Alaska in the fall is something spectacular. Although the state usually heads from summer through fall and into winter in a matter of weeks, fall colors in Alaska are bright and beautiful before they flare out! Coloring the mountainsides of Seward Highway, this gorgeous two-hour fall foliage drive in Alaska highlights some of the most spectacular fall foliage in the state!
The drive from Anchorage to Seward, Alaska is 126 miles of pure beauty.
The Seward Highway comes out of Anchorage and hugs the Turnagain Arm while traveling parallel to the Chugach Mountain Range. The twists and turns highlight view after view!
The stunning bright fall foliage tumbles down the mountainsides to the highway.
You can see this progression as it moves down the mountains! Sometimes, depending on when during autumn you're driving this route, you'll see "termination dust" crowning the tops of the mountains.
"Termination dust" is an Alaskan term for when snowfall begins to land and stick to the mountains.
It starts at the top and slowly creeps down, following behind the fall colors. It makes for a beautiful transition into winter!
All along the highway, you'll see bright bursts of color, not just in the trees, but on the wildflowers too!
Fireweed will burst bright pink in early autumn, and there are many ground plants whose leaves turn red as the weather cools. The birch and aspen will glow bright yellow among the green spruce trees!
There are so many stunning sights along the highway and plenty of places to pull over and take in all of the beauty.
With fall weather in Alaska, especially along the Seward Highway, you'll find it can be wet. But that can make for stunning vistas, especially when the clouds hang low in the valleys between the mountains.
There are even great places for you to get out and walk around to immerse yourself in the fall beauty.
There are some lovely pedestrian walkways, especially around the Hope turnoff area on the Seward Highway. There's even a bridge that allows you to look down into the canyon to see stunning autumn views! (Also, don't forget to bring bear spray when you hike into the brush in Alaska.)
No matter where you are along the drive, you'll find something spectacular to see!
From the shores of Cook Inlet to the glacial blues of Kenai Lake, the gold, yellow, and red colors of fall blend in perfectly with their Alaskan surroundings. A trip to see this autumn foliage is a perfect way to spend an afternoon!
Check out this time-lapse video of driving the Seward Highway in the fall:
Have you had a chance to drive the Seward Highway to see Alaska's fall colors? What did you think? What month during the year did you do your fall foliage drive in Alaska? Let us know in the comments!
When you get to the end of the highway, make sure to check out this Seward restaurant that was once a historic railroad car!
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