| Far North Bicentennial Park | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Anchorage, Alaska, United States |
The Far North Bicentennial Park is the largest park in Anchorage, in U.S. state of Alaska, and has over 1 million annual visitors. The park contains the Hilltop Ski Area, the Alaska Botanical Garden, over 100 miles of multi-use trails, and access to Chugach State Park. [1]
In 2018 a rodeo cow escaped into the park. The cow has not been recovered but has been spotted by park visitors. [2]
Houston is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located roughly 33 miles from downtown Anchorage, although it is a 58-mile drive by car between the two points. The population was 1,975 at the 2020 census, up from 1,912 in 2000.
Willow is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located 26 miles northwest from Wasilla along the George Parks Highway, it is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census the population was 2,196, up from 2,102 in 2010.
Eklutna is a native village within the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. The Tribal Council estimates the population at 70; many tribal members live in the surrounding communities.
The Fur Rendezvous Festival is an annual winter festival held in Anchorage, Alaska in late February. The self-styled "largest winter festival in North America", Fur Rendezvous is highly anticipated by many Anchorage-area residents as marking the beginning of the end of a long winter and the approach of spring. In 2012, Fur Rendezvous was selected as the number one winter carnival in the world by the National Geographic Traveler.
Chugiak is an unincorporated community in the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska, situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) northeast of downtown Anchorage.
Eagle River is a community within the Municipality of Anchorage situated on the Eagle River, for which it is named, between Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Chugach State Park in the Chugach Mountains. Its ZIP code is 99577. Settled by homesteaders, Eagle River has been annexed to the Municipality of Anchorage since the 1970s—a relationship that is, at times, complicated. On the one hand, Eagle River functions as an Anchorage suburb, with a number of Eagle River residents working in, shopping or participating in community life in the Anchorage bowl. Much of the community is also made up of residents from nearby Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. On the other hand, the community is itself a significant business hub between Wasilla and Anchorage, offering shopping, restaurants, recreation and employment. Secession efforts have from time to time gained traction by residents who would like Eagle River legally regarded as a separate community. Eagle River also has a close relationship with its neighboring community to the north, Chugiak, with which it shares some history. If Eagle River were not part of the Municipality of Anchorage, it would be classified as one of the five largest cities in Alaska.
The George M. Sullivan Arena is a 6,290-seat arena in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. The arena is named after former Anchorage mayor George M. Sullivan. It is owned by the Municipality of Anchorage and operated by O'Malley Ice & Sports, who operates the Ben Boeke Ice Rink. The Sullivan Arena sits in the southwest region of Fairview, a neighborhood in Anchorage. The arena opened in 1983 and sits just east of Mulcahy Stadium as part of the Chester Creek Sports Complex. Sullivan Arena hosted the 1989 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships along with the Harry J. McDonald Memorial Center in Eagle River.
Chugach State Park covers 495,204 acres covering a hilly region immediately east of Anchorage, in south-central Alaska.
The Stampede Trail is a remote road and trail located in the Denali Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Apart from a paved or maintained gravel road for 8 miles (13 km) between Eight Mile Lake and the trail's eastern end, the route consists of a primitive and at times dangerous hiking or ATV trail following the path of the original road, which has deteriorated over the years. The route ends at an abandoned antimony mine at 63.740739°N 150.379229°W along Stampede Creek, a couple miles past Stampede Airport's grass airstrip.
The UAA/APU Consortium Library is a joint library serving the University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University, established in 1973 and refurbished in 2004. According to self-reported statistics from 2016, the library has approximately 728,000 volumes on site and averages 12,000 visitors per week during the academic year. The library has the furthest north permanent Foucault pendulum in North America.
Bootleggers Cove is an area of Anchorage, Alaska, just west of Downtown Anchorage and north of the South Addition. Its exact boundaries are controversial. It is served by Inlet View Elementary School, Romig Junior High and West Anchorage High School. Its scenic features include Elderberry Park, the Oscar Anderson House, the Westchester Lagoon, and access to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and the Lainie Fleischer Bike Trail. It is located near the tidal flats of Cook Inlet. The Alaska Railroad passes between the residential zones of Bootleggers Cove and the tidal flats. Bootlegger's Cove was affected by the 1964 Alaska earthquake. It is currently represented in the Alaska State Legislature by Representative Les Gara and Senator Johnny Ellis.
The City of Wasilla (Dena'ina: Benteh) is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the fourth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. The city's population was 9,054 at the 2020 census, up from 7,831 in 2010. Wasilla is the largest city in the borough and a part of the Anchorage metropolitan area, which had an estimated population of 398,328 in 2020.
The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is an 11-mile-long (18 km) trail along the coast of Anchorage, Alaska designated for non-motorized use. The trail runs from Second Avenue in downtown Anchorage and finishes in Kincaid Park. The trail is entirely paved, supports two-way traffic, and connects with the Chester Creek Trail. Point Woronzof Park borders the coastal trail to the east for about a mile, starting at about mile 5.0. In the summer the trail is used extensively by walkers, runners, rollerbladers, and cyclists. In the winter, the trail is used primarily for cross country skiing and also skijoring. The trail is a portion of the annual Tour of Anchorage cross country ski marathon. The trail's namesake is named the former Anchorage mayor and Alaska governor.
The Alaska Baptist Convention (ABC) is an autonomous association of Baptist churches located in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one of the state conventions associated with the Southern Baptist Convention. The first Southern Baptist church in Alaska was established in 1943, with just 17 members, and the ABC was formed in 1946. Today, Alaskan Southern Baptists are the largest Protestant denomination in Alaska with over 20,000 members.
The Alaska State Fair is an annual state fair held in Palmer, Alaska, United States. The fairgrounds are located approximately one hour north of Anchorage and draw visitors from the entire Municipality of Anchorage and beyond for the popular 1½-week event beginning at the end of August. The fair is famous for its record setting giant vegetables and picturesque location at the foot of the Chugach Mountains in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The event features amusement rides, food concessions, competitive exhibits, carnival games, live performances and more.
Matanuska-Susitna Valley is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range about 35 miles (56 km) north of Anchorage, Alaska. It is known for the world record sized cabbages and other vegetables displayed annually in Palmer at the Alaska State Fair. It includes the valleys of the Matanuska, Knik, and Susitna Rivers. 11,000 of Mat-Su Valley residents commute to Anchorage for work . It is the fastest growing region in Alaska and includes the towns of Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake, Houston, Willow, Sutton, and Talkeetna. The Matanuska-Susitna Valley is primarily the land of the Dena'ina and Ahtna Athabaskan people.
James Dale Ritchie was an American serial killer. Throughout 2016, Ritchie murdered upwards of five individuals in and around Anchorage, Alaska, most of whom were in parks or along bike paths. He always committed his murders at night, often around midnight or a short time after. Ritchie was killed during a shootout with police officers in downtown Anchorage on November 12, 2016. Following his death, a Colt Python handgun on his person connected him to the string of murders he committed over the course of two months.
Fairview is a neighborhood in Anchorage, Alaska just east of Downtown Anchorage and west of the Merrill Field Airport. The area is a working-class neighborhood of approximately 7,200 residents, with a median household income of approximately $55,000 and a poverty rate of approximately 21%.
The trail system of Anchorage, Alaska spans 578 miles (930.2km). The Municipality of Anchorage created the first set of trail systems for recreation in the late 1950s, not developing a system that was commuter friendly until the mid 1960s. The trails, which are used primarily for recreation and commuter traffic, are heavily utilized year round for walking, biking, and skiing. Many of the trail systems in place that connect the city of Anchorage in a commuter-friendly way were kick started by John "Jack" Roderick, the first mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage, who held office from 1972-1975.