palmer): Some of the best ice cream I’ve had—and delicious cones! My favorite flavor was made with Alaska’s trademark fireweed flower; I went back a few times for it.

Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse (downtown Anchorage): This is an excellent pick for seafood. I had the crabby patty, and it was amazing! The chowder fries were also a huge hit.

Moose’s Tooth Pub and Pizzeria (Anchorage): This is considered a tourist trap by some, but we enjoyed it nonetheless! Pizza is always a safe choice here.

49th State Brewing (Healy): I honestly wish we could have eaten here multiple times. The menu was huge, and it was all sooooo good. Outside the brewery is a replica of the bus from Into the Wild. If you haven’t heard of this, definitely read about it before visiting!

Denali Brewpub (Talkeetna): Talkeetna is a small tourist town on the way to Denali National Park. There are lots of restaurants to choose from here, but this one stood out to us because of the outdoor seating with patio heaters! (Can you tell I’m a big fan of outdoor seating with kids?) The fish and chips were delicious!

Spinach Bread Food Truck (Talkeetna): This one is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a food truck, and the main dish is spinach bread. But it is soooooo good and definitely worth the stop.