Alaska State Parks celebrates 40 years

This year, the Alaska State Parks system is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Even though it is one of the youngest state park systems in the country, it is the largest and arguably one of the best in the nation.

Throughout the year, special events are taking place around Alaska to mark the anniversary. Locally, events are planned for Nancy Lake State Recreation Area and Independence Mine later this summer, with dates still to be determined (for more information, visit alaskastateparks.org).

In the Mat-Su Valley, state parks are vitally important, both for residents and visitors. They offer camping, fishing, hiking, biking and countless other opportunities for park visitors to enjoy the Alaska outdoors, and truly showcase how beautiful the Mat-Su Valley is. Spread out from Denali State Park to Matanuska Glacier, state parks in the Valley are second to none.

Last year, Independence Mine saw an increase in attendance by 20 percent from the prior year, according to Wayne Biessel, superintendent for Mat-Su area parks. This gem of a park is a major tourist attraction and a great getaway for locals as well.

The gates to the mine opened two weeks ago, according to schedule. A few weeks ago, the buzz regarding this park was that the visitor center wouldn’t open for the summer. Thankfully, things have taken a change for the better regarding that issue. Beginning on July 1, the visitor center will be open for limited hours, Biessel said. Throughout the summer, the hours will hopefully be expanded, giving visitors ample opportunities to learn more about the cultural roots of the park.

One misconception regarding the announced closure of the visitor center is that Independence Mine would be closed altogether. That is not the case – the mine is open all summer for visitors to explore the old buildings, beautiful scenery and breathtaking views of the Susitna Valley. The visitor center is the only part of the park with limited hours.

“We want everyone to know that even if the visitor center isn’t open, the mine is still open for visitors,” Biessel said. “We’ve been trying to clear up that misconception for some time now.”

Another Mat-Su item of note in the Alaska State Parks system is the renaming of the old Kepler-Bradley State Recreation Area. To avoid confusion with Kepler Park, a private campground run by the Kepler family, Alaska State Parks has officially renamed the series of trail systems and lakes to Matanuska Lakes State Recreation Area, with the blessing of the Kepler family.

Because of the high visitation numbers and the economic impact the Alaska State Parks have in our community, the Mat-Su CVB believes sustainable funding for the system is a necessity. The parks help bring visitors to our area, and those visitors stay at local hotels and bed and breakfasts, they stop to have a bite to eat, they fill up with gas and they buy souvenirs. With a spectacular state parks system, those visitors may opt to stay longer in our area, spend more money and leave with a positive experience they will pass on to other potential visitors.

The Mat-Su CVB extends a big “happy birthday” to the Alaska State Parks system. And remember, 40 is the new 30!

Casey Ressler (casey@alaskavisit.com) is the marketing and communications manager at the Mat-Su CVB.