The George Parks Highway Scenic Byway
Department of Transportation.
George Parks Highway provides adventurers and sightseers ample opportunities to explore Alaska firsthand. See beautiful, snow-capped Mount McKinley throughout this 230-mile byway that connects Anchorage and Fairbanks. Views become more stunning after you enter Denali National Park. Ride the park buses and witness for yourself Alaska’s wildlife. Some of the 39 species of mammals found in this expansive National Park include Dall sheep, caribou, and grizzly bears. Many park trips allow the adventurous to to get out and hike amongst the wildlife. The fantastic views of Mt. McKinley and Denali National Park are not all you can experience on a journey along this byway. Stop in Healy to learn more about the largest coal mining operation in Alaska, whitewater raft down the Nenana River, or pause to observe the Alaska Veterans Memorial near Byers Lake. You can also find great skiing at Moose Mountain Ski Resort near Fairbanks. Originally called the Anchorage-Fairbanks Highway, this byway is now the George Parks Highway, renamed in honor of George A. Parks, the territorial governor of Alaska (1925-1933). This stretch of highway runs through the core of Alaska, and passes much of the Alaskan wilderness. Come drive this Alaska state byway to witness Alaska’s raw beauty firsthand.
Directions
Getting to the Byway:
Anchorage, AK
* Exit the airport on International Airport Rd.
* Take Minnesota Dr. north.
* Turn east (right) onto W. Benson Blvd. (a one-way street.)
* Turn north (left) onto the Seward Highway (AK-1.)
* Take the Seward Highway north and turn east (right) onto 6th Ave.
* Follow 6th Ave a block or two as it merges onto 5th Ave.
* Stay on 5th Ave (AK-1) as it becomes the Glenn Highway.
* Take AK-1 about 35 miles north to Wasilla.
* Take the George Parks Highway exit (Alaska Route 3) and proceed north.
* The byway begins at milepost 132, a few miles past Trapper Creek, at Denali State Park.
Fairbanks, AK
Take SR 2 (Steese Highway) south. Turn west onto SR 3. Continue west until University Ave, where the George Parks Highway begins.
Trapper Creek, AK
Take the George Parks Highway (Alaska Route 3) north for 17 miles. The portion designated as a byway begins at milepost 132.
Navigating the Byway:
* The byway starts at the Chulitna River Bridge in the Denali State Park.
* Drive north on State Hwy. 3/George Parks Hwy./N. Parks Hwy.
* West of Fairbanks, AK you will turn west on State Hwy. 3/Airport Way going into Fairbanks, AK.
* The byway ends at the junction of State Hwy. 3/Airport Way and State Hwy. 2/Steese Hwy.
