This hike is a great opportunity to prolong the Crystalline Hills experience. It's relatively easy traveling and gets you some nice views of the mountains looming above, as well as looking south towards the Chugach Mountains. About 15-20 minutes of hiking will get you to a viewpoint worth leaving your car for. This area has long been used by sheep hunters, so if you have binoculars you may want to spend some time scanning these hills. If it's later in the summer season, from mid-August through late-September, it's best not to dress in white (hunting season). And don't forget your bug spray in this wooded area. This loop hike can take up to 1.5 hours.
By the time you reach this trailhead you've already had the pleasure of gazing upon the Crystalline Hills. The Wrangell Mountains contain a wide variety of mountain compositions. They were formed millions of years ago by classic plate-tectonic thrusting. If you look closely, you should be able to see folds in the rock. While being formed, these young mountains were shaken up by serious volcanic activity. Things heated up when the terrain carrying rock north for the Chugach Mountains began pushing on the Wrangells.
