9 Best Places to Elope in SPECTACULAR Alaska!
We’ve spent a lot of our time in 2022 exploring the diverse wilderness landscapes of Alaska, and have officially decided it’s the best place to elope! This unique state tucked into the northwest corner of North America has so many amazing destinations for intimate weddings and elopements, you’ll have no trouble finding one to suit your needs. In fact, you’ll have a hard time narrowing it down!
Don’t fret, future newlyweds! We’ve been avidly researching, scouting, and shooting all over Alaska so we can bring you the complete list of all the best elopement locations in Alaska, plus some insights to help you figure out the right spot to start the greatest adventure of your lifetime.
Hatcher Pass
Its close proximity to Anchorage and Palmer makes Hatcher Pass the perfect alpine paradise for couples who want to spend more time eloping and less time traveling. The most stunning sights only require a short hike, and you can even sit back and enjoy the northern lights at the right time of year from the comfort of your own cabin.
Denali
Twilight fans will love this one, and there’s a reason the Cullens extended family did too! The wildlife here is abundant, including grizzly bears and black bears. But aside from the locals, Denali National Park is home to the tallest mountain in North America, which makes for a pretty unbeatable backdrop!
A single stretch of road weaves through the park, giving easy access to all kinds of amazing scenery with minimal hiking required.
Seward
Ready for a Kim Butler Photography secret spot? We don’t often share these publicly, but this one is too good not to! If you don’t have time to travel all around Alaska for your elopement, setting up base in Seward gives you a taste of everything in one beautiful location: mountain ranges, snow, icy glaciers, glittering oceans, abundant wildlife, moody forests, and the PNW beach of your dreams. And because these rocky coasts and glacial bays are less well-known in the elopement community, we don’t have to share as much as we would at more popular spots!
Homer
In contrast to Seward’s hidden gem quality, Homer is a super popular choice for couples eloping in Alaska – and for undeniably good reason! Homer is located on the scenic Kachemak Bay and is known as the “city of peonies,” especially when the flowers are in bloom (hint: elope in July).
Homer is also a go-to fishing destination, so you’ll have to share the bay with some sportsmen as well.
Knik Glacier
If you’re reading this blog and thinking, “That all sounds great, but isn’t Alaska cold?” then you’ll want to pay attention to this next elopement spot. Knik Glacier is known as the “sunny glacier” because its super unique climate makes the landscape really diverse, and it’s actually warm! When we helicoptered up to the glacier earlier this year for an engagement session, it was in the mid-50s the whole time we were up there! We needed pretty heavy winter gear down in the town, but up on the glacier it was practically balmy!
Another great glacier for eloping is Salmon Glacier, though the drive to get there is brutal! Definitely book extra travel time to navigate the potholes.
Eklutna Lake
Not too far out from Knik Glacier—and equally close to civilization—is the famously turquoise-colored Eklutna Lake. Tucked into the Chugach Mountains, it takes less than an hour to get there from Anchorage, and all the best spots are super easily accessible. If you’re opting for an intimate wedding or bringing older family members along on your Alaskan elopement, this is the perfect place to do it!
Katmai National Park
Known for where all the bears are! More interested in a volcanic landscape and making the journey as exciting as the destination? Katmai National Park has tons of glaciers and icebergs for you to explore (and us to photograph), plus you need a plane or boat to get there which just adds to the fun!
Gates of the Arctic
Some of you considering an Alaska elopement aren’t charmed by the close-to-town, easy and breezy locations. And for you, we have one serious off-grid hot spot in mind!
Gates of the Arctic National Park is a true Alaskan wilderness that has no roads or trails inside at all. If you want to get to the good spots, then be ready to get your sweat on for some serious hiking through the jaw-dropping landscape. With glacier-carved valleys and winding rivers, the only architect of this national treasure is nature itself.
Curious How Eloping in Alaska Works?
With extreme daylight hours, ever-changing weather conditions, and a lot of travel planning required, eloping in Alaska takes a lot of preparation and brainstorming of backups. I’ve been honing my skills at helping my couples curate amazing elopements all over Alaska that go off without a hitch, and I can’t wait to help you too! Just contact me to start the conversation and we’ll make your wildest elopement dreams come true.
