THINGS TO DO

Alaska’s Adventureland

All the amenities, All the Adventure YEAR-ROUND, None of the tiresome travel.

Palmer is town for the adventurer, for the history lover, for the food fanatic all available year-round. Not one Palmerite will tell you which season is their favorite. During summer you can hike in Hatcher Pass or go mountain biking on single track trails or go on a brewery up with 3 local breweries within a mile of each other. You can eat local produce at the peak of summer in our restaurants from produce grown on one of our 100s of local farms. You can tour these farms or go for an ATV adventure. You can dogsled, in the middle of the summer, on a glacier in Palmer.  I’m not even making this up. Palmer, Alaska is just that cool.

During Winter you can backcountry ski and cross country ski on groomed trails. You can watch a parade in -10 degree weather with thousands of other people, or dress like Santa Clause and join over 50 others during the annual Santa Con.  You can sleep under Northern Lights in peak season, and fat-tire bike to the local glacier before breakup. You can ice skate on frozen creeks and snowshoe in the backcountry.

During Spring you can watch the annual migrations of some of the most iconic and beautiful birds or fall in love with our over 20+ local greenhouses that entice visitors to fall in love, year after year, with gardening.

Some argue that fall is the best time of year to visit when all the root vegetables are coming off the farm and the leaves make the mountains look like blazing gold.

Which season will you choose?

ACTIVITIES

HIKING & BACKPACKING

SIGHTSEEING

BIKING

TRAIL & MOUNTAIN RUNNING

BOATING, KAYAKING & PADDLE BOARDING

SKIING &
SNOWBOARDING

FISHING

SNOWSHOEING

ATV RIDES

CROSS COUNTRY
& NORDIC SKIING

HUNTING

 

MOTOCROSS
 

HORSEBACK RIDING

& MORE!

INTERESTS

SUMMER

FALL COLORS

WINTER

ARTS, HERITAGE & MUSIC

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BIRDING

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

CRAFTS

SPA & FITNESS

FEATURED ACTIVITY LISTINGS

Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours
Phone
(855)722-4004
Address
3901 S Lindsey Cir
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Explore Alaska Like a Local and ride off into Alaska’s wilderness with Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours. Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours offers Alaska vacations, packages and tours.

Alaska Farm Tours
Phone
(907)519-7067
Address
Mess Hall, UAF Experiment Farm, 1509 Georgeson Rd
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Experience the rich culture and history behind Alaska's farms and food. Join us for an in-depth half day farm tour, perfect for folks looking for the ultimate Anchorage day trips, with stops at historical sites, living homesteads, and urban food landscapes to understand the lives of Alaska's farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders who call Alaska home.

Alaska Horse Adventures
Phone
(907) 229-4445
Address
18810 E Walling Rd, Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Featuring several riding tours in the Greater Palmer area from 1.5-3 hours, Alaska Horse Adventures is open Year Round.  Additionally, they have a 6 hour Kayak tour in the Butte.

Alaska State Fair
Phone
(907)745-4827
Address
2075 Glenn Hwy
Palmer, Alaska 99645
Description

They invite you to not only enjoy our annual event "Alaska State Fair", but also take advantage of the year-round events and services the Alaska State Fair has to offer. They have a range of facilities available to rent throughout the year, and host diverse events

Backcountry Bike and Ski
Phone
(907)746-5018
Address
132 W Arctic Ave
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Backcountry Bike & Ski offers daily and weekly rentals for cross country skis. They rent Rossignol waxless ski packages that include skis, boots, and poles. Also, they offer bikes and fat tire bikes for rent.

Bleeding Heart Brewery
Phone
(907)746-2421
Address
16013 E Outer Springer Loop
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

They create unique, high quality, reserve style ales and lagers in order to bring new craft drinkers and seasoned "craft life" veterans together, push the limits of craft brewing in Alaska.

Bushes Bunches Stand
Phone
(907)745-1115
Address
2355 N Old Glenn Hwy
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Bushes Bunches Produce Stand is a family owned business that opened in 1954. They supply Palmer, Alaska and the surrounding areas of Wasilla and Anchorage with fresh local produce at our farmers market stand located just outside of Palmer. They are more than just a produce stand. With over 14 acres in production they are an active Alaska farm specializing in local vegetables.

Cecil Sanders
Phone
(907)775-0816
Address
PO Box 4514
Palmer, AK 99645
Category
Description

He takes a lot of awesome Alaska photos.

Glenn Massay Theater
Phone
(907)746-9300
Address
8295 East College Drive
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Check their event calendar. The 520-seat Glenn Massay Theater is able to host a variety of events including plays, musicals, lectures, conferences, concerts, competitions, festivals, benefits, recitals, movie screenings, receptions, and more.

Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center
Phone
(907)745-3360
Address
1509 S Georgeson Dr
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

They offer FREE walking tour of our snowy Farm with director Jodie Anderson as she provides information and history. The Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center is a working research farm serving Southcentral Alaska. It has 260 acres of cultivated land and 800 acres of forestland.

MatSu Miners Baseball
Phone
(907)745-6401
Address
Hermon Brothers Field @ State Fairgrounds
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

The Miners are only one of six teams that make up the Alaska Baseball League, one of the top summer collegiate leagues in the country.  Games start early June and continue until the beginning of August.

Midnight Sun Yoga Center
Phone
(907)723-5262
Address
125 W Evergreen Ave Ste B1
Palmer AK 99645
Description

They are based in downtown Palmer, AK and offer a spectrum of fun yoga classes for people of all backgrounds and skill levels in an inviting atmosphere. Their classes are drop in friendly.

Musk Ox Farm
Website
Phone
(907)745-4151
Address
12850 E Archie Rd
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Just a couple minutes North of downtown Palmer, the Musk Ox Farm is a non-profit organization dedicated to the domestication of the musk ox and to the promotion of qiviut production as a gentle and sustainable agricultural practice in the far north. Tour the farm and learn about these arctic ungulates!

NOVA River & Glacier Adventures
Phone
(800) 746-5753 or (907) 746-5753
Address
38100 W. GLENN HIGHWAY
SUTTON, AK 99674
Description

Based out of Sutton, just north of Palmer, NOVA Alaska Guides has incredible experiences for everyone. Established in 1975, NOVA is Alaska’s oldest river rafting tour company under original ownership. Since 1975, we have accomplished many firsts in guided adventure travel in Alaska, including the first to offer commercial whitewater rafting on Alaska rivers and the first guided hikes on the Matanuska Glacier more than 25 years ago.

Our early wilderness trips included several first descents and trips through the newly formed National Parks and Refuges with organizations like National Geographic, Connaissance du la Mode and the National Audubon Society. Our expertise in this theater has grown over the years to include combination trips that offer mountain and glacier trips with river trips.

Palmer Golf Course
Phone
(907)745-4653
Address
1000 Lepak Ave
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Palmer Golf Course is one of the most scenic places to play golf in the world. You are treated to spectacular views of Pioneer Peak, the Matanuska River and Knik Glacier. Their 7300 yard, par 72, Championship course consistently ranks in the top five of Golf Digest's, "Best of State" edition.They also have one of the finest practice facilities in the state

Palmer Museum and Visitor Center
Phone
(907)746-7668
Address
723 S. Valley Way
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

The Palmer Museum and Visitor Center showcases exhibits & artifacts covering the history of Palmer, as well as a selection of art curated from local artists.  Additionally, they offer both an audio tour and a guided walking tour of Palmer's historic district from June through August.  Outside is a beautifully kept garden, featuring myriad trees, vegetables, and flowers.  Come by to enjoy the local history or plan your Palmer adventure!

Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm
Phone
(907) 745-4511
Address
4350 Bodenburg Loop, Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Pyrah's is an authentic Matanuska Valley farm with an astounding presence in the community.  They host several events throughout the year such as the Fall Harvest Festival and Country Christmas, as well as being a "U-Pick" farm where you can gather your vegetables fresh from the field.

Ray Gamradt Studio : Alaskan Charcoal
Phone
(406)546-1956
Address
761 S Gulkana St
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

His artwork is in full production or at least as full as the sunshine and the salmon allow. Step into his gallery and see what he offers.

Reindeer Farm
Phone
(907) 745-4000
Address
5561 Bodenburg Loop, Palmer, AK 99645
Description

The Reindeer Farm sits at the feet of Bodenburg Butte just 10 minutes out of downtown Palmer.  The farm site was originally part of the Matauska Colony Project, operating as a dairy farm, but would move to reindeer and various other animals in the 1980s.  Being the only stop in the valley to offer tours of a maintained herd of 100-300 reindeer, 2 elk, a bison, and a moose (including petting and feeding), as well as horseback tours, it is an incredible experience for the whole family.

Sunderland Ranch
Phone
(907) 982-7268
Address
10856 N Wolverine Rd, Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Sunderland Ranch, located just outside of Palmer, offers a variety of options for your Palmer trip.  With a B&B, horseback riding, and even Day Camps for children to learn ranch-related skills, you're sure to have a blast.

The Art Café
Phone
(907)745-6100
Address
131 E Blueberry Ave
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

Fun projects, something for the entire family, delicious espresso, hand scoop ice cream, and gourmet confections await at The Art Cafe AK that is do it yourself home for artists and aspiring artists.

The Gallery (Colony Plaza)
Phone
(907)745-1420
Address
1150 S Colony Way
Palmer, AK 99645
Description

They specialize in the finest art prints with a tremendous variety of styles from nationally known and Alaska artists. They carry a large selection of limited edition prints, posters, giclee prints and canvases, some sold out at publishers and other hard to find prints.