Day 4, June 26th – From Fjords to Forests

Day 4 began beneath the misty shoulders of the mountains surrounding Stoney Creek RV Campground, a peaceful hideaway just outside Seward. Soft dawn light washed over the spruce forests, and the cold morning air carried that distinct Alaskan smell—fresh, earthy, untouched. We had grown used to Alaska by now… its endless daylight, its quiet power, its gentle unpredictability. And today was one of our longest driving days, so we pulled out of the campsite right at 7 AM.

The first few miles happened in comfortable silence. Snow-capped peaks escorted us on both sides, their white slopes gleaming brighter as the sun slowly climbed higher. Every few minutes we found ourselves pulling over to take photos—because how could you not? Alaska doesn’t let you drive past beauty easily.

As we rejoined the Seward Highway, the road curved along the iconic Turnagain Arm, one of Alaska’s most spectacular coastlines. We were hungry by now. So, we had a simple breakfast of cereals in a Walmart parking lot in Anchorage, a very RV-life moment.

Ingram Creek – A picture-perfect pause

We took a pitstop at Ingram Creek trailhead, a lovely little pullout surrounded by towering mountains that seemed to close in from every direction. This valley was carved by glaciers that once filled the entire space with thick ice. Today the creek flows gently through the delta of silt and gravel left behind as the glacier melted. It is situated right at the southern side of turn of Turnagain arm. This trail is part of Iditarod National Historic Trail (INHT) that was historically used by dog teams to connect the ice-free port of Seward all the way to Nome in Alaska.

With the RV parked against a backdrop of rugged peaks, the whole scenery looked postcard-perfect. We clicked dozens of photos. The mountains felt close enough to touch, and the silence was broken only by the soft rush of the creek.

Eagle River Nature Center

Further north, we took a small detour to the Eagle River Nature Center, tucked deep inside a glacial valley. This place is a window into Alaska’s wilderness—dense forests, moraines from old glaciers, and trails that weave through untouched nature.

We didn’t hike because we were on a tight schedule. The nature center had a chart showing different types of scats. Lo and behold, we found bear poop not very far away from there when we stopped to click some photos. A strange thing to get excited about—but that’s Alaska. Wilderness encounters feel thrilling even when it’s just… poop.

Overall, I feel that this location can be avoided if you don’t have extra time.

Mirror Lake – a short stop

Mirror Lake was fine but not extraordinary. A quick pause, a few pictures, and we moved on.

Eklutna Lake – blue waters, quiet forests, and rajma chawal

Then came Eklutna Lake, and this stop made our whole day richer. You have to take a detour from Highway 1 through a circuitous road to reach this place. The roads are narrow with many switchbacks. The lake sits in a glacial basin surrounded by ridges of the Chugach Mountains, their slopes mirrored clearly in the calm blue water. This lake is actually Anchorage’s drinking water reservoir, fed by snowmelt and glacial runoff. We rested here for quite some time, soaking in the silence, the reflections on water, and the sense of stillness that only nature can give.

We had freshly cooked rajma chawal in the parking lot at Eklutna lake.

Talkeetna – A Town Frozen in Time

We reached Talkeetna around 5:15 PM. Talkeetna feels like a frontier town preserved from a century ago: dirt roads, rustic storefronts, everyone walking slowly, and laughter spilling out of coffee shops. Most of the buildings here are log cabins, and there is a reason for that. Early settlers used the materials available around them—mainly spruce and birch logs. Log cabins were quick to assemble, insulated naturally against harsh winters, and required almost no imported materials in remote Alaska. Even today, the town has kept this style to preserve its historic charm.

We had read about Talkeetna Spinach Bread – small food truck famous across Alaska. It’s not fancy, but somehow its warm, cheesy spinach bread hits just right after a long journey. We then explored Talkeetna downtown, tiny but cozy and full of character. Starting with Nagley’s Store, Alaska’s oldest general stores operating since 1921, Shirley’s ice cream and Denali viewpoint were some of the highlights. It was cloudy, so Denali didn’t reveal itself.

Talkeetna river has riprap revetment. Rivers here are fast, powerful, and constantly shifting. To stop the river from eroding Talkeetna’s riverfront and flooding the town, huge angular rocks are placed along the shore to break the force of flowing water. It’s simple but incredibly effective.

Denali is the tallest mountain in the world when measured from base to peak. Denali rises ~18,000 feet from its true base. Everest rises only ~12,000 feet from its base on the Tibetan Plateau. So even though Everest is “higher” above sea level, Denali is a taller mountain in terms of vertical rise. Alaska always likes to surprise you with its quiet greatness.

Not far away from there, a lady was running something she called “bunny healing”. She had a basket of tiny baby bunnies. She rented them out to people dealing with stress or personal difficulty, simply letting them hold the baby rabbits for a few minutes. She let us hold them too, and it was unbelievably calming. Their fur was soft like clouds and holding them felt like holding warmth itself.

We had no campsite booking for the night, and full hookup sites were unavailable. Instead of paying for a spot with no hookups, Raj proposed something bold. We drove to Talkeetna Air Taxi, where we had our glacier flight the next day, and asked if we could boondock in their parking lot. They said yes with a smile. Just like that, we were parked right next to the airstrip, with clean washrooms available to use. The surroundings were peaceful—soft evening light, small planes resting on the tarmac, and mountains fading into the dusk. We cooked our dinner, sat outside for hours, and wandered around the quiet airstrip until midnight. Not a sound except the wind moving through trees.

It was the perfect end to a long, beautiful, unforgettable day.