Mat-Su Valley Blog

Reserving a public-use cabin in the Mat-Su Valley just got easier and more convenient. The Alaska State Parks are now offering online reservations for all Mat-Su area public-use cabins, as well as spots at two popular campgrounds. The new system was put in place a few weeks ago. The public-use...

Getting there is half the fun when it comes to any destination along the Glenn Highway, which leads north out of Palmer. The Glenn Highway has been designated a National Scenic Byway for good reason - the views along the way are absolutely breathtaking, including mountains, glaciers and rivers. It's...

Don't just dream about standing on Denali - you can make it happen with a memorable flightseeing trip from Talkeetna. Talkeetna is home to several aviation companies that offer different tours, all of which take you into the Alaska Range, with its many peaks and glaciers in full view. Just 50 air...

The Mat-Su Valley is a recreational boater's paradise, with opportunities to paddle a kayak or canoe around almost every bend in the road. A fast-growing national trend, stand-up paddleboarding, is also a great way to enjoy the lakes of the Mat-Su Valley. There are several state recreational areas...

Palmer is the place to be this weekend as the popular Midsummer Garden and Art Faire takes over the downtown area on Saturday. Hosted by the Palmer Museum of History and Art, the one-day event gets more and more popular every summer. It's a chance to take in a gardening workshop, shop from local...

The Nancy Lakes State Recreation Area is one of the crown jewels of the Alaska State Parks system and offers visitors a multitude of outdoor recreation opportunities, from canoeing and kayaking to fishing, birding, wildlife viewing and hiking. The area is located off the Parks Highway (Hwy. 3) near...

Summer is officially here, and everyone is looking to get out and enjoy the sun. The Mat-Su Valley has countless ways to enjoy the great outdoors, but here are seven of our all-time favorites. 1. Head to Hatcher Pass . There may not be a more beautiful - and accessible - spot in Alaska! Whether you...

Ask any Alaskan, and they know June 21 is the summer solstice - with 22 hours of functional daylight in Southcentral Alaska, and total darkness not achieved for days. In Talkeetna, for example, the official sunrise is at 4:05 a.m. and the official sunset is exactly at midnight. During those four...

A new program is making it easy to find restaurants that use Alaska Grown produce, as the Restaurant Recognition Program kicks off statewide this summer. The Alaska Division of Agriculture recently launched an Alaska Grown app (available on iOS and Android) that ties the entire program together....

One of the top community events in all of Alaska kicks off this weekend in Palmer, as Colony Days takes over the downtown area with three days of activities. Colony Days celebrates the Matanuska Colonist project, which relocated more than 200 families to the Palmer area from the Midwest as part of...