Mountains around Wasilla

Wasilla is a city in Alaska. It is most famous as the home town of Alaska Governor and 2008 Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, who served as mayor of the city for six years. Wasilla is the last city of significant size on the Parks Highway northward; therefore, it is a frequent stopping point if traveling by car to Denali National Park, Fairbanks or other points north.

Get in

By plane

• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC ^IATA) is about an hour away from Wasilla, in Anchorage. It has flights to and from the continental United States, Canada, various airports in Alaska, and seasonally to Frankfurt.

By car

Route 3, the Parks Highway, passes through the heart of the city and ends at the Glenn Highway east of it. You can take the Parks Highway north to Fairbanks, or the Glenn south to Anchorage or east to Canada.

• From Seattle, it's a 43 hour drive.
• From San Francisco, it's a 56 hour drive.
• From Anchorage, it's an hour drive.

Get around

Wasilla is connected to Anchorage by Valley Mover service, and the rest of the valley by Mat Su Transit. In general, you need a car.

See

Popular sightseeing trips include the Knik Glacier, Matanuska Glacier, Pioneer Peak.

Do

In the summer there is mountain hiking in Hatcher Pass, at The Butte, Lazy Mountain, Crevasse Moraine and Matanuska Glacier. There are quite a few convenient whitewater streams in the area. For the canoeist there's the Wasilla Lakes canoe trail, Nancy Lakes canoe trail and Meadow Creek.

In the winter there's Nordic skiing in Hatcher Pass, Moose Meadows and at Government Peak. Outdoor ice skating is available on an astonishing variety of lakes rivers and marshes. Wasilla and palmer are to iceskating what Yosemite is to rock climbing.

• Colony House Museum, 316 E Elmwood Ave, Palmer 99645, ☏ +1 907 745-1935. 

• Dorothy Page Museum, 323 N. Main St, ☏ +1 907 373-9071, fax: +1 907 373-9072. Tu-Fr 9AM-5PM. Cultural and historical heritage of Wasilla, Knik and Willow Creek. $3. 

• Knik Museum and Mushers' Hall of Fame, Mile 13.9 Knik-Goose Bay Rd (south of Wasilla), ☏ +1 907 376-7755. June-Aug 1-6PM Th-Sa, 1-5PM Sun. Historical museum in ghost town, picnic area. $5/pers. 

• Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry, 3800 W Museum Dr, ☏ +1 907 376-1211. 

Buy

Wasilla has several branches of chain stores for buying food, clothes and outdoor supplies, dominated by a huge Fred Meyer superstore. If you are going north and forgot to bring something important with you or buy it in Anchorage, you should be able to find it in Wasilla.

• 1 Fred Meyer, 1501 E Parks Hwy., ☏ +1 907 352-5000. 

Eat

Wasilla contains a collection of standard fast-food and quick-casual eating options.

• Evangelo's Restaurant, 2530 E Parks Hwy., ☏ +1 907 376-1212. Italian. 

• Windbreak Café (The Trout House), 2201 E. Parks Highway, ☏ +1 907 376-4484. 6AM-11PM M-Sa, 7AM-11PM Sun. Diner-style food, local fishing furnishings. Trout's Place hotel and bar/lounge. 

• 1 Donut King, 490 Main St, ☏ +1 907 376-8300. Gyros, doughnuts and coffee. Wi-fi. 

• 2 Mekong Thai Restaurant, 473 W Parks Hwy, ☏ +1 907 373-7690. Authentic Thai food. 

• Hula Hands, 244 South Sylvan Rd, ☏ +1 907 373-4852. A small Hawaiian-style chain based in Anchorage. 

Drink

Bars

• 1 The Grape Tap, 322 N Boundary St, ☏ +1 907 376-8466. Tu-Th 5-9PM, Fr-Sa 5-10PM. Tapas restaurant and wine cellar with local, domestic and import beers in 1930's era pioneer home in downtown old Wasilla. 

Coffee

Wasilla has a profusion of espresso stands that serve food as well.

• 2 Mocha Moose Coffee Company and Roastery, 340 North Lucille St, ☏ +1 907 357-2326. Open all night.. 

Sleep

Hotels and motels

• Grand View Inn and Suites, 2900 E Parks Hwy, ☏ +1 907 357-7666. 

• Lake Lucille Inn (Best Western), 1300 Lake Lucille Dr, ☏ +1 907 373-1776. 

• Alaska's Select Inn Motel, 3451 E Palmdale Dr, ☏ +1 907 357-4768. 

Bed and breakfast

• Lake Lucille Bed and Breakfast, 235 W Lake View Ave, ☏ +1 907 357-0352. 

• 1 Snowed Inn B&B, 495 So Begich Dr, ☏ +1 907 376-4495, toll-free: +1-866-799-5169. Two large suites with private balconies 

Cabins and campgrounds

• Alaska Creekside Cabins, 3200 N Dolly Varden Dr, ☏ +1 907 746-7632. 

Go next

From Wasilla, it is about a 2 hour drive to Denali state park, or a 4 hour drive to Denali National Park. Fairbanks is about 7 hours.