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!

Great place to hike, bike, and walk your dog…read more A great place to take visitors for a breath taking view from the top.

Easy trail for most. This is a good trail for anyone visiting town there are two paths the front…read moreside and the back. I feel the back is easier but honestly not sure. I say it's easier as it's just more stairs. The front also has some but more just ups vs switch backs. *** not a hiker so terms are probably wrong. Great views and photo spots up the trail and top!!

Potter Marsh was my last activity in Alaska. Having arrived back in Anchorage, following an epic…read moreroad trip back from Seward, I was staying my last night near the airport before an early flight the next day. Wanting to stretch my legs, I had decided to make an after dinner stop at Potter Marsh. Having passed it earlier in the day, I had seen a large bull moose from the road, as he enjoyed grazing in the tall grasses. Later on, when I actually had time to stop, no moose sightings. However, the walk along the well maintained boardwalk offered epic views and a peaceful, quiet evening walk. Lots of locals out enjoying the first sunny day, all week. Nicely done placards with info and complimentary spotting scopes to see any visiting bird life. It's a quick but worthy stop in Anchorage if you are looking for a simple outdoor activity.

Beautiful park with great views of the mountains and the water! Nice viewing of different wildlife…read moreas well. Nice boardwalk with information signs. Easy and free parking!

Great park with plenty of amenities. It has a lot of walking and biking trails as well as sports…read morefield and hockey rinks. Also has beach access. Plenty of parking. If you want to see a moose, come here. I saw around 8!

Beautiful park with access to the costal trail! Saw a moose not too far from the parking lot. Nice…read morepaved paths and large parking lot. Public restrooms and maps available.

Great trail for a trail run. Mostly woods but some great views of the mountains and ocean every now…read moreand again. Some awesome wildflowers and berry bushes.

Read my previous review for details- since my original review is so old, I'm not able to edit it. I…read morewant people to made use of the last two miles (starting at Windy Point) while they still can. In my opinion this is the prettiest section of the trail, but it is unfortunately slated for destruction. They would have us believe this is for "improvement " but anyone whose lived in Alaska for any length of time and read the report on the plans knows this is hogwash. My point is, enjoy this trail while you can.

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.

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.