This fall tour of the Seward Highway (a National Forest Scenic Byway and All-American Road) from Turnagain Arm to Seward highlights the dramatic contrast of golden fall foliage against glacial blue waters and icy peaks, based on the scenes from your photos.
1. The Golden Turnagain Arm Corridor
The first leg of your trip follows the Turnagain Arm, a dramatic, 48-mile-long fjord. In the fall, the surrounding Chugach Mountains are dusted with early snow, while the lower elevations are ablaze with the gold of birch and aspen trees and the reds of low-growing tundra.
- Beluga Point Lookout: A fantastic spot to appreciate the scale of the Turnagain Arm. In late summer and early fall (August-September), you may spot Beluga whales feeding in the inlet, a unique spectacle against the fall landscape. This location provides the sweeping mountain views seen in your pictures.
- Bird Point Scenic Overlook: Stop here for more expansive views of the arm and the Chugach and Kenai Mountains. This area is known for spotting Dall sheep on the cliffsides. The mix of open water and mountain fall color is striking. * Girdwood & Alyeska: Take the short detour to the quaint town of Girdwood. For a panoramic perspective of the fall foliage coating the valley and a glimpse of the surrounding seven glaciers, ride the Alyeska Aerial Tramway to the top of Mount Alyeska.
2. Portage Valley’s Glacial Contrast
Just past Girdwood, the road turns away from the coast and enters the Portage Valley, which is a high-density area for glacier viewing and features the dramatic glacial melt seen in your images.
- Portage Glacier Highway & Begich, Boggs Visitor Center: Turn off the main highway onto Portage Glacier Road. The mountains here are dotted with hanging glaciers, and the valley floor shows evidence of past ice movement.
- Byron Glacier Trail: An easy, family-friendly hike that takes you toward a small valley glacier. This is a great place to get closer to the ice and the glacial landscape near Portage.
- Trail of Blue Ice: This paved trail offers views of other glaciers tucked high in the mountains and provides access to streams and lakes that shimmer with a milky, glacial blue-green color from the pulverized rock flour. This color perfectly matches the glacial lakes depicted in your photos.
3. The Road to Seward and Kenai Fjords
As you continue south through the Kenai Mountains, the road winds through mountain passes and alongside stunning lakes, offering continuous photo opportunities until you reach the coast.
- Turnagain Pass: This is the highest point on the Seward Highway and an excellent location to see the vibrant red and gold tundra that thrives at higher elevations, offering a different type of fall color than the trees below.
- Kenai Lake: This enormous, distinctively bright turquoise-blue lake is fed by glacial meltwater, giving it a vibrant hue that perfectly captures the “glacial blue lakes” from your photo set. Stop at one of the pull-offs to photograph the stunning water reflecting the surrounding, increasingly snow-dusted peaks and fall-colored hillsides.
- Moose Pass: A small community surrounded by scenic lakes and mountains before the final descent to Seward.
- Exit Glacier (Kenai Fjords National Park): Just outside of Seward, this is the only part of Kenai Fjords National Park accessible by road. The easy trails allow you to walk right up to the glacier’s outwash plain and see the blue ice up close, contrasting sharply with the late-season vegetation. The signs along the path showing the glacier’s recession over time are a humbling experience.
4. Seward: The Coastal Finale
The journey ends in the charming port town of Seward, nestled on the shores of Resurrection Bay and framed by towering, often snow-capped mountains and the famous Mt. Marathon.
- Seward Harbor & Waterfront: Walk the harbor to view the fishing and tour boats with the magnificent mountain backdrop. The crisp fall air and deep blue of the bay are a fitting end to your drive.
- Alaska SeaLife Center: A great stop to see local marine life up close before or after your drive.
The journey along the Seward Highway is a visual testament to the power of a subarctic fall. You’ve witnessed the golden blaze of deciduous trees along the Turnagain Arm, a vibrant counterpoint to the steely gray waters and the backdrop of the Chugach Mountains.
