Alaska Excursions

Alaska Excursions

Wide range of glorious day trips throughout Southcentral Alaska.

Iditarod 40

Photos and stories from the last great race.

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Hike this way

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More on Hiking & climbing

Stretch your legs near home

Matt Szundy, a guide for The Ascending Path, leads clients from Minnesota up the north face of Mount Alyeska in Girdwood. The company offers three-hour hikes on the mountain, which in the winter is a ski mountain.

If Alaska has a metropolitan pulse, it beats in Anchorage, the state's largest city. Theater, music, culture, fine dining -- it's all here. So are strip malls, parking garages, and coffee shops that make parts of Anchorage look like Anywhere, U.S.A.

Hike this way

You don't have to go far to hit breath-taking trails.

Kenai Peninsula hiking (10-12-2005)

The fish are plentiful on the Kenai Peninsula, but getting out into the woods is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of this place.

Trails in town

Hikers take in the sunset at about 11:30 p.m. on the 2008 summer solstice atop Flattop Mountain in Chugach State Park. Hiking Flattop is a solstice tradition for many in Anchorage and a way to enjoy some of the more than 19 hours of daylight.

Whether they're mild or wild, the trails of Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska have plenty to keep hikers or bicycle riders busy for an hour, a day or longer.

Interactive map: Crow Pass Crossing

The long, hard race -- Iditasport Impossible

By the end, after weeks of wallowing in deep snow and battling headwinds that blew the frozen tundra bare, only four of the 20 athletes who began the 1,000-mile Iditasport Impossible race crossed the finish line in Nome.

Fall hikes around the Anchorage area (10-12-2005)

Cow parsnip, the curse of the trail

Bear spray stopped charging sow, hiker says

Guide to picking berries (10-12-2005)

Southeast Alaska hiking

Northern Alaska hiking

Interior hiking

Popular hiking areas

Alaska hiking books

You don't have to go far to hit breath-taking trails

Josh Niva

How to get there:

ANCHORAGE

Glen Alps trail head (Flattop/Powerline Pass/Williwaw Lakes): Drive south on Seward Highway to O'Malley Road, turning east toward the Chugach Mountains. Drive four miles, take a right on Hillside Drive, then turn left on Upper Huffman Road. Turn right at three-way intersection onto Toilsome Hill Drive. Drive two miles to the Glen Alps parking lot on the left.

Turnagain Arm Trail: Drive south on the Seward Highway, passing Potter's Marsh and turning left into the parking area at Mile 115 of the Seward Highway. There are three additional access points to the Turnagain Arm Trail further south on the Seward Highway: from the McHugh Creek State Wayside trail head at Mile 111, from the Rainbow trail head at 108 and Windy Corner trail head at Mile 106.

Wolverine Peak: Drive south on Seward Highway to O'Malley Road, turning east toward the Chugach Mountains. Continue for four miles to Upper O'Malley Road. Turn left at the intersection onto Prospect Drive. Stay left when Prospect Drive meets Sidorof Lane then continue to the Prospect Heights trail head.

NORTH OF ANCHORAGE

EAGLE RIVER

South Fork Eagle River: Drive north on the Glenn Highway out of Anchorage, pulling off onto Eagle River Loop/Hiland Road exit after 11 miles. Take an immediate right onto Hiland Road. Drive seven miles and take a right at South Creek Road. Turn right at West Drive and make an immediate left into the parking area for South Fork trail head.

Thunderbird Falls: Drive north on the Glenn Highway out of Anchorage, taking Thunderbird exit after 25 miles. Drive a half mile to the trail head.

SOUTH OF ANCHORAGE

INDIAN/BIRD

Bird Ridge: Drive south on the Seward Highway 25 miles to Bird trail heads -- one small parking lot, followed by larger lot.

GIRDWOOD

Winner Creek: Drive south on the Seward Highway 35 miles to the Alyeska Highway, turning left and driving into Girdwood. Take a left at the intersection onto Arlberg Avenue. At the end of the road, turn left into the Alyeska Hotel parking lot and look for signs to trail head.

Crow Pass: Drive south on the Seward Highway 35 miles to the Alyeska Highway, turning left and driving nearly two miles to Crow Creek Road, turning left. Drive six miles to the end of the dirt road to the trail head.

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