I'd done some research on short trails near Anchorage and it was a toss up between this and…read moreThunderbird Falls. Having read reviews of both, I decided on Barbara Falls based on trail reports and its relative proximity to the Eagle River Nature area, my other morning destination. Parking is on Ken Logan Circle but is limited and has some areas posted for No Parking. The property surrounding the trailhead is private so stay on trail and be respectful of the residents. We ended up being the first people on trail around 10 am and as we left around 11:15, it was filling up. There are two ways to the falls. One is to cross the bridge and head up to an upper viewing deck. Then you can double back, cross the bridge as if you're going down to the lot and to your left there are a few rock stairs that lead you along the river and fantastic views of the lower falls. It's about 1.5 miles total if you do both short trails. On the lower trails, especially (but really all through the hike) make noise and carry bear spray. The lower trail has some denser brush and is a narrow path where you could surprise wildlife if not making yourself known. All in all, a great first hike in Alaska!

Wow!!!! How in the world has nobody, nobody, in all of the Unites States of America not written a…read morereview about this West Butte Trail??? That absolutely blows my mind!!! Okay! Well, West Butte Trail is without a doubt one of my new favorite hikes of all time! I visited Palmer, Alaska in June of this summer 2021. Palmer was actually just a town I was passing through along my 2 week voyage throughout Alaska. But...the reason I discovered this West Butte Trail was from a friendly girl I had met on the airplane flying to Fairbanks. This girl, who was obviously from Alaska...highly recommended this hike. Well...here I am now fully grateful to this random stranger for giving me info about this hidden gem of a hike! I am humbled by my journey and for the sights and surroundings when finally arriving at the peak of this West Butte Trail. Now...let me just back up a few moments. When arriving in Palmer...all you have to do (which I did) is plug "West Butte Trail" into Google Maps and it'll perfectly guide you to the trailhead. I came here in mid afternoon during the week back in late June. Although the parking lot was decently sized...I could envision on busy days the place being packed with hikers! It was $5 for the parking fee. That's all it costs. Basically, just like you do when you arrive spontaneously at a campsite, you grab a little envelope, fill it out and put $5 in the drop box. It's that easy. This West Butte Trail is specific and straight to the point. It's a 1.5 mile hike each way gaining roughly 800 feet in elevation. I was thinking 1.5 miles? No problem! But...towards the end of the trail it was sort of straight up the stairs with a few switchbacks. I definitely had to stop a few times just to catch my breathe. I wouldn't underestimate the hike, but overall it's casual for the entire family. Before I started the hike, I did read the trailhead sign and according to what it mentioned, the pathway to the top sounded inspiring. I'd like to relay to you what it said...."West Butte Trail begins in the forest and leads to the unique granite summit of the Bodenburg Butte. Look forward to breathtaking 360-degree views of Knik Glacier, Pioneer Peak, the Chugach Range and Talkeetna Mountains, and local Mat-Su Valley farmland. It is worth the climb!" I couldn't have said it better myself! Finally making it to the summit of Bodenburg Butte...the views (imo) were indescribable! I had chills! Just like the sign said...breathtaking! I was in awe of the 360 degree scenery and surroundings. Lol, alright I may be taking this explanation too far, but I felt like I was ready to cry. I had discovered salvation! Okay, okay....after about 15 minutes I believe my legs had settled down and I had my head on straight, hehehe. But...it was just beautiful...that's all I can say. The terrific aspect about arriving in early afternoon was that the sun was perfectly positioned for picture taking. The sun was at my back for 3/4's of the views. So...I had 3 incredible perspectives for which to snap pictures, take videos and breathe in the fresh Alaskan air. Another amazing detail was that from this granite butte, the weather was perfect. There wasn't any wind. It was like being in still air from high above. I was so impressed with how calm the setting was. Usually when you hike to the top cliff or overlook, it can be very very windy. This was the furthest from what you'd expect. No wind whatsoever. I believe the best part about being at the overlook was gazing out into the distance of Knik Glacier. It was the perfect backdrop. Another angle that was stunning was Pioneer Peak. There was 1 lazy cloud sitting next to it but that actually added a terrific element to the entire photogenic moment. Finally, the Talkeetna Mountains were also pretty special. I was just so happy to be here at the summit. It wasn't even crowded up top. I had tons of space to walk around and without having anyone "photobomb" my pictures. There were a few kids flying some drones but I didn't mind. I spent about 90 minutes up at the summit. After capturing plenty of photos and videos, I just had to sit down on a rock, bow my head and appreciate how far I had come being from South Florida to here in Palmer, Alaska. One last thing...for those who aren't familiar with the city of Palmer, it's located about 44 miles northeast of Anchorage. So...it's not out of the way for anyone to come and hike this trail. Lastly, just again, during my 2 week Alaskan vacation, this West Butte Trail was absolutely one of my highlighted and favorite memories...and all coming from a friendly stranger who recommended it while sitting next to me on my flight here. I am grateful. You never know. Kindness goes a long way. It pays to be nice to people, lol.

We got engaged here! Loved it. Challenging vertical at times but overall a manageable hike for…read moreanyone relatively active.

COVID-19 update: The…read moreEagle River Nature Center(ERNC) is closed. Its trails: are not. You can still park at the ERNC, you just can't go inside. As of 4/5/2020: Trail was hardpacked (no post-holing!) to Echo Bend. (about 4ish miles in, one way) Great views and blue skies were plentiful. There was barely anyone past 1 mile in. (still, bring a mask, it's impossible to get 6ft away from other people on the trail) Yurts/campgrounds were still open! (this was shocking to us) For more general trail details, see my previous review.

This is a great trail!…read more But I don't hike it much... Why? My (your, kind reader!) State Park pass doesn't work here. You need a special pass to park here. Or, you can buy a day pass. The year membership is $25, you are effectively joining the Anchorage Ski Club. More details here: http://arcticvalley.org/anchorage-ski-club/ However... You can also access this trail by going to the South Fork Eagle River trail: https://www.yelp.com/biz/south-fork-eagle-river-trail-anchorage After about a mile of hiking, you'll see a sign post pointing right (if you are hiking in) to Rendezvous Ridge. This will take you up onto the ridge where you can hike parallel to the South Fork trail with WAY better views. There is a lot of up and down on the ridge, but none of it is the type of climbing that requires a rope. It's the perfect way to spend a long day when the weather's good. There are even numerous flat spots where you could backcountry camp. (there isn't any water up here though, so plan accordingly!) Eventually the ridge connects to Triangle Peak. This is a hideously difficult-looking mountain from the South Fork trail but...it's a puppy dog when you're right up on it. It's a scramble up loose blocks of rock, similar to Flattop, although much longer. It's about 8 miles from the car to Triangle Peak from the East Fork Trail. There are tons of Dall Sheep all along the ridge. They kept sauntering ahead of me, I felt like I was herding them. This area (the area near the parking lot) is also very good for berry picking.

This is the sister trail to the South Fork Trail…read more It's very interesting because you walk under and around all the ski lifts connected to the ski lodge. I'm going to try and give a comprehensive review for this. From the Glenn, take the Arctic Valley exit like you are headed to Moose Run Golf Course. You'll pass the golf course on your left and the driving range on your right. The road will turn to dirt/gravel and head up and incline. Just keep going until the road ends at the ski lodge. There is a 5 fee per vehicle and a trail map guide at the parking lot. From here you have lots of options. We headed out to the overlook. It was about a ten minute walk. Right before the overlook there is a four way. The overlook is straight ahead and the left trail heads up toward the ridge. Once you head up to ridge. It is a clear gravel/dirt trail at least wide enough for an ATV. I would say the hike is moderate. You head up for quite a while (about 2 miles). At around the two mile mark you will be able to see down into the valley with the South Fork Trail. As best as I could gather, you're to the left of the South Fork Trail parking. From here you have several options. You could head down following the trail along the chair lift. It's muddy. It's about a 1.5 mile stretch down. Or You can continue up the next ridge or around the peak in front of you and check out all the trails you see across the valley. Lots of options. Hope this helps!

This is a great hike near Eagle River that I was surprised I hadn't heard much about…read more You start at a trailhead on a winding road (see my photo for exact Google Maps location), you switchback up through the trees and eventually make your way to a ridge line. You ride the ridge line, up and down, until you finally reach the proper summit of Mt Magnificent. Be advised, there are many false summits on the way. You'll think you're about to summit the mountain numerous times, then reach the "top" only to see a larger summit in front of you, in the distance. (it can be rather heart-breaking) I'd imagine this hike can go quicker in the summer/fall (the website I read said it was casually done in less than 3 hours, RT), but it takes a decent amount of time to do in the winter/spring (microspikes and a pole are a must). I think it took us maybe 4.5 hrs. There was a bit of route finding and some side-hilling you have to do because it's difficult to scramble on the rocks when they are covered in slippery snow. There are event some flat spots on here that would be great for camping in the summer. I look forward to exploring the Eagle River hiking scene. This one is a pretty big step up from Mt Baldy. Give it a shot!

On my most recent fall walk, was glad to see the trail hasn't washed out any more. Over the past…read moreseveral years there has been significant washout where the main trail meets the river and I was starting to wonder if they were going to have to close the trail. Like much of Alaska, snow and glacial melt is causing rapid river course shifts, and the North Fork is no exception. The views here are really beautiful and there's no elevation gain, so it's a really nice place whole family strolls. It would be a real shame if we lost access to this location .

To get here, you have to first get on the Eklutna Lakeside Trail:…read morehttps://www.yelp.com/biz/eklutna-lakeside-trail-eklutna Once on the trail, it's about 8.5 miles to this campground. There aren't a lot of amenities (no bathrooms) but there are very nice picnic tables and some fire rings! You can also camp down by the lake. The views are much better but the wind can be insane! This is located right next to Bold Airstrip a historical "airport" that is still occasionally used. I wouldn't worry about airplane noise keeping you up though. ;) This is a great place to camp the night before (and after, depending on your time) a big climb up Bold Peak(https://www.yelp.com/biz/bold-peak-anchorage) or Bashful Peak(https://www.yelp.com/biz/bashful-peak-anchorage).

This is a great adventure. If you are wanting to fish and see wildlife then go with Barry at Big…read moreTime Alaskan Fishing Adventure. 10 out of 10 experience. Can't wait to do it again!!!