Fairbanks
Just 188 miles south of the Arctic Circle, Fairbanks is Alaska’s second largest city. Fairbanks is called “The Golden Heart of Alaska,” a reference to the location in Alaska’s interior and also to the discovery of gold in 1902. Fairbanks is a staging point for North Slope Villages such as Barrow and the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay, yet unlike Anchorage, still retains a “frontier” feeling.
Hotels: Pike's Waterfront Lodge, River's Edge Resort, Bridgewater Hotel, Fairbanks Springhill Suites.
Remote: Chena Hot Springs Resort.
Activities: Riverboat Discovery, El Dorado Gold Mine, Historical Fairbanks City Tour, Alaska Salmon Bake, Arctic Circle Drive Adventure, Arctic Circle Air Adventure.
Arrival time: From Anchorage, Talkeetna, and Denali: 8:00 PM
Departure time: To Denali, Talkeetna, and Anchorage: 8:15 AM
Distance from:
- Anchorage: 360 miles, 12 hours by train, 8 hours by car
- Denali: 120 miles, 4 hours by train, 2 hours by car
- Talkeetna: 270 miles, 8.5 hours by train, 6 hours by car
- Seward: 486 miles, 2 days by train with overnight in Anchorage, 10.5 hours by car