Palmer Travel Guide

Welcome to Palmer, Alaska

In 1935, over 200 families traveled from America’s Midwest to form what was then Matanuska Colony and is now the city of Palmer. Heavily affected by the Great Depression, US President Franklin Roosevelt created the Alaskan colony as a New Deal project, and what was a mere railway station turned overnight into a full-fledged tent city. Palmer soon became one of the state’s main farming communities–partially due to an ability to grow giant vegetables under the midnight sun–and is now home to the Alaska State Fair. Visitors can witness much of the region’s history by touring a former gold mine, viewing one of the Arctic’s oldest species at the Musk Ox Farm,  or stopping by the Palmer Museum of History and Art in the center of town. Today, Palmer’s farming roots remain but the city is also becoming a bedroom community for Anchorage, located 42 mi (68 km) to the southwest. A national scenic byway connects the two cities and as in most of Alaska, Palmer has its share of mountain peaks and outdoor adventure. The nearby Knik Glacier can be viewed by boat at the head of the Knik River, while the Matanuska Glacier–one of the state’s oldest and most spectacular glaciers–is a popular destination for sightseeing flights, glacier landings and treks.