Spencer Glacier Things to Do

Even though Anchorage is Alaska's largest city, wilderness is right at our doorstep. There are unclimbed mountains, untouched rivers, and unexplored glaciers within 20 miles of downtown, and even more stretches of remote country along the railroad route that links Anchorage to Seward. That's where you'll find the Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop.

It's easy to spend a day out of Anchorage at Spencer Glacier thanks to that perfect combination of rail access and active adventure excursions. The Alaska Railroad runs a daily Glacier Discovery train from Anchorage. It leaves the depot at 9:45 AM and reaches the Spencer stop at about 1:45 PM. The train then continues to its turnaround point at Grandview Pass before returning to Spencer at 4:30 PM.

This leaves plenty of time for a guided tour. Want to see icebergs calved from Spencer Glacier up close? Head out on an iceberg raft trip or kayaking tour.

You can fit in even more experiences with a slightly longer day. The Spencer Glacier Bears, Trains & Icebergs tour follows the same schedule as the Spencer iceberg raft trip, but also includes a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in the morning. This tour includes train tickets.

Since the Glacier Discovery train passes through Girdwood, Spencer Glacier is also a good day trip option for those staying at Alyeska Resort. Check out our Girdwood Things to Do and Anchorage Things to Do pages for more ways to experience this corner of Alaska.