Oh my goodness…read more Unlike most people, when I'm super-excited, I don't cuss. I use granny phrases like "Heavens!". I'm so excited about this trail, I can't believe I'm just now hiking it. Bird Ridge starts at a big trailhead with blasted-out rockwalls from when the Seward Highway was widened. It has bathrooms at the parking lot and then another (emergency?) bathroom about 1,000 ft up the trail. After the second bathroom, you start going up! And up! And up! There's a lot of gain here in a short amount of time. If you do it in the winter, micro-spikes (choose your favorite brand) are pretty much mandatory (it gets mighty slippery). I'd also HIGHLY recommend a pole of some sort. An ice axe would even be handy for the upper reaches. I'd also recommend you STAY OFF THE CORNICES, people have DIED. But, if you stay off the corniced ridges, this trail is still decently safe to do in the winter. You're on a ridge which is, by definition, one of the safest places to be in avalanche terrain. You'll get amazing views of Penguin Peak (which I recommend NEVER doing in the winter, it is VERY avalanche-prone) to the east and of Indianhouse South Suicide North Suicide Homicide Avalanche Mountain to the West. To the north, you can keep taking this ridge for miles, although it looks like it gets increasingly gnarly. I can't comment on what it's like in the summer, but I've heard it's beautiful. This is a great place to get above the clouds in the winter. You'll have sun on your face while everyone at lower elevations ferments in the gloom! As a bonus, the trailhead is plowed.

Drive south on AK1. pass Indian Valley meats on your left, and you will see a sign for "Bird Ridge"…read moretrail parking lot. (Sign will be on your Right, but the parking lot is on your left when you head south on AK1.) $5 for parking or use your park pass. uphill work out with a fantastic view once you climb up over 3000 feet. If you are fit, you can ascend in less than 2 hours to the top. The trail continues behind along the ridge towards girdwood possibly. Also often times you can spot eagle soaring when you look back towards Turnigan Arm/Inlet. Everything becomes so small when you are up at the peak. It's challenge but you will be rewarded with the view.

There are many different sections to Chugach State Park, like…read more... - Potter Creek - McHugh Creek - Beluga Point - Falls Creek - Indian Creek - Bird Creek You can spend a lot of time discovering all these incredibly vast areas of the park. What really stood out for me was making a brief stop here at milepost 96.5 along Seward Highway (35 miles south of Anchorage) for BIRD POINT TRAIL. I believe coming to Bird Point will help provide a glimpse into the magical setting of the Turnagain Arm waterway within the Cook Inlet part of the Gulf of Alaska. According to the entrance sign near the trailhead, Bird Point is... "A place to reflect and enjoy." "See wildlife foraging in scenic surroundings." " Smell the richness of earth and see." "Hear the whoosh of a beluga's breathing or the rush of a 6-foot bore." "Touch land that was once tropical ocean bottom." Welp, I don't know about all that wildlife because I didn't see anything during my visit...but definitely walking the easy 1.9-mile trail will allow for plenty of opportunities to appreciate nature and the great outdoors. It's a $5 fee for parking. Then, there'll be plenty of viewpoints on the paved connector pathway for picture moments of the Kenai and Chugach Mountain Ranges. When I was here towards the end of June, there was still some snow covering the mountain peaks which added to the beautiful backdrop and that was even, still, on an overcast day. I didn't hike the full length of the trail, maybe I used 30 minutes in total, but it was enough to get a feel for how special this part of Southcentral Alaska is. And just past here at Bird Point are still more exciting roadside pullovers along the Seward Highway journey to appreciate the sights before arriving in the town of Girdwood, where I highly suggest riding the Alyeska Resort Tram. Overall, Bird Point is a scenic stretch of Chugach State Park that's not difficult for exiting your car and taking time to walk around and explore.

If you're like me, you want a hike that doesn't make you climb 1000 feet in 5 minutes. I prefer a…read moregentle slope and that's what you will find in Chugach State Park. It is a nice rolling trail with footbridges to avoid rough ground and crossing streams. I'm no expert on mushrooms, but there were a lot of them. Not sure that you were allowed to pick them, but some mushroom foragers were doing so. I've included some pictures for you mycologists. The trail had a nice spruce like smell that was pleasant. And we saw plenty of dogs at walking their owners. There were also benches along the trail in case you wanted to take a break. We saw wild berries and other native plants. It took use about 90 minutes to walk about 3 miles.

Sprawling park in the heart of Girdwood!…read more Home to the annual, free, forest fair. (It's a hippy thing) Big trees and mountain views!

What is otherwise normally  a quiet, community park becomes a living tribute to art, music and self…read moreexpression every July during the Forest Fair.  Camping is normally forbidden,  but during the fair the park resembles Woodstock, replete with mud, tye-dyes and people sneaking off to smoke dope.  There's concerts,  events for the kiddos, tons of food, and a LOT of Alaska made crafts (pretty much anything you can imagine.)  It's hard not to love the fair. But I also enjoy the park when it's not crammed with people during the fair.  The park is flanked by creeks and there are all kinds of wonderful plants and wildflowers growing. The trees here are huge, which is fairly unusual in this part of Alaska.  At the fore of the park,  there's the usual playground equipment.  Across the street there's a picnic area with tables, bear trash cans and grills.  There are also a few little trails tucked amongst the trees that offer some delights as well, some of which can only be discovered if you're willing to get your feet wet.

Take the helicopter glacier hike tour! You will not regret it!! My husband and I were second…read moreguessing such a big ticket item for our Alaska trip but we agree it was worth it! Our trip would not have been the same had we skipped this standout experience! Our guides Andy and Matt were amazing! We had a lot of fun with them and learned a lot too. Thank you guys for the memories! Until you see and walk on a glacier, you cannot understand the scale and size of one! There are hidden worlds when you get on the ice! Waterfalls into the abyss, hidden ice caves, lakes of deep aqua blue... and it goes on and on in every direction. Completely insane! Do yourself a favor and book this trip. The views from the helicopter alone are worth it, but exploring a glacier is priceless!

Did the spencer glacier kayak and hike, starting from the Alyeska Resort. $379pp (occasional…read morecoupons on their Facebook). This took about 9 hours, with about 5 hours being kayak + hike. The rest was transportation/waiting for train/etc. Prices are high, but the experience is pretty amazing. It's hard to do activities or get up close to glaciers without assistance/guides. The group to guide ratio is low so you're definitely safe. I love the energy from the guides. They know what they're doing and they are so enthusiastic about it. They definitely take care of you if you're a newb to all this. Amazing views. Amazing pictures. Would recommend!

This is a point to point hike, that for the average hiker takes several days. I'm a serious slow…read morepoke, so I always out and back the first couple miles. The hike is fairly steep, that in the summer doesn' require cleats, but walking poles or a stick is nice, especially if your knees are garbage like mine. You definitely want to being a well equipped pack and plan for everything, since this location is somewhat remote, and if something goes sideways you want to be prepared. Animal encounters are a real possibility. The weather and temperature fluctuates in typical Alaskan style as well. If you go far enough, you'll have to cross a creek, which depending on the time of day, can be unpassable. In fall the colors are absolutely stunning. I highly recommend this trail for adults. Leave the kids and pets home.

Great hike in Girdwood, more exciting and less crowded than the "other" trail in Girdwood…read more You'll pass old mining debris and wander up a hill. As things get steeper watch out for Mountain Goats! I saw a Nanny and a Billy last time I was here. Eventually, you'll get pretty close to some assorted waterfalls and then top out on the pass proper. At the top is a lovely A-frame hut (reservation only, don't mess with the people in there, give 'em some privacy!). If you continue onward you'll see great views of the Raven Glacier. We brought some ice tools and crampons so we could play around on it. It was a great time! Most people turn around here. But, if you're well-equipped, you can continue almost 20 miles, all the way to Eagle River. Definitely a must-hike in the Girdwood area. If you get back in time, I recommend dinner at Jack Sprat!

Thanks to their help, my group had an unforgettable adventure to Blackstone glacier! They were…read moreincredibly helpful and instructive. Could not have asked for a better experince ​

If you are in Whittier you must see this museum; detailing the history of how this place came to…read morebe. It's not a long museum as it's technically one room. But the memorabilia, photos, and diagrams is certainly worth the visit.

We had an amazing trip. We saw glaciers, whales, otters, sea lions and eagles. Bryce was our guide…read moreand was extremely knowledgeable and just a fun guy.

Wow!! Seeing the backcountry on jet skies was amazing. Our guide gave the history of the glaciers…read morethat goes back to the ice age. If you go to Alaska be sure to use this outfitters of backcountry views.

I love, love, love this picnic park. It's well hidden and unknown by most people unfamiliar with…read moreWhittier (well, I've gone and ruined that now haven't I?) The park is tucked away in Shotgun Cove at the confluence of a glacial stream and Prince William Sound. The protected cove offers a lovely vista of mountains, water and trees (ok and a parking lot.) It's got several grills, tables and a picnic pavilion that is perfect for small gatherings. Midweek, the park is an ideal place for contemplation. The only issue here is the mosquitoes, which are significant. But if I could plunk a house down anywhere in the world, it would be right here, a little piece of paradise.

One of my absolute favorite places to spend time in Southcentral Alaska. I didn't actually…read morediscover Lu Young Park in Whittier until June of 2016. I happened to have a day off and decided to drive down to Portage area for some photography and enjoy a beautiful summer sunny day. Even though I have lived in Alaska for over 45 years, I didn't visit Whittier or go through the tunnel all that often. Maybe only a handful of times since I was young. A few times included taking the train while another was driving down there with a friend where I was riding shotgun. But something that day made me decide to pay the money to go through the tunnel and do a bit of exploring. And given I'm one with an insatiable quest for exploring, I found myself on the road to Shotgun Cove. And that is where I found Lu Young Park. To access Lu Young park drive up Blackstone Road and then turn right on Salmon Run Road just past the abandoned Bucker Building (hard to miss, one of the tallest buildings in Whittier). Continue on the dirt road for about a 1/2 mile and you will see a pull out with a covered picnic area. The area has a couple of picnic tables, bathrooms and an overlook. It is a great place to explore both at high and low tide. Additionally the area is teaming with thousands of pink salmon during their run in August. It is not uncommon to find kayakers and SUPs in the cove. There is always something different to see and experience here. During the evenings after work during the summer I like to grab a bit of food from somewhere and drive down and catch the tunnel opening and then have a picnic. It is always serenity to me.