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Easiest from Cozihaus in Spenard

Girdwood and Alyeska

Girdwood is a mountain resort town along Turnagain Arm that works as an easy half day or fills something much bigger — scenery, an active mountain day, a relaxed resort afternoon, or real hiking, depending on what a guest wants from it. It's also a town with a real past: gold brought the first settlers here in the 1890s, long before anyone skied Mount Alyeska, and the 1964 earthquake forced the entire original townsite to relocate — Girdwood today sits about 2.5 miles up-valley from where it started.

Mount Alyeska and the ski resort above Girdwood

Who this suits

A very wide range of guests. Easy wandering in town, resort relaxation, real hiking on the mountain, or a look at the valley's mining and earthquake history, depending on the day you want.

A plan that works

  1. Treat the drive along Turnagain Arm as part of the outing — it is a genuine part of the appeal.
  2. Keep it loose for a half day: wander the village, stop at pullouts, have a meal.
  3. For more shape, ride the aerial tram for the view, visit the Nordic Spa, walk Winner Creek Trail, or add the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on the way.
  4. For real hiking, Winner Creek Trail is the standard Girdwood walk; Crow Pass is a bigger day for guests who want more.
  5. For the valley's own history, Crow Creek Mine is a real, low-key stop — walk the historic buildings, pan for gold, and see one of the oldest structures in the Anchorage municipality.
  6. In winter, Alyeska is Anchorage's ski resort — ask us for current conditions before planning around it.

Drive and timing, honestly

  • No drive time is stated from either property — none has been measured.
  • An easy half day from Cozihaus in Spenard; a longer day from Cozihaus on Blodgett Lake, since the whole corridor sits on the far side of Anchorage.

What we won’t promise

  • We cannot promise current Alyeska winter/ski operations, hours, or lift access.
  • We cannot promise current tram hours or accessibility.
  • We cannot promise Nordic Spa hours or current operation.
  • We cannot promise weather, wildlife, or which shops and restaurants are open on your dates.

Practical notes

  • The historic Winner Creek hand tram is permanently closed and is not part of a current Girdwood day.
  • The Alyeska Blueberry Festival is a separate, dated summer event — ask us for current dates if that is the draw.
  • Along the Seward Highway near milepost 90, between Anchorage and Girdwood, dead standing spruce mark a real 'ghost forest' — trees killed when the 1964 earthquake dropped the land enough for saltwater to reach a formerly freshwater forest floor at every high tide. It's visible from the road, no stop required.

Hiking

Eat & drink in Girdwood

  • The Bake ShopCozihaus Pick

    Girdwood · Coffee & bakery

    Girdwood's own breakfast institution since 1973 — the town's real go-to for coffee and a fresh-baked start before a hike or a ski day.

    Our take

    Girdwood's own morning institution

    DirectionsWebsite
  • Double Musky Inn

    Girdwood · Eat

    A long-running Cajun/Creole-influenced Alaska seafood destination restaurant — genuinely worth planning an evening around, not just a convenient stop.

    Our take

    A real dinner destination in its own right

    DirectionsWebsiteCall
  • Jack Sprat

    Girdwood · Eat

    Seasonal, locally-minded cooking with a real beer garden — the most distinctive dinner in Girdwood that isn't a resort dining room.

    Our take

    Girdwood's most distinctive dinner outside the resort

    DirectionsWebsiteCall
  • Chair 5 Restaurant & Bar

    Girdwood · Eat

    The come-as-you-are Girdwood hangout — deep-dish pizza, burgers, a pool table — an easy, casual choice after a trail or a ski day.

    Our take

    Easy, casual, good with kids

    DirectionsWebsiteCall
See all Girdwood food & local favorites →

Where this experience fits

Both Cozihaus homes are on the map. This experience runs easier from Spenard.

Approximate areas, drawn for direction rather than to scale. Exact addresses are shared once a stay is confirmed.

  • Cozihaus on Blodgett LakeA natural base for Valley and northbound exploring — Hatcher Pass, Palmer, Talkeetna, and beyond.
  • Cozihaus in SpenardA natural base for Anchorage and Turnagain Arm — city experiences, the Chugach, Girdwood, Portage, and Whittier.

Southcentral places, from Cozihaus in Spenard

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Girdwood

South along Turnagain Arm. Works as an easy half day or a much bigger one — a genuine mountain resort town, not just a stop on the drive.