This service is for Anchorage visitors without rental cars who want to hike Alaska's most frequently climbed mountain.
It takes 37 minutes to drive from downtown (sea level) through mid-town and the university on the longer, scenic route to the trailhead which is at an elevation of 2,200 feet. The van remains parked for more than 2.5 hours while you hike by yourself. Everyone is provided with a "How to Hike Flattop Mountain" direction sheet. It's not tricky. No guide is needed on this popular, easy to follow trail. After hiking everyone meets back at the van at or before 4 p.m. The van then takes a faster, more direct route back downtown. In a nutshell, this service provides a 30-mile low key circuit tour of the Anchorage bowl and an unguided mountain hike above it.
The 15-person passenger van makes just one run each day. Check-in time is between noon and 12:15. The van departs after everyone who has signed up has checked in, or at 12:30 (whichever is first). No deposit or credit card information is taken to reserve a seat but If your plans change, it is important to call and cancel so your seat(s) can be released to someone else. This allows them to keep their (almost unheard of) flexible policy. Please make your reservation through company's online form so they can send you an email confirmation! Same-day calls and walk-ins are welcome but the shuttle can be sold out, especially on a beautiful summer day. When the shuttle does sell out, staff introduces hikers who don't make it aboard to one another so that they can split the cost of a cab if they choose.
Upon request guests can be dropped off at the Alaska Zoo. The Zoo has a free shuttle to and from downtown. During summer their shuttle runs until 9 p.m.
Flattop Mountain Specs
- Alaska's most-frequently climbed mountain.
- Three mile round-trip hike.
- Elevation: 3,550'
- Elevation gain: 1,350'
