Located a short distance down the road from Girdwood Portage is a former settlement on Turnagain Arm in Alaska, about 47 miles (76 km) south of Anchorage.
The town was destroyed almost entirely in the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake when the ground in the area sank about six feet, putting most of it below sea level. All that remains today are the ruins of a few buildings and a "ghost forest" of trees that died after salt water inundated their root systems. Where there was once a town there is now only a railroad and road junction linking the Seward Highway and the Alaska Railroad to Portage Glacier park and the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, which leads to Whittier.
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Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AKA Big Game Alaska): Photograph until your hearts content with this natural, up close viewing of Alaska's wildlife. Located on 140 acres of natural Alaska wilderness, just 30 minutes from downtown Anchorage, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center opened to the public in 1993.
On the shores of Turnagain Arm, surrounded by mountains and hanging glaciers, this is the perfect place to learn about Alaska wildlife. Drive through in the comfort of your own vehicle or walk through to photograph and learn about the animals, the park and the history of the Portage Valley area.
The owner raised buffalo and elk as a hobby since 1984, and wildlife officials began putting orphaned moose in his care. Eventually his hobby transformed into the Wildlife Center that you see today. Injured or orphaned animals are regularly brought to the Wildlife Center for care. The center often provides care and housing for non-releasable birds.
