Palmer: History, Gardens and Trails

Palmer offers several different themes to explore during a stay: the city’s history is presented in the museum and on guided walking tours, while gardens, agricultural vegetation and trails offer a different focus. If you’re looking for a hotel in Palmer, you can plan your stay around whether you’re especially interested in historical insights, plants or spending time outdoors.

History in Exhibits and Walking Tours

The Palmer Museum and Visitor Center presents Palmer’s history through historical art, local exhibits and immersive tours. The permanent exhibits trace the development of the Palmer area from Ahtna and Dena’ina lands through the fur trade, railroad and gold mining to the 1935 Matanuska Colony Project. In a single exhibit, you’ll encounter different historical milestones, spanning from Ahtna and Dena’ina lands to a project with a specific date.

A guided walking tour of downtown offers local insights and stops at historic buildings. The Colony House Museum explores what a typical home might have looked like for participants in a significant chapter of Alaska’s history. The walking tour and museum offer different perspectives: one focuses on insights into downtown and its historic buildings, while the other considers the possible design of a typical home.

Gardens and Agricultural Vegetation

The Palmer Showcase Garden features perennials, annuals and vegetables suited to the climate of the Matanuska Valley. Those interested in the plant life will find both perennial and annual plants, as well as vegetables, in a garden designed for regional climate conditions.

The Palmer Agriculture & Garden Walk offers a different perspective: it leads to various stops and showcases the diversity of green spaces and agricultural vegetation in Palmer. While the Showcase Garden focuses on specific plant groups and their suitability for the climate of the Matanuska Valley, the walk draws attention to multiple stops and the wider variety of green spaces.

Trails and Outdoor Activities

The Palmer-Moose Creek Railroad Trail follows a former railroad corridor along the Matanuska River between Palmer and Moose Creek. It is open year-round and for non-motorized use. A middle section is no longer maintained and has experienced severe erosion; take this condition into account when planning your route.

The Crevasse-Moraine Trail System includes about 6.7 miles of trails along ridges and in depressions left by glaciers. In summer, hiking, biking, running and horseback riding are possible there. The Matanuska Greenbelt has a trail network of about 33 miles. These figures describe different trail offerings and give an idea of their respective scale.

At Matanuska River Park, trails form a loop about 1.6 miles long from the parking areas to the Matanuska River. When there is sufficient snow cover, they are groomed for skating and classic cross-country skiing. The seasonal notes for these areas therefore differ: several summer activities are possible in the Crevasse-Moraine area, while grooming the trails at River Park for skiing requires sufficient snow cover.

Alaska State Fair

The Alaska State Fair was founded in 1936. Fair visitors can take the Valley Mover Bus to the fairgrounds. Since transportation arrangements may change, check the latest bus information before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Talkeetna, Wasilla, Willow

Return to the main travel overview: Matanuska-Susitna Borough.