Believe it or not, these nine hidden gems around Anchorage and other parts of the state have been right under your nose all along! Check out all the unique and exciting things these hidden little wonders offer. Whether you enjoy being indoors or adventuring into the wilderness, here are a few hidden gems in Alaska for everyone to explore.

1. Visit the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center in Homer.

This place is much more than a visitor center and houses the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. It's quite a fun place to check out. There are over 60 acres of marine wildlife areas interwoven with well-maintained trails. Spend your afternoon with family observing the birds and other marine wildlife of Homer. It's one of the best little-known attractions in Alaska.

Visit the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center webpage to learn more.

2. Explore Kennicott Ghost Town.

Just outside of McCarthy is the abandoned mining/ghost town of Kennicott. The National Park Service maintains the ruins of this hidden ghost town in Alaska and allows for visitors to walk through and travel into the historic mining era of the state. It's much more fun than any old museum and afterwards, you can explore more of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve!

Learn more by reading our previous coverage on Kennicott.

3. Take a tour on a glass-bottom boat.

Explore the ocean floor of Sitka Sound and take a cruise on a glass-bottom barge! Below the deck of a normal tour barge is an underwater viewing room where you can get up close and personal with all of Alaska's many sea creatures.

4. Enjoy a Flightseeing Tour of Alaska from Ted Stevens Airport in Anchorage.

If the only time you've seen Alaska by air is before touchdown or after takeoff from the Ted Stevens Airport then you're really missing out on something special. Believe it or not, flightseeing tours are not just for tourists, and they don't have to cost you an arm and a leg either! If you're in the Anchorage area, we recommend taking a tour with either Regal Air Flightseeing or Rust's Flightseeing Tours.

5. Ride the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad from Skagway.

Ride this historic Gold Rush train (with vintage parlor cars and all) out to Skagway for a weekend of hiking along the Chilkoot Trail. Hike for a day or camp overnight! The train will pick you up at the end of your trip.

Visit the White Pass and Yukon Route webpage for more information.

6. Enjoy a tipsy train ride with Big Swig Tours out of Anchorage.

(Editor's Note: Big Swig Tours is not operating its Hops on the Rail excursions during the summer of 2021. Visit the website for other tours that are offered.)

Big Swig Tours, a BEER touring company (yeah... beer!) based out of Anchorage offers tours of local breweries, as well as a really unique riding tour called Hops on the Rail. Take a beer run on The Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Talkeetna and enjoy up to 16 tastings!

Visit the Big Swig Tours website for more information.

7. Go off road on an ATV.

Some of Alaska's coolest sights can only be seen by riding an ATV deep into the wilderness. How much fun does ripping down trails on a four-wheeler sound? If you're a little hesitant, or you've never driven an ATV before, there is no need to worry. You can take a guided tour with a professional behind the wheel OR the tour company will teach you how to maneuver your vehicle before hitting the trail. We recommend seeing Denali from a whole new perspective with Black Diamond ATV Tours in Healy (who also offer "drivers ed" and professional drivers).

8. Take a bone-chilling ghost tour in Anchorage.

We promise you'll see the city of Anchorage in a new light once you take this unique tour of the most haunted bars and alleys around town. A foot tour with Ghost Tours of Anchorage will give you the history of some of the city's ghosts who have decided to stick around. Make sure you dress warm and wear comfortable shoes, who knows, you might end up running from something.

Visit the Ghost Tours of Anchorage website for more information.

9. Spend a day on the ice at Portage Lake.

Sure, you can skate on your local lagoon, or you can spend a whole day skating around Portage Lake, a huge glacier-fed lake right outside of Portage in the Chugach National Forest. The lake butts up to the glacier so you get some AWESOME views, not to mention a lot of space to twirl around. Just make sure the ice is safe before attempting to skate on one of the most beautiful hidden gems in Alaska.

Learn more about Portage Lake on the Chugach National Forest webpage.

Have you heard of any of these hidden gems in Alaska before? What others would you add to this list? Please let us know in the comment section!