Hatcher Pass Lodge offers a great get away location with world class views. There is a nice blend…read moreof locals and tourists and a fun energy within the Lodge. Weekends often offer live music and there is a perfect variety of food and drink options. Winter offers a warm stove and cozy environment whether wrapping up your day or a side trip up the mountain for some winter viewing and relaxation. There's never a shortage of people having fun, playing games, singing song with the band or even a dog to pet And my apologies, I didn't get any pictures from today's excursion

Lots of locals, people having fun and playing games, and enjoying live music. Unfortunately it…read morebeing so popular seating is limited but the surrounding views are spectacular and drinks are expensive but there is complementary hot tea and water.

Small town pizza shop with big city flavor! This hidden gem…read moreat the base of Hatchers Pass is creating some good Pies. I just had the X-Large Pepperoni. Good ratios of sauce to pepperoni to cheese. The crust is thin'ish, crisp and chewy with a sweet finish, it's really good. A hot slice of this pizza will transport your palate to the streets of NY where you can enjoy an original "slice" without having to leave Alaska.

Hatchers pass has a pizza place!!!…read more don't get me wrong there is another good pizza place that delivers pretty much all around the area. But it was really cool to have a new pizza place to try and check out. I'm definitely a fan. My family says they have been ordering here a lot since they opened, I can see why. Definitely a higher quality than the most of the pizza places they have in the valley! The place is very nice quick and easy if you come inside.

Cozy little cute cabin. We stayed here 2 nights while visiting friends in Palmer. Make your own…read morebreakfast. Very quiet at night and glad there were blinds for night. We met Liz the morning we were leaving - very kind. Enjoyed our stay.

It's cabin style,we were there pretty late that night and left early the second day, so we didn't…read moreget a chance to meet the owner. But per the docs on table, we hope we also could have got a chance to meet their doggie. The cabin inside has a queen bed and a bunk bed accomodating four of us very cozy. The restroom is inside with some sperater to form a room, but it doesn't have a top. so it's a bit not sound proofing when you are showering. A little kitchen is embedded in the same cabin too, with electronic oven to cook and microwave and a coffee machine. In the cabinet, it has full list of utensils and in the fridge it has all kinds of breakfast, eggs, bagels, sausages, butter, milke, tea, cereal, yogurt. It's just awesome! And it's very clean, and the heater was turned on before we got there. So once we stepped in the room, it's really warm and made us relaxing and happy. I do wish i can be there again, stay a bit long and meet the lovely owners.

Let's get something out of the way, right away. There is no "s" in Hatcher Pass, between the…read more"Hatcher" and the "Pass". Correct: Hatcher Pass Hatcher NO!: Hatcher's Pass Hatcher's Anyway, this is one of the shortest "real" trails in the large area above/between Wassilla/Palmer/Willow known as "Hatcher Pass". In case you're not confused yet, this trail is located right at the actual pass of Hatcher Pass. That's right. It starts from Hatcher Pass, located in "Hatcher Pass (East Management Area)" Anyway, this trail is about 2.2 miles roundtrip and has 800 ft of elevation gain. It tops out on the summit of Hatch Peak. It's a great hike to take people that are a little bit adventurous, but maybe don't consider themselves "hikers". You'll pass a couple beautiful alpine lakes that are perfect rest stops. The trail eventually gains a rock ridge that leads right up to the summit. On a rare day with good weather, the views are stunning. You can see a large chunk of the greater Hatcher Pass area, Denali, and look back towards the Chugach Mountains near Palmer. (Pioneer Peak is particularly prominent) It's a favorite jumping off point for paragliders. It's a gravel road to get to the trailhead, but it's pretty well maintained. Any car will do.

Besides April Bowl…read more(https://www.yelp.com/biz/summit-lake-state-recreation-site-april-bowl-trail-willow), this might be the most-trafficked trail in Hatcher Pass. (https://www.yelp.com/biz/hatcher-pass-state-recreation-area-fishhook?page_src=best_of_yelp) And that ain't a knock against it! In the summer, you'll find lush green lichen-infused granite rocks and other-worldly turquoise water. It also makes for a fun weekend backpacking trip. In the fall, you'll find bright orange and red tundra loaded with blueberries. In the winter you'll find fresh, bright-white snow ripe for XC skiing or snow shoeing. The terrain at the trailhead is pretty rough, I'd recommend NOT parking right at the trailhead unless you like the bottom of your car getting scraped. If you continue down Archangel road you: 1) Should have a high clearance vehicle, the road rapidly degrades. 2) Will access Archangel Valley (https://www.yelp.com/biz/archangel-valley-palmer) a great place to rock climb and/or pitch a tent. But, I digress. The hike itself is about 4.5 miles with about 1,600 feet of gain. It's fairly moderate but it does have a boulder field in the middle where there is no trail and you'll need to do some minor route-finding. It can get slippery if there is snow (right now). Make sure you take a pole in the summer, and some good waterproof boots (and probably gaiters) if there is snow in late fall. In winter, it might be a good idea to take skis or snow shoes.

Amazing, small ski slopes just outside of Palmer, Alaska in the Hatcher Pass. Most definitely…read morerecommend. Staff were so friendly, lift lines less than a couple of minutes wait time, mountain runs were expertly groomed, and the price was amazing....day pass and equipment rental was around $80. Finally, the ability to access backcountry was unexpectedly easy. Looking forward to returning.

Skeetawk is such an amazing place. Everyone is so friendly, and the location is perfect for people…read morein the valley. Our family goes here like three times a week. Easily 5 stars

A few notes: 1. The…read moremap location on this is wrong. Here is a link to Google Maps. https://goo.gl/maps/2tCGimSECBKfwTj48 2. The trail is called Fishhook on the sign and on Google Maps, but I've also heard of it referred to as Marmot. 3. This trail is rated a variety of ways. It isn't long at 1.3 miles (one way), but it is steep. My Garmin registered 2000 feet of elevation change. I would rate the trail as moderate for distance and technical skills. There are some moments where the trail is pretty narrow. I would rate it as hard for exertion level. Locals will see it as a short and little difficult. Out of towners may view it as hard to expert. 4. Bring sunscreen on sunny days and bug spray if it is not windy. I saw a mosquito the size of a quarter on several occasions. Luckily, it was a bit windy. It is roughly .7 miles to the top of the first rise. Nothing is as steep after the first .7 miles, but the trails does meander up along a ridge until it reaches the top. It took me about 80 minutes to make the summit. I stopped along the way for pictures and taking in the views. Going down was faster, but tough on the toes and the bottoms of my feet. Hiking poles would have made the descent a lot easier on my toes. When I hiked in late June, it was very dusty and sandy. It was easy to lose footing on the ascent and descent if you are not careful. Nearly the whole hike rewards the traveler with 360 degree views of Hatcher and even down in to the Valley to Pioneer. There's a black tube at the top with a journal and pens. Sign your name, write a note. See who has been there before. The last .6 miles included lots of ground squirrels . If you stop and sit for a while, you will almost certainly see them running about, munching on vegetation, or licking rocks.

We hiked this in late October. It is absolutely gorgeous, but it's a rigorous hike with very steep…read moreparts. There was lots of ice and mud, so we were slipping a LOT. We could not make it to the top. Made it about 3/4 of the way. It was the first hike we haven't finished.

Joy G's review is bang-on!…read more There is so little info (beta, as we say in climbing) about this hike, that I'm shocked it is actually marked on google maps. (the previous map-marker was off, I put in a fix, you should be able to navigate to this spot from Yelp now) Not only is the trailhead marked, so is the trail! (on google maps, NOT in real life) I did this on a frigid winter day. The (very short) road to the trailhead is not plowed, so use good judgement if you don't have good: tires, clearance, etc. (but it's so short, you can park on a pullout and walk in) There is no sign marking this trail either. Most of the falls was under snow when I was here. The falls were at least partially frozen underneath. Still, this is a nice place to go. It's shockingly short and feels shockingly remote. I'll be back in the summer, I wonder how far up you can wade?

I have no idea why, but Pioneer Falls is one of the best kept secrets in the valley. People who've…read morelived here their whole lives have never heard of it, it's not in any guidebooks, it doesn't have an address, and the sign is so inconspicuous it's like they WANT you to miss it. The falls is absolutely lovely and is very very close to the road, but not visible from the road. From the little parking lot, it is a Very short walk to the base of the falls. The walk to the base is an easy walk less than a city block's distance the should be accessible to anyone on foot. The falls is (guessing here) is probably about 800 feet, but cannot be viewed in its entirety from any one vantage point. The trail isn't maintained, but if you have good footwear and a walking stick if you like, you can leapfrog over rocks and fallen logs up a few hundred feet (less than a half mile) to the widest part of the falls. At this point you can go no further because the canyon walls close in. I would LOVE to see these falls from above. We did find ourselves in need of bandaids after this little jaunt due to bare legs and leaping over fallen logs. I've got crappy knees and the was also one little spot I had to scooch down on my but because if I had tried to step down I probably would have blown out my knee (hence why I use a walking stick ) I think most people wouldn't have this issue though. These falls are exceptionally beautiful in my opinion, second in the Anchorage area, only to Thunderbird Falls. However, I wouldn't make the trip to the Valley solely for the falls, since it's such a short little hike. I suggest if you drive out that way, visit other nearby sites such as Knik River Public Use Area, Eklutna Tail race, the reindeer farm, Pyrah's U-pick, or Austin Helmers Pioneer Ridge Trail. Enjoy.

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.

Welcome. Welcome to…read morethe best rock climbing (on the road system) in Alaska! The good news: - Rock quality is good, great for Alaska. - Views are stunning: this area looks like medieval Scottish highlands. You'll keep expecting a bunch of kilted warriors to run out from behind some granite rock band, chasing a wounded Grendel. The bad news: - It's pretty much mandatory to have a high clearance vehicle to reach the good climbing (which is at absolute end of Archangel Rd, past the gate). All trucks can make it, and most SUV's and Subaru's should be able to make the journey as well. Anything else WILL get heavily scrapped. This road is very rough and very rocky. You know how the warnings about most roads in Alaska (Haul Rd, McCarthy Rd, Denali Hwy, etc) are just ghost stories designed to scare tourists? THIS IS NOT LIKE THAT. There are deep ruts and there are large embedded rocks. You don't need 4WD or AWD, the road is flat. But your vehicle better have its belly at least 7 inches off the ground. - The weather. Generally not good. It's wet and rainy here almost all the time. It can be birdies and sunshine and lawn mowin' and crisp Coors Light in Palmer but...be a land of dreary granite buttresses up here. So, what if I don't about climbing? What's in this valley for me? I'm glad you asked. About 2.9 miles down the trail (you can do this in just about any car, if you drive carefully) you'll find a trailhead and parking lot. This is the Reed Lakes Trailhead. It's a moderate hike to some beautiful lakes. It also has pretty good berry-pickin' in the fall, but don't tell anyone! If you drive to the end of the trail you can poke around the Fern Mine: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fern-mine-at-archangel-valley-palmer If you wander at least 0.5 miles away from the road, there are many spots where you are allowed to backcountry camp here. Highly recommended, it's picturesque and it's free! This road gets shut down as soon as the snow sticks, so don't even try it! It is open for winter recreation activities, though.