Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier & the 2.5-Mile Whittier Tunnel

Just 15 minutes south of Girdwood (Milepost 79 of the Seward Highway, 50 minutes from Downtown Anchorage), the head of Turnagain Arm opens into a glacier-ringed valley packing three of Southcentral Alaska's top experiences within 10 minutes of one another: the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Valley (Portage Glacier & Byron Glacier Walk), and the one-lane mountain tunnel to Whittier on Prince William Sound.

1. Milepost 79: The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC)

To photograph Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears, Black Bears, Moose, Wood Bison, Caribou, Wolves, Lynx and shaggy Muskoxen from 10 metres away, turn into the 200-acre non-profit sanctuary of the AWCC (check the official site for entry rates). You can drive slowly between enclosures or walk the elevated Bear Boardwalk over the brown bear habitats.

2. Portage Glacier Road: Portage Glacier Cruise & Byron Glacier Walk

One mile past the Wildlife Center, turn east onto 5-mile Portage Glacier Road:

• The 1-Hour Portage Glacier Cruise (MV Ptarmigan, May to Sept): because Portage Glacier has receded around a bend, it is hidden from the road car park. Board the heated MV Ptarmigan boat (five departures daily; check fares online) to cruise 60 minutes across iceberg-dotted Portage Lake to within 300 metres of the 30-metre calving blue ice wall of Portage Glacier.
• The Free 30-Minute Walk to Byron Glacier: near the dock, park for free at the Byron Glacier Trailhead and walk a flat 2.2-kilometre (1.4-mile) gravel path along a stream to the snowfields and moraine at the foot of Byron Glacier (stay on the gravel flat and never enter melting ice caves, which can collapse).

3. Drive Through the 2.5-Mile One-Lane Train Tunnel to Whittier (26-Glacier Cruises)

At the end of Portage Glacier Road sits the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (a standard toll applies for cars). Inside this 4-kilometre single-lane bore through granite, eastbound cars, westbound cars and Alaska Railroad trains take turns sharing the same lane: eastbound traffic into Whittier travels on the half-hour, and westbound traffic travels on the hour. On the far side sits Whittier, where most residents live inside 14-storey Begich Towers, beside the harbour for Prince William Sound 26-Glacier & Sea-Otter Cruises.