What America’s last flagstop train lacks in amenities, it makes up for in off-the-grid adventure.
Imagine you ’ve just finished a hikein the wilds of Alaska . You ’re sweaty , your back ache from carrying train , and it ’s been such a tenacious day that even your dog associate has lost the pep in his pace . You have no cable car , and there ’s no route in mountain for calling an Uber or hitchhiking out of there . Thereisa train lead , but regrettably you ’re nowhere near a trainstation . Fearing the worst , you suddenly spot a train approaching . heroic , as a last ditch effort you stand by the rails , take out your handkerchief , and undulation . Miraculously , the caravan slows to a stop .
The scenario might seem nonsensical . Who come a locomotive like it ’s a giant taxicab ? Turns out , quite a few people . What you did n’t have a go at it was that you just wave down theHurricane Turn Train , the country ’s last true flagstop railroad train . And when it block off to let you aboard , that was exactly what it was designed to do .
We likely are n’t the first ones to tell you this , but if there ’s one must do on your first misstep to Alaska , it ’s take a ride on the magnificent Alaska Railroad . If you may , fountain for the glass - domed GoldStar Service . With the tracks load 470 miles on the main route from the larboard urban center of Seward to the inlandice castles of Fairbanks(not so icy in June , though , when the city hold its annualmidnight baseball game ) , a glass - top wagon train ride is an intimate — and the ultimate — means to get to know the interior of the dense and somewhat daunting forty-ninth state .
Wave a flag and the Hurricane Turn Train will stop (but maybe not on the bridge).|Courtesy of Alaska Railroad
Inside the train , you ’re immersed : The see - through ceiling beckons blue skies as you ’re enveloped in furrowed mountains and crisp landscapes loaded with moose and other wildlife that seem close enough to touch ( warning : do n’t equal ) . If it ’s a clear twenty-four hour period , you may even see the gallant snow - capped prime of Denali — it pairs nicely with the mean Bloody Mary they make on board .
Your visit would also be timely : This year , the Alaska Railroad celebrates its 100th birthday , with a roll of events include the epic12 - daytime “ Centennial Special ” ridehitting all the major landmarks , through September . And the occasion is well deserved . President Harding drive the finalGolden Spikeinto the railroad track in 1923 , signifying its completion and kicking off the freight rate and rider transport that play a huge part in developing the state ’s fledgling wilderness area . Prior to the Alaska Highway ’s arrival in 1942 , the railroad was the only manner to access Alaska ’s vast Department of the Interior .
“ We ’ve always been a decisive part of the infrastructure in a young state with few highways , ” say Meghan Clemens , communications coach for the Alaska Railroad . “ On the rider side , our length of service stems from the fact that we are just so well suitable as a way to travel within Alaska . Our goal is for our passengers to believe their in - nation travel time as a trip highlight . ”
Take the GoldStar Service for glass-domed views.|Courtesy of Alaska Railroad
The railway line stopseverywhere a first - timer would want it to . Take it to Anchorage for some lay - back metropolis sustenance and a particularlyrobust Pride festival . Or Whittier todeep - sea fishfor some massive prehistorical - look bottom angleworm . Head to Girdwood for glaciers or Fairbanks for Aurora - discern , then stop in Denali for backcountry thrills .
But if you really require a truly once - in - a - lifespan , only - in - Alaska experience , you droop down theHurricane Turn Train .
In 1862 , President Lincoln bless the Homestead Act , which permit men , women , the formerly enslaved , and immigrants on the path to citizenship ( Native Americans not included , heed you ) to claim a spell of federal body politic for themselves , supply they were over 21 , promised to live on the nation for at least five years consecutively — in an actual house , not a tent — and commit to cultivating at least one 8th of it . During this prison term , a lot of burgeoning homesteader take advantage of the plan and snatched up their own little fade of America—270 million acres of it , to be exact , diffuse throughout 30 states , a mad dah that , it must be acknowledge , irreparably displaced generations of Indigenous people in its wake . But one nation came to it a little later on than the rest : It was n’t until 1898 that homesteading was earmark in Alaska , when President McKinley extend the law to the district . From that day forward , however , it was on .
President Harding and fans admiring the “Golden Spike,” signifying the completion of the railroad.|Alaska Railroad
For the rest of the body politic , the freebie homesteading cult officially ended just over a century afterwards with the passing of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 . But since Alaska ’s statehood was then in its infancy , it engender a little margin in the form of a 10 - year extension . By the prison term the last Alaskan homestead was claimed in the 1980s , some 3,500 people had secured their own individual piece of wild .
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Make old timey memories on board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
But the land was just that : wilderness , and the homesteaders still needed a direction to get out there . Enter the Alaska Railroad . “ Many Alaskans took advantage of this chance before a direct highway connection between Anchorage and Fairbanks was built , and instead relied on the Alaska Railroad to access their properties , ” says Clemens .
A highway was eventually construct , and except for a 58 - mile stretch of data track north of Talkeetna , much of it paralleled the railroad ’s route . So it ’s in Talkeetna , a countrified former gold minelaying Ithiel Town deserving some exploration in itself ( universe 1,200 ; its mayor , a qat ) that the Hurricane Turn Train actually start and ends its 6.5 - minute loop . Still without a road , area homesteaders — recluses andlocal celebritiesalike — go on to bank on this Alaska Railroad grommet , both for themselves and for supplies , which means everything from hot dog sleds to fire to , sure , toilet newspaper .
After departing Talkeetna , the Hurricane Turn Train currently makes scheduled stops in Chase , Curry , Sherman , Gold Creek , Twin Bridges , Chulitna , and the eponymous Hurricane . The full grommet costs $ 117 ; prices of each wooden leg begin at $ 29 . And if you happen to find yourself along the running at any other pointedness in the loop , simply stand on the side of the route and flap a flagstone if you ’ve got one , or just your hand if you do n’t . Like conjuring trick , the train will retard down from chug along at 30 MPH and scoop you up , no preparation ahead required .
Think these guys sing about working on the railroad?|Alaska Railroad
Beyond the nester be along the tracks , the Hurricane Turn is also democratic among Alaskans from around the country , who ride it to access camping and sportfishing land site without the trouble of backpacking in all their gear . And though it ’s still by far the least - known Alaskan line , tourists have increasingly begun to discover its good luck charm , with ridership more than repeat over the last decennium . It seems common people are eager to tantalize the last honest flagstop in the country and enjoy some middle confect they would n’t see otherwise . “ On a clean day , passengers relish heavy prospect of Denali and the Alaska Range rising over the Susitna River , which is always a high spot , ” explains Clemens . “ And the turnaround level for this route is the Hurricane Gulch Bridge , the longest and tallest bridge on the Alaska Railroad system stand over 296 metrical foot above the river canyon below . ”
The Hurricane Turn stand as the Alaskan Railroad ’s little train by rider volume and by far its most casual . “ I ’ve heard storey of the director need an informal poll of rider [ to see ] if they wanted to park the train to watch a bear for a few moment , ” pronounce Clemens . “ And of visitors piddle young booster and helping local anaesthetic set down their cabin supplies from the baggage car . ”
Unlike the GoldStar Service , the Hurricane Turn Train is Adventure Class only , which just think it work like a regular Amtrak , with standard photo windows and no food service . And while those legal community car Bloody Marys may sound appeal , the Hurricane Turn ’s no - frill esthetic in reality makes itbetter — what it lacks in conveniences can be made up for in collation - focused creative thinking . Pack your favorite sandwich and pickles for an onboard field day or , heck , separate it up with some Champagne and sweet , as a wedding party Clemens recently hear about believably did .
“ A group of about 40 flagged the train at a peculiarly pretty area called Twin Bridges — it ’s a narrow-minded stretch of res publica fully curved around by the Indian River and a steep canon backdrop , flanked by gearing trestles on both side , ” she say . “ They brought out a wedding altar along with refreshments , and the bride and stableman got married and had a reception with all their kin and friend in the Alaskan wilderness . ”
Even if you ’re not ready for a destination wedding on the rails , your next trip-up to Alaska could very well include a inadequate flagstop excursion with adult male ’s best friend . The Hurricane Turn Train is also pet - friendly — though you may want to incubate Spot ’s eyes if any bears show up .
Talkeetna has everything you need, including a cat for a mayor.|Michael Rosebrock/Shutterstock
Some people just know how to dress up for the train.|Anchorage Museum
