Kenai Peninsula, Alaska · United States
Seward Highway
AK 1AK 9Anchorage to Seward
Anchorage to Seward between glacier cliffs and a tidal arm.
The Seward Highway runs south out of Anchorage pinned between the cliffs of the Chugach and the grey tidal sweep of Turnagain Arm, where a bore tide rolls past Beluga Point and Dall sheep graze the rocks at Windy Corner. Over Turnagain Pass it threads the lakes of the Kenai to the fishing harbour at Seward, an All-American Road that packs fjord, forest and mountain into a single afternoon. It is also Alaska’s most notorious head-on corridor, with double fines along the Arm; moose keep dusk interesting, and avalanche control can close the road in winter.
Cliffs on one side, a bore tide on the other, belugas when the salmon run. The great Alaskan drive, twenty minutes from an international airport.
Why we picked it
Scenery
Best seasons
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Seward Highway on the map114.8 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 101Elevation
approximateunder 4%4–8%over 8%1 – 448 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Beluga PointViewpoint7.1 mi in
- Turnagain PassViewpoint48 mi in
- Tern LakeViewpoint79 mi in
Hazards
- Notorious head-on collision corridor, double fines apply
- Moose on the carriageway at dawn and dusk
- Avalanche control closures in winter
- Heavy RV and tour traffic in summer
See the typical season and live conditions for the high passes ›
Sources
“the 127-mile Seward Highway holds triple designation: USDA Forest Service Scenic Byway, Alaska Scenic Byway, and All-American Road”
“From jagged peaks and alpine meadows to breathtaking fjords and crystal lakes”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
Driving the Seward Highway: quick answers
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Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Seward Highway.
