Having completed a few 5k's this summer, I was recently re-introduced to this beautiful trail…read moresystem. I agree with other Yelpers when it comes to the trail being secluded and more "in the woods," compared to say, The Tony Knowles trail, which is a favorite of mine. Because of this, you're definitely more likely to see wildlife on this trail, so be bear and moose aware. Carry lots of bug spray. The biggest pro about this trail for me, is all the shallow fresh water access points. Please note, the most secluded parts of this trail are also home to Anchorage's homeless population, so it's best to be aware of your surroundings in general.

Anchorage's urban trail system is it's biggest asset that no one outside of Anchorage knows about,…read moreand that folks in Anchorage take for granted. This one runs West-to-East. In the west, it starts at Westchester Lagoon and it seems to end at Goose Lake Park in the east. I use a good chunk of it to bike commute. It's nice in that it rarely intersects a road. Where it approaches a main-vain, it tunnels underneath the road. Chester Creek is also very picturesque in parts. It's got a gentle flow, it's lined with trees, and it's dotted with quaint little wooden bridges. It makes me want to sing "Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go!" It's decently groomed in the winter, and is the realm of XC skiers and fat bikers, but it can be done with some good waterproof boots, on foot, as well.

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.

Compared to the usual hikes occasional hikers and/or tourists do (Flattop et al), this hike is…read morelonger. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. That means the grade (steepness) is much more gradual and, to many folks, it "feels" less steep. The trail starts out low and in the brush. In my opinion, this is the scariest part. Why? Well, you never have to scramble up rocks and use your hands on this trial, but that's not why. The why is simple: BEARS. I definitely recommend hiking with friends, or being loud, or taking bear spray, or all of the above. The lower parts of the trail have many blind-turns and overgrown areas where you could surprise Ballou. Soon you'll leave the brush though, and take a gentle cruise to the summit of Wolverine. The views from the top, looking east (away from Anchorage) are pretty incredible.

Hiking Wolverine Peak was my first activity in Alaska and it left me sore for the rest of the week…read more However, the climb as well as the views made it all worthwhile. The hike is well known locally and is about 10 miles round trip. It can be strenuous as Wolverine Peak is 4500 feet above sea level and most of the hike is straight uphill. The first 2 miles aren't too bad but the trail gets narrower and steeper as you go along so I was huffing and puffing halfway into it. You have to make your way carefully in certain parts where the trail gets narrow cuz there's this plant called Cow's Parsnip (I think that's what it's called) and something on the flower reacts to sunlight so if you brush up on the flower and it gets sunny, you will have very nasty blistering sores. Be careful! Throughout the hike the guide stopped periodically so that I could check out the scenery and the wildlife. There was a moose and her calf.. and we picked wild blueberries on the trail for a little snack. And the views of the peaks and valleys were so lovely. Just really hard to describe... Take lots of water and a nice lunch to enjoy at the top. A great way to spend the day.

Note: google maps calls this "Buttress Park", and Anchorage Parks calls it "Barrow Park"…read more This is a "Hill to Chill". It's kind of like Anchorage's backyard sledding hill. It's a sloping piece of lawn that starts in downtown and empties out into the Shipcreek area. It's a great place to relax and picnic after a day walking around downtown, especially if the weather is nice. In the winter, you could probably sled down this...not sure if you'd get in trouble or not though. Don't tell 'em I sent ya!

I just wanted to add a few more things to my list below ( please reference my previous review.)…read moreThis is a very long park strip and there are elements of this park that are seasonal. We just discovered a baseball field and TWO ice rinks on the East end of the park down by the train engine. SUPER COOL! One of the ice rinks is first come first served and the other appears to require a reservation but I believe is free. It looks to be intended for ice hockey games. Cool beans

A long strip of open grass located between downtown and mid-town Anchorage. I only really come here…read morefor the Alaska Club's yoga in the park, which runs from June to August. I see a lot of sports clubs out here. It's also a good spot to catch some rays in the summer and there are a few tennis courts as well.

Elderberry Park got a recent makeover!…read more I've been trying to get my kiddos here all summer, but of course, with a view like this, the playground stays full. We were recently able to sneak in, early afternoon on a partly cloudy day. Score! Also only had my youngest in tow, score! She got to enjoy everything fully --no rush. Yay! There are benches, a more common swing set, another swing that is the highlight of this playground, a cool slide, climbing structure, pull-up climber and I believe a porta-potty, also. Highly recommend!

Great park for the kids, adjacent to the Tony Knowles trail and easy access to downtown for…read morerestaurants. A few free parking spots and the only restrooms are a couple port-a-potties.

Whether you like this campground or not depends on what you're looking for. If proximity to…read moreAnchorage, easy access to salmon fishing and easy trails, and safety in numbers are important to you, then this is a winner. Relative to a lot of other campsites with fishing access, the likelihood of bear encounters is SOMEWHAT less due to its direct proximity to the highway, and nominal greenway for bears to hide in. There's a small buffer of trees between the highway and the campground, so bears have adequate space to sneak up if they're so inclined (this is Alaska, after all) so the highway noise is noticeable from all of the campsites. (I did a very thorough walk through of the campground and the perimeter and found evidence of one black bear who appeared to be "passing through"). The only site you may not notice the sound of the highway would be the Beluga cabin, which backs up against the train tracks. Some campers may find trainsounds bothersome. I happen to like train noises, (I grew up 2 blocks from train tracks), but if the honking bothers you DO NOT CAMP HERE since the tracks are REALLY CLOSE. They have to honk to warm idiots that walk on the tracks. Alaskans and tourists alike seem to like to tempt fate and play chicken with the train. A few points to note- there's only one bear box for the whole campground. I find this REALLY IRRITATING, but a common theme at a lot of Alaskan campgrounds, despite the pleas to keep our campsites food and fragrance free. (Grrrr please supply more flipping bear boxes!!!!) There are 3 pit toilets; one dumpster ; you can pay with cash, check or credit card (there's an electronic pay station); the 2 cabins have to be paid for in advance on line; the campsite is within cell/internet service; in 2022 there is NO camp host which means the toilets are getting minimal servicing so BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER (ans SANITIZER if you're a germiphobe like me), so be sure you have the firewood you need prior to arrival. You should bring your own drinking and washing water as well; the handpump here is the worst I've ever used and is need if some serious maintenance. It requires the strength if two men to get going- I think it needs to be oiled??? The water is gross anyway- better to get your washing water from a creek before arrival and brink bottle or tap water for drinking. Some of the sites do NOT accommodate tents due to the gravel and lack of trees. All the RV spots are back in, none are pull-through. The campground has a nice nature trail and connects with a paved bike trail. You can walk to the salmon fishing site down the street. There is also a village gas station, bar, motel, and two small restaurants within plus or minus a mile of the campground. For me, this campground is convenient given its proximity to Anchorage, although I think 20 bucks a night is a little steep given there's no host. I saw a lot of other Anchoragites of the same mind. We'll probably be back.

Very clean and well maintained campground! Outhouses are frequently cleaned and restocked, trash…read moreservice on site, camp spots are nice big graveled pads with a large picnic table, big fire ring and small cleared areas for tents. 2 vehicle limit per spot. There are trees throughout the grounds, so there is a feeling of privacy. Great for both tent or RV camping. Location is beautiful with lots of site seeing close by. I saw beluga whales! It is easy to locate from the highway as it's the turn at the only overhead light in any direction for a LONG ways. Directly across the street is a gas station to pop in for ice or snacks or fuel.

All along Hope Highway, there are hidden, unmarked gems nestled along the way. Anyone willing to…read morestop and explore may be rewarded with a trail, a view, berries, wikdlife, or other local interests. At mile 4.1 of Hope Highway, there is a small unmarked parking lot that I enjoy stopping at every time I visit Hope. "Banjo's fishin' Hole" has an eddy that is a popular launch point for rafters along the class V whitewater section of 6-Mile Creek. It's has a pretty overlook of the water, and if no one is launching, the beach is fairly large and it's a nice place to relax take in the view.