What’s black and yellow and stretches across Alaska? The Alaska Railroad! It’s the only passenger railroad in the USA that doesn’t operate with AMTRAK or connect to any other North American railroad. The whole journey begins in Seward (think Deadliest Catch) and ends in central Alaska, just north of Fairbanks (think polar bears). These 500 miles of track wind through wilderness, glaciers and Denali National Park.
A shot of the locomotive from the end of the train
These pictures were taken by Russell Blau during his trip last year through Denali. He rode the train through Denali during a summer expedition towards the glaciers.
How about that for a window seat?!
The railway offers a series of routes across the state, my favorite being the Hurricane Turn . This route provides rail service to people living between rural Talkeetna and the Hurricane area. This area has no roads, and the railroad provides the lifeline for residents who depend on the service to obtain food and supplies. This route is known as a “flag-stop route” because passengers can board the train anywhere along the tracks by waving a white flag or cloth… wow, I wish we had that service here on the east coast!
Alaska gets a TON of snow... (to put this in perspective, he's 6'2)
The railroad curves along steep hills and over rickety old bridges, making for quite a scenic trip…
A glacier shot from the window of the Alaska Railroad
Filed under: Travel Photos Tagged: | Alaska, Alaska Railroad, Denali National Park, domestic travel, Glacier, Hurrican Turn
