A co-worker told me about Earthquake park, but I never had too much interest in it - since the thought of a park being named after an earthquake seemed not a priority to me at the time. Hard to believe that switch got flipped.
I had a few hours to kill and found this park on a Sunday afternoon in late May 2018. It seemed to be one of those popular parks in Anchorage, Alaska, even though its not in the center of the downtown area. It's location seemed to be way outside of metro anchorage near the north end of the ted Stevens anchorage international airport area, but somehow locals and tourist folk love to come here with their families to enjoy the park, it's scenery, and the fact that they are in Anchorage, Alaska. Not many people can say that. I was here around 2pm on a nice Memorial Day Monday 2018 and it was beautiful out. The weather was nice and I had a nice walk amongst the trees while playing Pokémon Go and people watching. The active pathway from the parking lot through the park heading west was filled with bikers and walkers. Dogs with their owners and people with athletic ambitions filled the area with admiration and hope. It was a nice day to be out and about, especially on a holiday weekend. For what it's worth though, the park itself isn't that big and it had a ocean view. You could see Denali on a clear enough day and the city scape of Anchorage too. It was a good day to visit here. Best of all, the park itself was free. Free admission for all! Just don't litter and you should be fine.
Only thing about this park, if you get closer to the ocean, is that there are historical markers and a historical guided tour of the park and how it got it's name. Unfortunately for me, I ended up not doing this walking tour, since part of the walking trail got a little muddy in some parts and I didn't want to get dirty. Safe to say that was an adventure not worth pursuing at that time, but I'm sure that the information is well worth anyone's time on any given day. The walking paths are paved and everyone can enjoy them, which is always a good thing. The area is lush and scenic. It provides an alternative to those of us who want to get out of the urban jungle and be one with nature. Earthquake Park is located 4306 W Northern Lights Blvd here on the western side of Anchorage, AK. As mentioned earlier, there is no admission fee charged for this community park. It's a place where you can get lost in your own time and have fun being free from your responsibilities. Or you can come here to start something that you want to achieve a few months down the road. I know Anchorage has a few marathon and long distance endurance races. Earthquake park is definitely an avenue to start achieving that lasting dream into reality. The parking here is very limited. Probably about 50 stalls for small to medium sized cars at any given time. I got lucky and found a spot for me on a lazy Monday holiday weekend in May.
I probably spent a good 3 hours getting lost in my Head here, enjoying the scenery that Earthquake Park has to offer. Playing Pokémon Go has its benefits here too, while enjoying the benefits of being on vacation too. For the most part though, the park itself is clean and maintained probably by the city of Anchorage, but it helps if visitors to the park kept it spiffy too, so the clean up and maintenance is kept to a minimum. The air was fresh and the birds were indeed chirping. It was a picture perfect day in Anchorage. I got to learn, through informational signage in the park, how the area was transformed through a seismic disturbance and how the park got its name. It was definitely a place where you can go to be alone with your thoughts and to chase your dreams, whichever they may be. For me though, it was a chance to remember how far I have come and how much more I have left to accomplish in this life. If you are in Anchorage and want to explore the local vibe, come here to Earthquake Park and see how this park thrives with the community and it's people. Only then, can you make a connection with the experience of the sense of belonging here in south central Alaska. I know I've felt that sense of place and belonging. Maybe you will too.
5.0 stars for the overall experience. The ambiance is very good. It's one of TripAdvisor's recommendations to do while in Anchorage.
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