With northern lights in the sky and fiery leaves on the trees, fall is a great time to explore Alaska

Mother Nature threw a wet blanket over what could have been a nice finish to our summer. It’s been cold and wet — and I’ve been scouting for some bargain airfares to fill the gap between now and the onset of Alaska’s winter wonderland.

The best fall fares haven’t yet arrived. Perhaps that’s because cruise ships still are calling in Whittier and Seward … and that means those travelers are flying in and out of Anchorage.

Still, the pace is slowing and many travel industry veterans are breathing a collective sigh of relief. Some are planning their own holidays while others are gearing up for winter operations: northern lights viewing, skiing or mushing.

In the meantime, I drove out for a lunch with some Mat-Su travel people at Sheep Mountain Lodge. It’s about 100 miles from Anchorage on the way to Glennallen. The group was happy to share plenty of options for year-round adventure: helicopter trips, hiking, aurora viewing and riding the train.

But the drive up was a startling revelation: The slice of Alaska we call the Matanuska Valley is on fire with fall colors. Pulling out of Anchorage, the weather was cold and rainy. We have lots of yellow leaves falling from the trees, but most of the forests still are green.

Once you head northeast from Palmer, the scenery changes dramatically. As you gain elevation, hillsides on both sides of the river turn bright yellow and orange, with shrubbery at ground level turning a bright red. I pulled over to try and get some decent photos — but the wind and the rain made it difficult.

Even so, driving in and out of the rain clouds provided extra contrast for the intense fall colors. If you’re looking for an Alaska leaf-peeping experience, this week is peak season.

Other fall-color drives include the Parks Highway all the way to Fairbanks, the Richardson Highway between Fairbanks and Valdez, and the Denali Highway between Cantwell and Paxson. The Denali Highway is not paved, though. Be prepared for potholes and muddy conditions. Keep it to around 35 miles per hour.

Chomping on a bison burger at lunch, I learned about year-round operators that also cater to locals after the fair-weather flyers have gone home.

Sage Dudick heads up the marketing for Alaska Helicopter Tours. Located at the end of Knik River Road, Dudick’s heli-pad is in the front yard of Alaska Glacier Lodge (formerly known as Knik Glacier Lodge). The lodge is getting ready to close for the season, but the helicopters run year-round.

“We have a couple of trips that run every day,” said Dudick. “One is a Knik Glacier Landing tour and the other is a Grand Knik tour, which includes three landings.”

The exact locations of the landings change all the time. Prices for the one-hour Knik Glacier Landing tour start at $429.

From the helipad at the lodge, the glacier is about five minutes away.

Usually, I only stop at Sheep Mountain Lodge on the way to Valdez, to Kennicott or to the Canadian border. Specifically, I make a beeline for the stack of giant chocolate chip cookies right by the cash register. They’re delicious.

Owner Mark Fleenor has worked hard to renovate the cabins in back of the restaurant. The restaurant is closing for the season on Sept. 15. However, if you rent a cabin, you can order room service for breakfast and dinner.

All the cabins have private baths and feature a microwave and mini-fridge. The cabins are popular during the winter because Fleenor and his crew groom the trails for cross-country skiing.

“But all the ski trails are hiking trails before the snow flies,” he said. Cabin rental prices start at $169 per night. Fleenor also has a helicopter for glacier flightseeing!

I first met Kierre Childers during the COVID pandemic when she was driving private groups in a new Chevy Suburban on the park road in Denali National Park.

But she missed the community around Palmer, so returned to start Revel Treks and Tours.

Childers and her crew offer lots of guided adventures during the summer, including fly-in trips, tundra hikes and off-trail adventures.

But Childers has a more holistic view of adventure travel.

“Tourism does a good job of putting energy into our visitors,” she said. “Sometimes we forget that our friends and neighbors want the same.”

This view is behind the year-round adventure philosophy of Childers’ company. Revel started an Adventure Club earlier this year to encourage locals to get together for hikes, classes and small-group activities.

As an Adventure Club member, you can sign up for Ladies Night Out(doors), a 50-ish and over hike or a Trail Tuesday hike. Memberships cost $9, $16 or $42 per month, depending on how many events and activities you want to join.

Childers loves to hike. “In Alaska, there’s phenomenal hiking,” she said. “The mud freezes, the colors are great and I love that high bush cranberry smell,” she said.

Still, she’s getting ready for winter. Revel offers a host of tours, from easy winter river walks, to a Palmer history and culture tour. She’s also set up for snowshoe and ski adventures.

In addition to her love of outdoors and adventures, Childers works hard to bring adventure and outdoor exploration home to her community in Southcentral Alaska.

Northern lights season started last month — and they’re already seeing them up in Fairbanks. Ride the Aurora Winter Train up on Saturdays. If you get a car on arrival, you probably can drive out to Murphy’s Dome and see the lights. Or, plan to stay a few nights to increase your odds that the clouds will part. There now are dozens of operators who offer tours. Check with Explore Fairbanks for a whole list.

The trick is to get away from the city lights for a good view. Aaron Lojewski of Fairbanks Aurora Tours will pick you up in a van to go aurora hunting. Even if it’s cloudy overhead, he has some secret spots.

Chena Hot Springs, located 60 miles from downtown, has a yurt at the top of a nearby hill for guests to see the lights. Afterwards, take a soak in the hot springs, or go to the Ice Museum and have a cocktail at the ice bar.

Northern Alaska Tour Company has a tour from Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle and up to Coldfoot. Don’t miss a visit to the world’s northernmost truck stop (at Coldfoot Camp). Stay overnight at the Slate Creek Hotel which is a remodeled pipeline-era man-camp for workers. Around midnight, the van will come pick you up for a ride to Wiseman, 14 miles to the north. It’s dark there. “This is the birthplace of the northern lights,” claims co-owner Brett Carlson.

Whether it’s the wild colors in the sky, or the fiery yellow-orange-red leaves on the trees, fall is a great time to explore Alaska. And winter will be here soon enough.