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Hiking in Alaska is a great way to get to some of those remote and scenic areas. You'll find this to be one of the most rewarding experiences of your vacation.
Even though it is best to go in groups if you are going into very remote areas, you'll still experience a quietness and you'll feel a peace that you may not have felt in a long time. Whether you are sitting next to a roaring stream, which can be so loud you can't hear yourself talk, or listening to wild bird calls in the evening, you'll feel the calmness that exists in these wilds. One of my very favorite places to hike, was on the rocks along the Seward Highway. Though this is more of an athletic feat than hiking. There are huge boulders that were blasted off the mountainside to create space for the railroad tracks and the Seward Highway. That's why a lot of those cliffs look like they are "leaning" over the road. If you start walking or running on those boulders below the railroad tracks, you'll have lots of fun. Sometimes they move, so you have to keep moving fast, jumping from one boulder to the next. It's gives you a good contest of skill in keeping your balance. Early Winter Evening Catches Hikers on Trail But now we'll talk about some places to go hiking in Alaska that will give you some unforgettable experiences. Below you'll find a few trails for hiking in Alaska that are reachable by road AND will give you a bit of a challenge. These trails are all for a one-day-or-less hiking trip. NOTE: For longer trips that are ideal for backpacking in Alaska, see the Alaska hiking trails page. Hikers Resting in a Cool Wooded Area If you want to visit remote areas but don't want to work too hard, there are lots of trails in mountainous, backwoods areas that are fairly easy or are short trails for hiking in Alaska: Eagle Trail - (S of Tok) at Mile 109.5 on the Tok Cut-off Highway is The Eagle State Recreation Area with two trails. One is a one mile nature trail and the other is a 2.5 mile trail that is a portion of the historical Valdez to Eagle Trail.Tonsina River Trail (SE of Glennallen) - this trail is located at Mile 12.3 on the Edgerton Highway, off the Richardson Highway. An easy 1 mile (1.61 km) walk with lots of wildflowers and a picnic site at the end, where you have a view of the Tonsina River and Chugach Mountains.Liberty Falls Trail - (SE of Glennallen) also on the Edgerton Highway, it's located at about Mile 24. It's only 1.25 miles (2.01km) long but has some steep climbing and possible loose rocks. The reward is a grand view of the Copper River and the Wrangell and Chugach Mountains. The access road to the trail is a short distance before you get to the Liberty Falls campground, so don't miss it. There's also a trail to the Falls from the campgrounds. The Goat Trail - (Valdez) this trail is over 100 years old and was the best way to access the interior of Alaska when it was built. Later replaced by the Richardson Highway, it has long since become impassable except for the first few miles which makes a great trail to go hiking in Alaska. It starts at Mile 13.5 from Valdez near Horsetail Falls and follows the Lowe River.And if you want to stay closer to civilization while getting some exercise, there are a few of those trails too, for hiking in Alaska: An Old Road Makes an Easy Hiking Trail Aspen Interpretive Trail (Glennallen) - A one mile interpretive walk created by the local students. You can find out about it at the visitor center in Glennallen, which is located on the Glenn Highway, just past its junction with the Richardson Highway.Summit Lake Trails (Palmer) - Not too far from town, this is in a State Recreation Area. Follow the Hatcher Pass Road from either the N Palmer-Fishook Road or N Wasilla Fishook Road. Go past the entrance to the Independence Mine State Recreation Area about 2 miles (3.22 km) and you'll reach the Summit Lake Recreation Area. One trail goes around the lake and one along a high bluff. This is at an elevation of about 3,800 feet (1,158.2 m), so is only open July through September.Tony Knowles Coastal Trail (Anchorage) - Runs along Cook Inlet. You can make a 22 mile (35.41 km) round trip out of this. It ends at Kincaid Park which has popular cross-country ski trails in the winter.The Municipality of Anchorage has numerous short trails all over town, and a few rather long ones. If you are going to be spending much time in the Anchorage area, you won't have to drive all of the time. Get out and get some exercise on one of their many trails. Centenniel Park - Located on the north side of Muldoon Road where it intersects the Glenn Highway. This Park has 3 miles (5km) of trails through wooded, hilly ground. Muldoon Road Trail - Anchorage's bypass road has a trail on its north side from the intersection of Muldoon Road with the Glenn Highway, all the way to the Old Seward Highway. The name changes from Muldoon Road to East Tudor Road when it makes a 90 degree turn to the west, so don't be concerned - you are still on the same trail. This one is over 7 miles (11.3km) long and it is a multi-use trail. Far North Bicentenniel Park - If you take Elmore Road south from E Tudor Road (mentioned in the Muldoon Trail above), it's only about a half-mile to this Park and it is loaded with nice wooded hiking trails. Kincaid Park - On the south side of the Anchorage International Airport, facing Cook Inlet, is a 1400-acre Park which has almost 30 miles (48km) of various types of trails. If you want to do some climbing or just get LOTS of exercise, then you'll want to spend time on longer or mountainous trails, such as: Backpackers Making a Stop on a Rocky Trail Flat Top Mountain (Anchorage) - This was a favorite of the neighborhood boys. They all wanted to climb "Flat Top". The trailhead starts at Toilsome Drive which is almost at the end of Upper Huffman Road. It's a not too difficult 3 mile (4.83 km) trip. There are numerous trails in the area but the one to Flat Top goes up about 1,350 feet (411.48 km). On a clear day, you'll be able to see Mt. McKinley which is a couple hundred miles away. You'll also see most of Cook Inlet, Anchorage and and the volcanic mountains across the Inlet. McHugh Peak Trail (S of Anchorage) - It starts at McHugh Creek, Mile 112 on the Seward Highway, south of Anchorage. It's a 7 mile (11.27 km) round trip and though it's not difficult you're going to do some real climbing. This goes up from sea level to 4,201 (1,293 km) feet!This is just a short list of interesting trails for backpacking and hiking in Alaska. You'll find additional trails listed on my Alaska Trails Page. You can also ask at Park Ranger Stations and other park service buildings for descriptions and maps of trails in their area for hiking in Alaska. Here are a few other things that are helpful to know for hiking in Alaska: Anytime you are in lowland, wooded or other moist areas in the summer, expect that you'll have mosquitoes to contend with--and they can be quite bothersome! So, you DO need to have mosquito repellent or protection of some kind, except in winter. You could do without it, but you'd end up with lots of welts that itch for days. I've had many of them myself. When you are backpacking or hiking in Alaska, especially in remote areas, you should always be prepared to accidentally meet wildlife. Park rangers give short education classes on these, so it is wise to stop by and learn what you need to know before you start. They also loan you bear-proof food canisters which are required to be used for backwoods trips. Hope you have a great time hiking in Alaska! And when you're tired of hiking, perhaps you'd like to try some water sports, such as kayaking in Alaska or rafting in Alaska... 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