Page 83 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

ANCHOR A GE  81

Cemetery of the Eklutna Historical Park with its brightly painted “spirit house” graves
resort. Here, the longest Nature Trail follows the north Orthodoxy, as evidenced by
run (2,090 ft/637 m) offers a fork of Campbell Creek, which the onion-domed St. Nicholas
gradient that drops a gentle is home to a summer run of church. The adjacent cemetery
295 ft (90 m). There are king salmon. The trail has over 100 graves covered
numerous other runs of varying offers views of the with colorful “spirit houses,”
difficulty. Access to the ski Chugach Range decorated according
slopes is provided by a rope and reveals the to individual family
tow and a chairlift. In the geological history of traditions. Early
adjacent Hillside Park, Nordic the Anchorage Bowl. 20th-century imple-
skiers will find 22 miles (32 km) In the summer, the area ments used here
of groomed cross-country trails. is ideal for photography and Athabaskan
and bird-watching, Blue poppies, Alaska bead work and
p Chugach State and during the winter, Botanical Garden snow shoes can
the various trails serve
be seen at the
Park as Nordic ski routes. As Heritage House museum.
moose and bears inhabit the A 3-mile (5-km) return walk,
See pp82–3.
area, dogs are not allowed. over the Glenn Highway and
through birch forests, leads
a Alaska Botanical s Turnagain Arm to scenic Thunderbird Falls.
During the winter, this 200-ft-
Garden Tour (60-m-) high cascade becomes
a spectacular icefall.
4601 Campbell Airstrip Rd. Map F2. See pp84–5.
Tel 770-3692. @ 1, 75. Open daylight
hours daily, year-round. & 8 Jun–
Aug: 1pm daily. 7 limited access. = d Eklutna Historical
∑ alaskabg.org
Park
Amid the beautiful birch and Mile 26, Glenn Hwy. Map B2.
spruce forests of Far North Tel 688-6026. @ Anchorage–Mat-Su.
Bicentennial Park nestles Open mid-May–mid-Sep: 10am–5pm
the 110-acre (44-ha) Alaska Mon–Sat. 8 7 5 9–10:30am Sun.
Botanical Garden. Opened = ∑ eklutnahistoricalpark.org
in 1993, the area features a
for mal herb garden, two peren- Forming the centerpiece of
nial gardens, an alpine rock the tiny village of Eklutna, the
garden, and a wildflower path Eklutna Historical Park was
dotted with erratic boulders established to preserve and
left behind by glaciers. Boreal portray the heritage of the
flora is showcased with more Athabaskan people. Founded
than 1,100 perennials and in 1650, it is the oldest contin-
150 native species of hardy ually inhabited village in
flow ering plants, shrubs, and the Anchorage area. With the
other northern vegetation (see coming of Russian missionar ies
p161). The 1-mile (2-km) long in the early 19th century, most of Hiking in the lush landscape below
interpretive Lowenfels Family the locals converted to Russian Thunderbird Falls near Eklutna

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