that water is ice cold!
one of the streams of the Portage Glacier
the region around Girdwood
Alaska Rail also follows the Arm to Whittier
the mountains on the other side are part of the Kenai Peninsula
Turnagain Arm
In 1778 Captain James Cook explored the waters around Alaska for the much sought after Northwest Passage.
He sailed up the Cook Inlet and had his men explore the two shallow waterways here. Both turned out to be the mouth of a river. Out of frustration the arm just south of present day Anchorage was named Turnagain Arm.
 
Cook did not find the passage and turned south to return to Hawaii and meet his death in 1779 at Kealakekua Bay.
 
The Turnagain Arm features 2 m high tidal bores and the total tide difference can reach 12 m. At low tide large parts turn into muddy flats.
 
The Arm is of an exceptional beauty with rugged mountain peaks on both sides of the waterway.
The Seward Highway follows the Arm and so does the Alaska railway.
 
We drove along the Turnagain Arm in June 1993 and again in June 2007.
website333044.jpg website333043.jpg website333042.jpg website333041.jpg website333040.jpg website333039.jpg website333038.jpg website333037.jpg website333007.gif website333035.gif website333034.gif
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
end
website333008.gif website333006.gif
the Turnagain Arm just south of Anchorage
website333007.gif website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif
3
website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif
the end of the Turnagain Arm near Portage
website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif website333008.gif website333007.gif website333006.gif
a moose shows up
website333005.jpg website333004.jpg website333003.jpg website333002.jpg website333001.gif