There is no shortage of scenic drives in the Mat-Su Valley. Hatcher Pass promises rushing water and rich history. The highway north to Denali State Park has some of the best views of North America’s tallest peak. The Glenn Highway, with epic glacier views, is even a national scenic byway! There’s a less frequented route, though, that definitely deserves some recognition.

The vast wilderness and hills surrounding Petersville Road are famous among locals as an excellent snowmobiling playground in winter. In the summer, however, it’s endless tracts of flooded meadows, stands of spruce, lily pad ponds, even cascading waterfalls. If you like the mountain scenery of Hatcher Pass, there’s even some of that as well. Despite some rainy weather we’ve been having, I took the drive recently to look for birds along the way. Even in the drizzle there were birds aplenty, but most of the photos I shot that day were of the scenery!