Mat-Su Valley Blog

Temperatures are climbing and the snow is melting, but we're still waiting for ice to clear from the lakes and buds to appear on the trees. Summer is so close we can almost taste it. With their eye fixed on the warmer months ahead, Mat-Su Valley residents are hard at work planning activities and...

Outside there are clear signs of warmer days ahead, but there is still plenty of snow and the lakes remain quite frozen. Those with a passion for Alaska's scenic water bodies and peaceful streams can find this time of year just a tad frustrating. The days may be warming up, but the raft is still...

The world's longest snowmobile race officially kicks off next week in Big Lake, as the Iron Dog roars to a start. Pro Class racers hit the trail starting on Saturday, Feb. 17, followed by the Expedition Class. Pro Class racers will line up at the starting chute and depart in 2-minute intervals, with...

If you get a chance to stand on top of the Butte (a fairly easy, short hike just outside of Palmer), try to imagine how different your vantage point would have been way back when it was surrounded by glacier ice. Two main glaciers carved out the Mat-Su Valley long ago. Though they've obviously...

If you have always wanted to experience the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from a musher's perspective, the Iditarider auction is the perfect thing for you, but you better act fast - the bidding ends in two weeks. The auction, sponsored by the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, allows people to bid on the...

Even during the summer, you can still have a dog mushing experience during a visit to the Mat-Su Valley. From visiting with Iditarod champions to petting newborn huskies, Iditarod and dog mushing is a year-round event in Alaska. Dog mushing is Alaska's official state sport, but more than that, it's...

The first two weeks of August brings the peak of the silver salmon season in the Mat-Su Valley, a great time to have some fun on the water and have some fresh salmon fillets for the grill. Silvers - also known as coho salmon - are popular because they provide a lot of action on the river, and they...

Want to take a scenic flight around Denali with Talkeetna Air Taxi, enjoy the thrills of ziplining with Denali Zipline Tours and cap off your Talkeetna weekend with a stay at Talkeetna Cabins? It's as easy as participating in Alaska's largest online scavenger hunt March 22-28. The Quest for the...

You’ll never again forget the details from your favorite Southcentral Alaska hikes, thanks to a new log book published recently by Anchorage’s Andrea Leydon. Leydon just released “Southcentral Alaska 100 Hikes Challenge Logbook” which includes popular trails around Southcentral, including the Mat-Su...

This is the summer to invite your friends and relatives to visit Alaska, and Alaska Airlines is making it cheaper than ever before. Through a new partnership between Alaska Airlines and the Alaska Travel Industry Association and its community partners, Alaska Airlines is offering up to 21 percent...