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Alaska’s Seward Highway All-American Road
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This 127mile road, linking Anchorage with Seward, passes through some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. The landscape varies from glacial silt-filled waters of Turnagain Arm to icy blue glaciers hanging almost to the sea. Wild flowers and waterfalls brighten every corner of the road as it glides below rough mountains that pierce thick, heavy clouds.
The Seward Highway has evolved into a modern transportation system following the same early routes used by native Alaskans, sled dogs, miners, and trains. Russian explorers searched the area for gold and fur in the 1700s. In 1778, Captain James Cook of England came into Turnagain Arm seeking the elusive Northwest Passage. Disappointed, he "turned again," hence the name "Turnagain Arm."
More than a century later, gold was discovered in Turnagain Arm. By the late 1890s, miners established a winter overland route from ice-free Resurrection Bay to the gold fields. Sled dog teams and packhorses hauled supplies to the booming gold mining communities of Hope and Sunrise. These early trails became part of the Iditarod Trail, the main corridor of Alaska's commerce between Seward and Nome. The discovery of gold near Fairbanks prompted construction of a new railroad line to Interior Alaska, completed in 1923.
As the population on the Kenai Peninsula increased, interest in big game hunting and fishing grew. Faster transportation routes were in demand. Sled dog routes were improved and linked together. By 1951, the final link of the Kenai Peninsula road system (Portage to Anchorage) was completed. In 1954, the highway was paved. In 1990, the Seward Highway's unique beauty was recognized as a National Scenic Byway. In June, 2000, the Seward Highway was recognized as one of only 15 "best of the best" scenic byways in the United States when it was designated an All-American Road.
As you journey along the Seward Highway All-American Road, remember the early travelers who came before you. Explore some of the many trails in the area. Watch the bore tide, a phenomenon in which incoming and outgoing tides collide to form a single, large wave that fills Turnagain Arm. Ride the bike patch between Indian and Girdwood. Look for sunken mudlfats scattered with spruce tree skeletons, remnants of the 1964 earthquake that settled the grassy flats and filled Turnagain Arm with mud. Enjoy a variety of delicious wild berries and colorful flowers. Watch for wildlife -- dall sheep on the cliffs, eagles on the mudflats or moose splashing through a wetland. We are sure you will agree it is one of our Nation's most scenic drives! Enjoy your travels and have a safe visit.
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