United States, Alaska – Cabin and Gold Mine in the Mat-Su Valley

Discovering a little-known region of Alaska, located between Denali National Park and Anchorage: the Mat-Su Valley. Renting a cabin in the woods at Nancy Lake, scenic drive along Hatcher Pass, abandoned gold mine at Independence Mine, and a beautiful campsite by the Knik River!

Wednesday, August 21^st, 2024

From the Denali National Park, the road leading us south toward the Mat-Su Valley is populated with wildlife. Despite the rain falling continuously, moose and eagles are out and about. Under the indifferent gaze of motorists, who sometimes aren’t even aware of their presence, we stop several times by the roadside to admire them. Just for this, we love driving in Alaska, even when the rain obscures the beautiful landscapes!

We gradually enter the Mat-Su Valley. It stands for Matanuska-Susitna Valley, named after two of the three rivers that flow through the region's valleys, sculpted thousands of years ago by glaciers. This region in south-central Alaska lies south of the Alaska Range, where Denali National Park is located, and north of Anchorage. After a day of driving in the rain, we settle into a free campground, where we cook a delicious burger. Then we head to bed... under the rain, hoping the weather improves tomorrow.

Thursday, August 22^nd

The next morning, the weather isn’t great, but it’s no longer raining. We take advantage of this to cook a hearty breakfast, then head down to the salmon river. No bears in sight, but plenty of salmon swimming between the clear water of the creek where they’ve come to spawn and the murky water of a branch of the Susitna River. The confluence is hypnotic.

On prend ensuite la direction de Talkeetna. Et c’est finalement sous le soleil que nous arpentons la rue principale de cette petite ville de la Mat-Su Valley. Des restaurants, des boutiques de souvenirs et d’art local et des excursions jalonnent la rue. C’est mignon, il y a du monde, il fait beau, bref c’est très agréable.

After the town, it's time for nature! We head to Nancy Lake State Recreation Area, where we have rented... a cabin! Our night in the wooden lodge in Perito Moreno National Park in Argentine Patagonia remains one of our most beautiful evenings of the trip, and we want to repeat the experience. This time, we have rented a rustic cabin deep in the woods of Alaska! While the experience was free in Argentina, it’s obviously quite different in Alaska. We’ve spent $80 to reserve a Public Use Cabin. You can rent a wooden cabin in all the State Parks of Alaska! But be careful: some are only accessible by boat or seaplane! The advantage of ours: it’s located just 500 meters on foot from the parking lot! And that’s convenient because we’re heading out loaded down!

We’re loading up with all the food and cooking utensils for tonight and tomorrow morning (and we plan to treat ourselves in the kitchen! 😋), some lights, a bundle of firewood and a few extra logs to keep us warm, and of course, the bedding: mattress, pillows, and sleeping bags! Thankfully, we’re not going far! We trudge through the woods for 500 meters before finding our shelter for the night. A lovely wooden cabin with a view of the lake! The interior is dark, cold, and basic. But nothing that a good fire can't warm up and brighten up! 😊

On adore ! 😊 On installe notre lit à même le sol sur la mezzanine et on se lance dans la préparation d’un délicieux plat de nouilles au citron vert et lait de coco, recette délicieuse d’Odile 😉. Le tout suivi de pop corn ! On passe une chaude et douce soirée auprès du poêle, qui réchauffe agréablement l’atmosphère.

Friday, August 23^rd

Bathed in the morning sun, our little wooden cabin feels warmer. However, that doesn’t stop us from adding more wood to the stove to heat up the place. From the heights of our loft, wrapped in our sleeping bags, lying directly on the floor but on our comfortable mattresses, we slept very well. We take advantage of the morning to cook a hearty breakfast, warming up muffins and beans directly on the hot surface of the stove.

Nous quittons, un peu à regret, notre petit chalet à midi. Même si le confort était plus que sommaire, c’est tellement agréable de passer une soirée entière au chaud ! La chaleur douce d’un appartement, voilà ce que ce voyage nous a appris à apprécier à sa juste valeur ! On n’allumera plus le chauffage de la même manière, à présent ! 😅 Direction maintenant de nouveaux horizons : nous partons pour Hatcher Pass, la route panoramique de la Mat-Su Valley. D’abord le long de la rivière, puis à flanc de montagne, elle nous emmène toujours plus haut à travers de beaux paysages et d’anciennes mines d’or abandonnées en l’état.

We pass Hatcher Pass at 1,184 meters in altitude, then descend into the other valley until we reach Independence Mine. This former mine was one of the most important gold mines in the region, alongside the Kennecott gold mine that we visited two years ago. It was permanently closed in 1950. Now designated a historic site, visitors can stroll among the ruins, some of which have been restored. The place, with its ruins, restored old buildings, and views of the valley, is particularly photogenic!

For the evening, we settle by the Knik River, the third river of the Mat-Su Valley, for one of our most beautiful campsites in Alaska. The river, the mountains, the glacier at the end of the valley—just incredible!

Starting tomorrow, we’ll be heading to one of our favorite places in Alaska: the incredible Kenai Peninsula!