Whether it's a paved piece of paradise or a sensational section of single-track, Anchorage bicyclists are spoiled.
First off, Anchorage has more than 120 miles of paved trails. It has regularly been rated one of the best trail towns by Bicycling magazine, most recently in the magazine's March issue.
Secondly, the city has hundreds of miles of mountain-bike friendly trails. Trails outside the city can be reached with a car for an easy day trip.
When Anchorage residents start talking about trails, almost universally they begin with the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.
Throughout summertime, the trail is a hangout for walkers, in-line skaters, joggers and, especially, bicyclists. The Coastal Trail winds its way for 11 miles from downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park, traveling alongside Knik Arm and Cook Inlet.
The trail is mostly flat until a lengthy climb to the chalet at Kincaid Park. It's a perfect outing for even novice cyclists. Walkers or in-line skaters can enjoy the trail, too, but a bike is the easiest way to see the entire trail.
Starting downtown at Second Avenue, the trail passes several interesting sights on its way toward Kincaid. Here are some of the highlights:
• Elderberry Park / Oscar Anderson House Museum: The little park includes swings. The museum is in one of Anchorage's oldest homes, built in 1915.
• Westchester Lagoon: At the lagoon veer right to stay on the Coastal Trail, to the left is the Chester Creek Trail. Grab a snack and spend a little time at the lagoon soaking up the sun and watching some of the resident waterfowl, including Canada geese and red-necked grebes.
• Fish Creek Bridge: A wooden bridge passes over a small creek. Toward the Inlet is a deep channel cut into the tidal mud flats. The mud flats are formed from glacial silt.
• Earthquake Park: In addition to nice views of downtown Anchorage and Knik Arm, the park includes interpretive displays of the devastating 1964 Good Friday earthquake.
• Point Woronzof: On clear days, the view directly north includes Mount McKinley and Mount Foraker (to the left of McKinley). Occasionally, beluga whales are visible in Cook Inlet. Lie back on the grass and watch the huge cargo jets pass overhead during takeoff or landing at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
• Moose: They're wild animals and don't work on a schedule, so there are no guarantees, but from Point Woronzof to the Kincaid Chalet the trail is heavily wooded and moose often hang out along -- or on -- the trail. If they're on the trail, give them some space, especially if there is a calf with its mother. It's also possible to spot a black bear.
• Point Campbell: On clear days, the view southwest includes Redoubt and Iliamna volcanoes. Fire Island is a couple miles offshore.
• Kincaid Chalet: The chalet includes restrooms and drinking fountains. The park itself has miles of mountain-biking trails, and Raspberry Road heads out of the park to the east and into the community.
The Coastal Trail rightly gets the lion's share of attention, but don't limit your riding options.
"While the Coastal Trail is my favorite bike trail, my favorite ride is the 34-mile circuit of all three Anchorage-area greenbelt bike trails," said Peter Roberts, owner of Downtown Bicycle Rentals (279-5293, www.alaska-bike-rentals.com).
In addition to the Coastal Trail, the other trails on Roberts' route include:
• The Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail connects with the Coastal Trail at Westchester Lagoon, just south of Anchorage's downtown. From there, the trail heads east toward the Chugach Mountains.
The six-mile-long trail runs along Chester Creek, following a greenbelt and crossing the creek several times. The trail ends at Goose Lake Park, but it is easy to make a couple connections and end up at the Campbell Creek Trail. (Skirt by the University of Alaska Anchorage and hook up with a bike path along Bragaw Street. Use a bike/pedestrian bridge to cross Tudor Road and then connect with the Campbell Creek Trail.)
• The Campbell Creek Trail is about eight miles long and meanders through a corner of Far North Bicentennial Park and the Campbell Creek greenbelt. Adventurous cyclists can walk their bikes under the Seward Highway and continue along the pathway.
From the southwest end of the trail, some sidewalk and bike-path riding along residential streets can lead cyclists to Jewel Lake Road and Raspberry Road and, eventually, Kincaid Park. From there it's an easy ride along the Coastal Trail back to town.
Jeff Dillon, Anchorage Parks and Recreation director, tries to get his visiting family and friends on bicycles.
"I try to get them to rent bikes and ride from downtown to Kincaid Park, along Campbell Creek and then we have a picnic at Far North," he said. "Then we ride down Chester Creek back downtown. It's like six hours, but we know where most of the ice cream shops are."
While the Coastal, Chester Creek and Campbell Creek trails are nice in-town trails, also consider heading south on the Seward Highway to the Indian-to-Girdwood bike path. It is perhaps one of the most scenic in the country. Cyclists can ride from Alyeska Resort in Girdwood to Indian, nearly halfway to Anchorage. The trail parallels the Seward Highway, which was designated a National Scenic Byway in 1998.
"To make it a full day, one can drive and then park in Indian, pedal from there to Girdwood, eat lunch, walk to the top of Mount Alyeska, take the tram back down for free, then pedal back to Indian and drive back to Anchorage," Roberts said.
Special sections editor Steve Edwards can be reached at 257-4316 or sedwards@adn.com.
