Alyeska Resort Guide

Alyeska receives an astonishing 56 ft (16½ metres) of snowfall per season on average and offers skiable terrain of just over 1600 acres. Not a huge area compared to some of the Rockies giants but in this case, it is all about quality and not quantity. There is no question that the terrain at Alyeska is heaven for advanced/expert skiers and riders with trails such as the North Face pushing you to your limits. There is also lots of hike-to terrain above the lifts, including some serious chutes and huge alpine bowls.

Whilst only 11% of the terrain is rated for beginners, this can still be a good place to learn. After a couple of days of tuition, advancing and courageous beginners have plenty to progress on to. With over 52% of the resort marked as suitable for intermediates, you will have plenty of fun skiing on and off the groomers, with alpine bowls, tree skiing and terrain parks to play in, and all part of the lift accessed terrain.

However, this is still a serious skier's mountain. If you are looking for steep adrenaline-fuelled powder runs then you will undoubtedly get your fix. A few days in Alyeska combined with a day or two’s heli or cat-skiing with the Chugach Powder Guides makes for one incredible trip.

Alaska is renowned for its awe-inspiring scenery and Alyeska is no exception. Additionally, with the resort being so far north many visitors describe skiing whilst the Northern Lights dance above their heads - an experience of a lifetime. This is a real possibility between December and February when the daylight hours are short and night skiing is prominent.

The resort is open from November to late April, with the best time to visit being from mid-February onwards - this is heli season with massive storms followed by ever-increasing hours of daylight and perfect bluebird powder days. Although Alyeska has shorter daylight hours during early winter, March and April offer the longest daylight hours of all the ski resorts in North America: 11-14 hours per day!

Alyeska Resort is located about an hour from Anchorage, in the small town of Girdwood, which boasts a population of approximately 2,000 friendly folks. The Sitzmark is the place for après, live music and great entertainment and is an institution which has been around since the 70’s. You are sure to meet a few locals here, eager to share some of their history and tall stories of their mountain adventures.

This area comes into its own for other activities and excursions. There is dog sledding, snowmobiling, Nordic skiing, whale watching (March & April only) and even a trip to see polar bears on offer. If the bears don’t do it for you then you can also do a two day trip into the Arctic circle to go dog sledding and to experience the incredible Northern Lights - the further north you go, the more they dance and the more vibrant the colours.

Accessing the heli or cat skiing couldn’t be easier with Chugach Powder Guides operating right out of the resort. They offer single or multi-day trips and we can organise all of this for you so please do not hesitate to get in touch. Alyeska can also be combined with many of our other resorts in North America including Whistler, resorts in Oregon and even Mammoth in California. We can also tie in a few nights in cities like Vancouver or Seattle. For more information please see our Alaska Ski Safari page.

There is so much more to Alyeska and Alaska than just skiing. It is a true winter playground and in addition to all the traditional resort excursions like back-country tours, there are a whole host of other activities for you to try that will really add an extra dimension to your trip.

Please see below for some of our favourites:

• Arctic Circle and the Northern Lights
• Night skiing
• Heli and cat skiing with Chugach Powder Guides
• Dog sledding
• Snowshoeing
• Cross country skiing
• Ice skating
• Wildlife tours - take a half day out of Anchorage to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.
• Sleigh rides
• Snowmobile tours
• Ice climbing
• Glacier tours
• Flightseeing (helicopter tours)
• Aerial tram trip to the Roundhouse Museum
• Chena Hot Springs
• Spa and yoga classes at Hotel Alyeska

We can help with booking any of these activities for you or many of them can be accessed via Guest Services at the Hotel Alyeska. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like any more information.