4 Hot Spots Around Palmer, Alaska

Filed in Travel — February 1, 2017

Heading to Palmer, Alaska? Yea!! It’s so much more than I ever expected and we only skimmed the surface. Palmer is located northeast of Anchorage in the Matanuska Valley. The city’s unique history and heritage are unparalleled in the state. Framed in breathtaking beauty, Palmer offers a lot of gorgeous places to visit! If you’re wondering where to stay/go in Palmer start with these 4 favorites:

1. RELAX & DINE : KNIK RIVER LODGE

If you’re looking to stay in lodges, one of our favorite places to stay was the Knik River Lodge. It’s literally located at the end of the main road on a gorgeous property surrounded by beautiful snowy mountain peeks. The cabins offer warmth and relaxation. They’re amazingly tucked away from the ‘hustle and bustle’ of Palmer. 🙂 There’s also a very good chance you’ll see a variety of wildlife, including moose!

Located in the main lodge of the Knik River Lodge you’ll find some of the most delicious fine dinning at the Raven’s Perch Restaurant. The food was absolutely amazing and the view breathtaking! You can never go wrong with fresh Alaskan King Crab!!!

2. COZY & COMFY CABIN LIFE : MOOSE HAVEN CABIN

Our second favorite place to stay was at The Moose Haven Cabin. We found this adorable, cozy cabin on Airbnb. I could have stayed there our whole vacation and I hope to stay there again soon! Nestled in the forests of Palmer, this little cabin featured everything you’d need including heated tile floors in the bathroom! If you desired to go for a hike, there are also a number of trails right from the cabin so you can head off and explore for the day.

3. SCIENIC DRIVE : Matanuska Glacier

Mantanuska Glacier is by far one of the largest and most spectacular sights outside of Palmer. And the drive there is one of the most beautiful drives in the world! It’s makes for a great day trip with multiple pull offs to stop for photos along the way. However, there is only one way down to the glacier to see it up close and personal. Unfortunately for us the water level had risen flooding the main road so we weren’t able to make it down. But seeing it from above was just as amazing and still worth the drive.

4. Day Hiking : Byron Glacier

Like everywhere you turn around Palmer, the drive to Bryon Glacier is surrounded by unending beauty. And the hike to the Byron Glacier cave’s was awe inspiring. It was my favorite adventure of the trip. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart as this approximately 6 mile hike covers some rocking terrane and can pose some serious danger is one is not careful and experienced.