This is the perfect trail for a family! People of all ages can come. It's super short with an easy,…read moreflat dirt path. We saw senior citizens, kids, dogs, etc. all comfortably share this path. I took my husband and parents who are in their 60s to this trail. My parents aren't too fond of when I take them on what they call "too crazy of an adventure," but this trail they handled just fine. It only took 55 minutes to drive from Anchorage to the trail head. And you get to drive the beautiful scenic Seward Highway. That itself already made the trip worth it. The trail is only 1.4 miles one way. There are no river crossings or switch backs. It's just out and back. It's a pretty sunny walk, so bring a hat/sunscreen. At the endpoint, you get a nice view of the Byron Glacier. Apparently you can even sometimes visit ice tunnels. Those weren't available when we went because an avalanche reportedly happened the week prior. But it was still definitely worth the trip. If you take your time to enjoy the walk and glacier, the "hike" takes about 3-4 hours.

Absolutely stunning trail! Very friendly to all ages and all levels of athleticism. I've hiked out…read morethere with people as young as 3 and as old as 70-something! It takes about 10 or 15 minutes to walk out there if you're going at a relaxed/moderate pace. PLEASE be careful around the snow and be VERY aware that the ice above the river is often very thin! You'll see other footprints over it, but you are NOT supposed to walk on it, especially on the parts above the river! The water is eroding it from the inside out and one wrong footstep could send you falling 20ft into an ice cavern :( You can have just as much fun here without risking your life!! I always wear bug spray here, but I've seen only a few bugs. Don't drink the water unless you have a filter with you. If you're driving in from Anchorage, the Alaska Wildfire Conservation Center is directly on the route and definitely worth stopping at!

Where is all the blue ice? I don't see no trail! Well... I did see a couple of glaciers up top…read moreunder white snow, so I saw sprinkling of blue ice. This is the Tony Knowles Coastal trail of Portage. You start at Moose Flats, or Visitor's center, and walk/jog/bike/skate/meander 5 miles to the opposite end. I started at Moose Flats and it was a good time viewing natural and unnatural areas of interest. Scouted out camp spots, watched kayakers in a lake, and enjoyed walking over bridges during the jaunt. It was good, not great. So much so, that instead of walking all the way back I hitched to get the car and pick up walking companion. Then we jetted over to Byron's Glacier for a proper, albeit shorter, hike. Would come again if camping in area, but would pass for future hiking funsies due to lack of interest.

This is a flat 5-mile trail that links together the many sights and sounds of one of my favorite…read moreareas in Alaska: Portage. Despite being located a little over an hour from Anchorage, this area gets obscene amounts of snow and rain. As a consequence of all that H2O falling from the sky, the mountains in here are heavily glaciated, even though they are not very tall by Alaska standards. (tallest in the area is around 6,000 ft, with many in the 3,000-4,000 ft range) Because this trail is so flat, it's very commonly cycled. Bring your bike and make a half-day of it, or bring only your boots for a much fuller day. There are places to view Salmon here, but I can never seem get the timing right. Stuff to see in this area from/next to the trail: Explorer Peak (and Explorer Glacier): https://www.yelp.com/biz/explorer-peak-portage Byron Glacier Trail: https://www.yelp.com/biz/byron-glacier-trailhead-anchorage Portage Glacier visitor center: https://www.yelp.com/biz/portage-glacier-and-begich-bloggs-visitor-center-girdwood

Man, how am I just now getting around to hiking this?!…read more Falls Creek is located at ~Mile Post 105.6 on the Seward Highway. In relation to other trails: To the West: Rainbow Trailhead (https://www.yelp.com/biz/rainbow-trailhead-anchorage) To the East: Indian Valley Trailhead (https://www.yelp.com/biz/indian-valley-trail-anchorage) Stats: Mileage: 2.7 (one-way) Gain: 2,900 ft About a 1,000 ft/mile, steep but not *too* steep. The trail starts out...next to a falls! It closely follows Falls Creek for the first half of its length. As the water is loud and the brush is thick, I'd highly recommend doing some trail karaoke with your friends to make sure you alert any bears in the area that you're coming. Eventually, you get out of the brush and the valley expands. It's gorgeous. It's wide and it's bright-freakin'-green (my favorite shade of that color), or at least it was in mid-June. This is going to sound odd but, it actually reminded me of some of the valleys I hiked in Hawaii! It made me a little butthurt that I am only just-now getting around to hiking the trail. The trail ends at a lake. I'm not sure what the name of it is, so I'll just call it "Falls Lake". The lake frequently has snow on/in/around it, up until July. But, there is an ample amount of vegetated, snow-free flat area around the lake, this would be a perfect "Baby's First Backpacking" trip. (no permits required, just load yourself down and hike up) You can continue up past the lake, onto the ridge between South Suicide Peak and Indianhouse Mountain. The path will quickly change from "hiking" to "scrambling" though. I'd only recommend going up South Suicide if you are confident on your feet, and I'd only recommend going up Indianhouse if you have a rope and a partner! If you're quick enough, this can be done as an after-work hike. If you're slow or looking for a casual stroll, you can easily make a day of this hike.

I'm still sore. Dragged my spouse and our neurodivergent son with me to do this hike on a sunny…read moreSeptember Saturday. We parked at 1pm (parking lot was packed). Got back to the parking lot after 5pm. You'll need most of your day to do this hike if you're not a professional. This hike is beautiful but it is challenging for sure. You are going uphill the entire time. On the way down it's so steep you're jamming your toes trying not to fall. We did the bulk of this hike with nothing but backpacks full of snacks hahaha. Everyone that passed us up or down had poles, guns, bear spray, bells, dogs, the whole enchilada. I don't recommend hiking this area the way we did, we just got lucky :) It was a beautiful day and we were never alone for longer than 15-20min at a time. Weather was perfect, it was sunny and warm but the breeze was breezin'. The falls are a sight to see and made this strenuous hike completely worth it for my water-loving son. I can't wait to return soon and make it further.

What an amazing trail! There was plenty of difficult places to cross along the way but it was…read moreawesome! Super long trail all the way to the lake, but the views on the way are what make the journey worth it. BRING YOUR BEAR SPRAY! Just in case. Experience Level: High Total Hiking Time: 6 hours Elevation: 2,700 feet Distance: 14.3 miles

I think this is a really wonderful trail that is 16 miles long. I've hiked in from Primrose and…read morecamped at Lost Lake, which is about 7-8 miles in and is amazing in scenery changes. I also hike in from the other side to hit up Dale Clemens cabin which is 2.5 on the winter trail. One time I tried to find the cabin from the summer trail and we got lost, so I'd like to think I've hiked about 12 miles of this trail total. Looking back it would have been great to have continued on and ended in Seward when I overnighted at the lake, but I just didn't have all the facts at the time. There is a creek near both trails for water if needed, and the terrain goes from mossy woods to hiking through a mountain pass not unlike the gap of Rohan. If you come from the Primrose side there is an old mining cabin off to the side, about 4 miles up, and has a wheel in the water that I think was used for power. It's an interesting feature to the hike that is worth the stop. I would come again and hopefully complete the entire trail sometime.

Quick easy hike to see a gorgeous waterfall! Talks about 5 minutes to see it. Public street parking.read more

Our hike to Virgin Creek Falls couldn't have gone better. It was a nice short hike through a…read morebeautiful forest. Many of the trees had moss on them and there were a number of ferns around. We probably got to the falls after about 5 minutes and they were beautiful! Great hike and our 6 year old could handle it. In some places the trail is a bit close to the ledge, but as long as you're paying attention you shouldn't have any problems. Definitely recommend this hike.

The first time I drove through Cooper Landing, I had a thought that went something like "Wow, this…read morearea is beautiful, look at that water! I wish I could see a better view of it though..." Since then, Cooper Landing has been a place that I have thoughts like this about: "Beautiful place, some good places to eat on the way to Homer, not much to do if you're not into fishing though..." Well, I discovered this terrific trail (along with half of the Anchorage metro last weekend), and I'm happy to report I was wrong! The trail is short (in mileage, a little over 2 miles) and steep (in elevation gain, about 2,600 ft). Going down will be 2 to 4 times as fast as going up. It took us about 2 hrs to get to the top, hiking at a steady clip with no breaks. We started late because, what the hell is the point of waking up early to hike when it's light out past 11pm? And we ended up having the summit to ourselves! Keep going towards the end, there are multiple "false summits" near the top where it feels like you're about to top-out, but you ain't. Here's a tip, try to impress/annoy your (masked, distanced) friends by yelling out "SORRY, FALSE SUMMIT!" as you hit each one! At the summit, amazing panoramic views of the turquoise waters of Cooper Landing abound! Great for testing out that panoramic functionality on that new phone you bought during quarantine! You also should've brought a beer, sorry I didn't tell you earlier in the review :( The trailhead is at the end of the short road called "Stetson Cir", navigate to it from the Yelp page and it should take you directly there. It's not formally marked with a sign or anything (nor are there any restroom facilities), but the start of the trail is very well-worn and hard to miss, it seems like locals use it to gather firewood.

It's a winner!…read more Alaska has so much spectacular scenery. It's everywhere you look, and this trail takes the prize for most stunning. Seriously. It looks, feels, and smells really nice. The only downside is that it's popular, so don't expect a quiet, solitary time. There are lots of people on this path, but at least it will keep the bears and moose away! ha

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! One of my favorite "easy hikes." The city of Girdwood is…read moreenchanting. I'm in my very own version of Beauty and the Beast whenever I'm adventuring in the area. I was grateful to have been able to experience this trail in its entirety, prior to an accidental death, and the ultimate closing of the hand tram. You can start this hike at the Alyeska Hotel (more popular) or at Crow Creek Mine (less popular). From Crow Creek Mine to the gorge it's about 1 mile. With the hand tram closed, theres no safe way to cross the gorge. From the Alyeska Hotel to the gorge, it's about 2 miles. I'd recommend starting from the hotel for a longer hike. That side also has many natural staircases, unique bridges/water sights, basically, the best photo opps. When in season, this trail offers lots of berry, mushroom, and other foraging opportunities. Highly recommend.

We went here to do a little hiking and to check out the waterfall. The trail to the waterfall was…read morepretty good, but a bit close to the edge in 1 or 2 places. The waterfall itself was impressive. I really felt the power of it, being so close to it. I did not see any wildlife on the trail other than a few ducks in the stream. I would recommend this trail.

Like some other trails in Anchorage (Ram Valley, McHugh Peak) the legality of this trail probably…read morevaries depending on who you ask. I'm pretty sure it is legal, but you have to follow the rules: - obey any and all private property signs: while the waterfall itself is probably public land, there is lots of land around it that is not. - DO NOT park directly at the end of this cul-de-sac. You will probably get towed. Pull forward until you stop seeing all the no parking signage. Got it? OK. So there are two ways to get to the falls. If one were walking up the creek (against the flow) I'm going to describe them as viewer's left and viewer's right. Both ways start by walking down a road with a locked gate. If you hear a big Great Pyrenees barking at you, you're probably in the right spot. Folks describing this as a "trail" confused me and I ended up doing some minor bushwhacking on this completely easy and mundane trail. In a very short amount of time, you'll come to a sturdy bridge. This is where the paths diverge. 1) To get to the viewpoint: continue across this bridge. In maybe 100-200ft you'll see a sign saying "Barbara Falls" with an arrow pointing right. Go right. You're still on a very wide road that you could drive a truck on. Following this uphill, veering right-ward at any junctions. This will take you to the viewpoint with guard rails. With a 50mm-ish lens (the "zoomed in lens" on most modern phones), you can get pretty decent shots of the falls. If you want to get closer, you can go around the guard rails and climb down. BE EXTREMELY careful and take it slow. This terrain is really slippery and pretty steep, a fall would not be good. This view isn't that great for more "serious" (on a tripod) photography though. Why? Because the wind is constantly blowing mist off of the falls and to this point. 2) To get to the "right" side of the falls: BEFORE the sturdy bridge, look for a FOOT PATH (NOT a big, truck-wide road) on your right. It starts almost exactly where the bridge begins (see my photos). Fall foliage may make it hard to find. It hugs the creek pretty closely the entire way. This is the best spot for photography. It takes you to a pretty big area where you can safely explore the falls at their base...without any sketchy down-climbing. Wide-angle lenses work great down here, this is a very photogenic falls. In the "Fall" (*groan*) there are lots of nice autumnal colors here. Have fun and obey the rules so that others may do the same in the future!

Let me start by saying that I had set some pretty high expectations of the Harding Icefield Trail…read moreand was worried they wouldn't meet them ... But they actually ended up far surpassing them. This trail was, by far, our favorite hike we did in Alaska, and one of our top hikes in general. This is a strenuous hike that you need to come prepared for. It's about 8.2 miles roundtrip with over 3000 feet of elevation gain with some rocky areas. We wore hiking shoes and rented some poles, and it went great. We did the hike in September, and there was still snow toward the end of the hike - so these poles definitely came in handy once we hit that. This hike was absolutely beautiful. You'll start out with gorgeous views of the trees, rivers, and wildlife. The higher up to go, you'll start to get a sneak peek of the glaciers, and let me tell you - pictures don't do it justice and won't prepare you for what you're going to see. The Harding Icefield is absolutely breathtaking - just pure white as far as you can see. It's such a peaceful experience that we could've just sat there for hours and taken it all in. The hike up was rough, but it's 100% worth it when you reach the end. Pack lots of water and snacks. It was rainy the day we went, so our rain jackets were lifesavers. But there is a lot of open hiking, so definitely back sunscreen if it's a sunny day. And don't forget your bear spray. Absolutely incredible hike. 100% recommend it.

We checked in at the visitor center before the hike, where they loaned us trekking poles and let us…read moreknow the trail was open all the way to Top of the Cliffs--it had only just opened past Marmot Meadows. The hike itself is tough, especially with the snow patches you have to cross to reach the top, which was also still snow-covered. Coming down was actually kind of fun--you could slide if you didn't mind a wet bum. The views made it all worth it. The Harding Icefield is just massive and awe-inspiring. We also saw the glacier below, along with people mountaineering through the crevasses and hiking out on the ice. We saw a few hikers pushing past the recommended stopping point, but we turned around at the top. Not interested in testing our luck with a rockslide or avalanche. There were plenty of people on the trail, so we never felt concerned about wildlife, and we ran into a couple of interpretive rangers along the way who were friendly and happy to chat.