A great love for the outdoors is a must for those wishing to explore Anchorage. The wilderness is an integral part of this fascinating city, also known as the City of Flowers during summertime, and City of Lights during winter. Visitors will be pleasantly surprised to discover that this city is not all about igloos and Eskimos, after all!

Visitors can start their outdoor exploration by going to Anchorage's Playground, a sprawling piece of land encompassing almost 500,000 acres of Alaskan wilderness; the Playground also includes Chugach State Park, the third biggest state park in the country including 155 mountain peaks.

Take advantage of the long summer days by engaging in some extreme activities. If the usual hike to your destination just won't give you the kick you're craving for, use an ATV to get there! The adrenaline rush you will get from riding this vehicle through the Anchorage outdoors would be an awesome way to start your day. You can then do some berry-picking, which is an integral part of the Native Alaskan culture - it may just be the relaxing task needed to slow down your racing heart.

Camping will offer you an experience you will forget, and Anchorage is one of the best places for this activity. There are a number of designated campgrounds you and your family can use; public cabins are great alternatives if you are not too keen on sleeping on tents.

Engaging in world-class sports fishing is common in South-central Alaska, and Anchorage is considered as the base camp. You can try your luck trying to catch rainbow trout and about four species of Alaska salmon - all without leaving the city.

Anchorage is the starting point for a flight seeing tour. Enjoy picturesque views as you soar above Mt. McKinley, the Chugach Mountains, Harding Icefield or Prince William Sound. Prepare to be amazed at the enormous ice formations that have been present since the prehistoric ages. You can also land at isolated fishing spots, or go for a bear-viewing expedition. You can access deeply remote sites by no other means, so make it a point to include flight seeing in your to-do list.

Take advantage of the pristine snow by engaging in winter sports and other action-packed activities like Alpine skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, ice fishing, dog sledding and a whole lot more - the possibilities for fun are endless!

Don't leave Anchorage without sampling the local cuisine. The city offers some of the freshest seafood in the whole world! Get ready for a feast of Alaska king crab, wild Alaska salmon, Kachemak Bay oysters, all prepared according to your preference by world-class chefs.

Anchorage offers a wide range of accommodation options to choose from. Tourists can choose from hotels, inns, bed-and-breakfasts, RV parks and public campgrounds according to their preference.

Start preparing for your Anchorage trip as soon as you can. You haven't really seen the great outdoors if you haven't set foot in this city in the center of the great Alaskan wilderness.