Anchorage Parks & Trails | ALASKA.ORG Hiking in Anchorage

Whether you're looking to take a light after-dinner stroll around your hotel or a hearty day hike at the edge of wilderness, Anchorage's Parks and Trails system has something for you.

190 parks covering 10,000 acres are connected by 400 miles of trails. Here are our six favorite nature escapes with scenery, wildlife, and lots of quiet.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

The Coastal Trail is Anchorage’s most popular walking, biking, and jogging trail. It winds gently along the coast 11 miles from downtown to the chalet at Kincaid Park. Leave the bustling city behind, and explore a local treasure that tells a long tale of natural and human history. Skirt the fault line of the '64 quake, stroll through scented forests, look for moose, and take in sweeping vistas where you can spot beluga whales and North America's highest peak, all in a single view. Download our printable map of the first five miles from the modern skyline of downtown to the open skies of Point Woronzof. One of the best ways to experience the Coastal Trail is by bike. Downtown Bicycle Rental (907-279-5293) has a very convenient location and reasonable rates: $16 for 3 hours, $4 each extra hour, $32 for 24 hours (prices include free lock, helmet and map).

Directions: Access the trail near the West end of 2nd Ave. or walk down the hill at the West end of 5th Ave. to the Elderberry Park entrance.

Kincaid Park

Kincaid Park offers the easiest way to get deep in the woods right in town. This 1400-acre forest sits atop an old glacial moraine and offers one of America’s top trail systems as well as Anchorage’s largest moose population. Park at the Kincaid Outdoor Center or “chalet,” (343-6397). If you want to test yourself, try the 6-mile Lekisch Loop; it’s the hilliest competition-certified 10K in the country.

Directions: Hike the Coastal Trail from downtown or drive all the way west on Raspberry Rd.

Flatttop Mountain at the Glen Alps Trailhead

Flattop is Alaska’s most visited peak. Ascend the 1.5 - mile, 1,350 vertical foot trail to the rocky, football field-sized summit in about an hour and take in panoramic views from Mt. McKinley to the Aleutian Islands. If you want vistas without the hike, walk the short path from the parking lot to the overlook. The more adventurous can hike from the parking lot 5 miles one-way to the scenic Williwaw Lakes or climb 5.5 miles to Wolverine Peak. Flattop Mountain Shuttle (279-3334) has a great shuttle service that transports you from Downtown Bike Rentals (4th and C) to Flattop for just $22 per person round-trip.

Directions: From the New Seward Hwy., turn east on O’Malley Rd., right on Hillside Dr., left on Upper Huffman, right on Toilsome Hill Dr. for 2 twisting miles. $5/day use fee.

Eagle River Nature Center

Forty minutes from downtown lies Eagle River Nature Center (694-2108), a gateway to Chugach State Park and a glacial river valley as wild and dramatic as any in Alaska. Enjoy an easy, 3-mile nature walk on the Albert Loop or trek up-valley 5 miles to see plunging waterfalls and 3,000-foot cliffs.

Directions: Glenn Hwy North, exit Eagle River Loop Rd., turn right at 3rd light onto Eagle River Rd. and follow it 12 miles to the end.

Chester Creek Trail

The Chester Creek Trail follows a flat, forested, mountain-fed creek 6 miles from Westchester Lagoon, near downtown, to Russian Jack Springs Park. Cross wooden bridges, linger at waterfowl-filled ponds, and pass through grassy parks.

Directions: Access the western trailhead at Westchester Lagoon (15th Ave and U St.)

Turnagain Arm Trail

The Turnagain Arm Trail, ten miles south of downtown, traverses mountainsides above the Seward Highway for 9.4 miles. This relatively easy hike offers breathtaking views of Turnagain Arm. Access trailheads at Potter Creek, McHugh Creek, Rainbow Creek, and Windy Point.

Directions: Drive south on New Seward Hwy, 10 minutes to Potter Trailhead, 15 min to McHugh.

Bird Ridge Trail

One of many highlights along the scenic Seward Highway, Bird Ridge Trail climbs 3,000 feet in a little more than a mile to magnificent views of the fjord-like Turnagain Arm. South-facing, it is one of the first trails to dry out in spring, even while surrounding mountains are still shrouded in white. Hike up just a few hundred vertical feet to look for flowers and see the views.

Directions: Drive south on New Seward Hwy to mile 102.

Far North Bicentennial Park

Explore the 4000-acre Far North Bicentennial Park to experience true wilderness within Anchorage. The lower parking lot accesses flat land. Its trails run along creeks and through scented forest. The upper parking lot leads to more rugged terrain. Just 500 yards in, the 4.5-mile Spencer Loop crosses a roaring creek, then climbs along a ridge above a seldom-visited whitewater gorge

Directions: From downtown: Drive east on Tudor, right onto Campbell Airstrip Rd.; park .75 mile in for lower sections, 1.5 miles in for the Spencer Loop and upper sections. From the south: Drive east on Abbott Rd. to Hillside Park.

Campbell Tract Facility

The well-maintained trails of the BLM's 730-acre Campbell Tract Facility are open for non-motorized recreation, from hiking to horseback riding. Bordered on three sides by city parklands-including Far North Bicentennial Park-the tract creates an unbroken connection to the Chugach Mountains to the east. Depending on the season, you may encounter moose, fox, coyote, lynx, black bear, and brown bear. Campbell Creek meanders through the northern part of the tract and provides spawning habitat for rainbows Dolly Varden, silvers, and kings. The tract is also home to the Campbell Creek Science Center, which provides outdoor education programs for people of all ages.

Directions: Two main entrances:

	Smokejumper Trailhead: Exit off the Seward Hwy at Dowling Street, following it 1/2 mile east to Lake Otis Parkway. Turn south on Lake Otis, east on 68th Avenue towards the mountains, and south on Abbott Loop Road. Turn east immediately into the Campbell Tract Facility; Smokejumper Trailhead's on the left.

	Campbell Airstrip (Mile 1.1): Exit east off the Seward Highway onto Tudor Road. Drive approximately 3 miles before turning south on Campbell Airstrip Road, then turn right into the parking lot after 1.1 miles. Look for the "Campbell Airstrip Trailhead" sign

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