Local state parks a great playground

When making your summer getaway plans, look no further than one of the crown jewels of the Mat-Su Valley, the Alaska State Parks system.

Sprinkled throughout the Valley are parks that offer a bevy of outdoor recreation opportunities. Whether it be camping, hiking, boating or more, there is a park that offers something for every family looking to get out and have fun.

Denali State Park often gets overlooked in comparison to Denali National Park and Preserve, but this state park offers amazing views of Denali — better than in the national park in many people’s opinions — and some excellent hiking opportunities at Kesugi and Curry Ridge. The park itself is more than 325,000 acres, making it half the size of Rhode Island. Byers Lake offers excellent canoe and kayaking opportunities within Denali State Park as well.

While Denali is easily the most recognized name for out-of-state visitors, locals know other state parks and recreation areas are also great places to recreate. Independence Mine State Historical Park is located in the heart of Hatcher Pass, Lake Louise State Recreation Area is located at the borough’s northeastern edge, Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site offers views of the glacier and other parks dot the map between.

At many of the parks and state recreation sites, contractors offer amenities including canoe rentals, maintained camping sites, toilets and picnic areas. For more information about specific state parks and state recreation areas located in the Mat-Su Valley, interested people can visit the Web site at alaskastateparks.org.

A fun way to extend your stay in the state parks is to rent a public-use cabin, available at several parks including Nancy Lake and Denali. The cabins vary in size and amenities, but all have sufficient amenities for making a weekend adventure possible for even those who need their creature comforts of home.

The public-use cabin system is very popular with residents and visitors alike, so it’s important to reserve your cabin as early as possible. At the state park’s Web site, links take visitors to individual cabins and you can rent them months in advance. Some are not accessible by hiking — canoe portages are required for some in Nancy Lake, for example — so make sure you consult a map before reserving individual cabins.

For more information about Mat-Su area state parks, interested people can call 745-3975 or stop by the Alaska State Parks Mat-Su office at the Finger Lake State Recreation Area, located off Bogard Road near the intersection of Trunk Road.

Information can also be found on the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Web site, alaskavisit.com.

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