Picture yourself smiling in front of a massive blue glacier, miles from the road system in Alaska's backcountry. It's just a train ride away, aboard the Alaska Railroad's Glacier Discovery Train with passenger service to Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop.
Heading south from Anchorage every summer day through early September, the Glacier Discovery Train takes passengers to destinations like Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, Spencer Glacier and Grandview. At the stops along the way, passengers can customize their rail trip with add-on adventures like day cruising, wildlife viewing and rafting or kayaking.
While on the ride, the Glacier Discovery Train offers Adventure Class service that features large picture windows to take in views of the Turnagain Arm and Chugach National Forest. After stopping in Girdwood and Portage, the train stops in the small coastal town of Whittier, the gateway to Prince William Sound. To get here, passengers travel through the longest rail and highway tunnel in North America, and upon arrival, many enjoy hopping off the train and onto a glacier cruise for the afternoon and taking the train back to Anchorage in the evening.
If you wish to continue on the train, arrival at Spencer Glacier is part of what makes this train ride so unique as the only way to access this backcountry and remote glacier is by rail. The dramatic wall of blue ice that is Spencer Glacier never fails to impress; guided adventures like kayaking and rafting across the iceberg-studded glacial lake are easy to add-on to a rail trip.
Excursions with raft guides Chugach Adventures are available for the summer 2020 season at Spencer Glacier, and the river float is among the most popular. A guide hosts the journey and weaves each group around icebergs through Spencer Lake and down Placer River for a seven-mile trip. This excursion shows off views that cannot be seen anywhere else and takes rafters close enough to touch Spencer Glacier's infamous blue ice.
Back on the train, those who wish to stay on for the entire journey enjoy the most scenic part of the Glacier Discovery's route: views of Bartlett Glacier, Trail Glacier and the winding mountain tunnels above a steep river canyon. After the turnaround point at Grandview, the Glacier Discovery Train makes its way back to Anchorage, rounding out an ideal day trip for families, couples or solo travelers.
The Alaska Railroad has taken extra steps to ensure passenger safety this summer season. Find more information and resources and learn more about the routes and adding on excursions to a railroad trip at www.alaskarailroad.com.
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