There is no shortage of scenic drives in the Mat-Su Valley. Hatcher Pass promises rushing water and rich history. The highway north to Denali State Park has some of the best views of North America's tallest peak. The Glenn Highway, with epic glacier views, is even a national scenic byway! There's a less frequented route, though, that definitely deserves some recognition.

The vast wilderness and hills surrounding Petersville Road are famous among locals as an excellent snowmobiling playground in winter. In the summer, however, it's endless tracts of flooded meadows, stands of spruce, lily pad ponds, even cascading waterfalls. If you like the mountain scenery of Hatcher Pass, there's even some of that as well. Despite some rainy weather we've been having, I took the drive recently to look for birds along the way. Even in the drizzle there were birds aplenty, but most of the photos I shot that day were of the scenery!

 
_{Recent rains enhanced the water features along this drive through endless pond chains and dancing creeks.}

  
_{From quaint homesteads to active mine claims, Petersville Road touts that unique Alaska lifestyle we all love.}

_{Gate Creek Cabins on Gate Lake is one of several great lodging accommodations along the way. Deeper into this breathtaking region, Shulin Lake Resort is a wonderful fly-in lodging option.}
 

If you're looking for a new scenic drive you can do in a day, Petersville Road is only a couple hours north of Anchorage. The dirt road after the pavement ends is occasionally bumpy, but for the most part quite doable even for my little sedan. As a sightseer, I found that a 20-30 mph pace is also perfect for the road conditions. So, as lifelong Alaska resident who technically didn't need to spend his weekend out in the rain, was this trip worthwhile for me personally? I'll let this next photo answer that question for me.

_{The Northern Wheatear, a bird that
spends its winters in Africa, is an Alaska
species I'm rather fond of. I got to share
a moment with this youngster at
the Peters Creek bridge.}