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.

Eklutna Lake is a special place and worth about a 20 minute (one way) detour off the main highway…read morebetween Anchorage and Denali. The drive itself is very scenic and once you arrive at the lake area, there's an obvious day use area where you can park and use the pay machines for day use fees. I didn't do much of the trail, as I was heading north to Denali but did spend about 45 minutes or so walking the rocky shoreline and taking in the amazing views. There are a number of trails to explore here as well as kayaking and guided hikes. It's a glacier fed lake and also serves as a water supply for Anchorage. Alaska has no shortage of wonders and it's pretty special that you can drive a short distance from its largest city and arrive to a place like Eklutna Lake. Carry bear spray-sightings are common though we didn't see any.

We didn't hike the full trail, just went about a mile up and back along the lake from the parking…read morelot, but even that short stretch was worth it for the views. There were plenty of spots along the old dirt road where you could step closer to the water and really take in the scenery. There were mosquitoes, but we came prepared with bug spray, so it wasn't too bad. Looking back, we probably would've enjoyed kayaking more. The lake was calm and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. Even just sitting by the water felt peaceful. If we go back, we're skipping the hike and getting out on the lake.

If you are looking to put your feet in the water, throw a ball for your dog, or wonder around the…read moregreat outdoors without over exerting yourself, then this is your place. Nice views of the lake, and easy to follow trails. I didn't see a place for us to pay to park.

Lovely quiet hike with a lot of "bang for your buck" - a short walk with beautiful views of the…read morelake, mountains, and trees. We stopped here to break up our drive from Anchorage to Talkeetna and it was well worth it!

This is a solid trail that no one apparently knows about…read more If you're tired of crowds on Chugach trails, look no further than here! There are stunning views of Denali from atop Bear Mountain/Peak/whatever its called. It's also really flat on top, great for pitching a tent and watching the northern lights. The trail goes on forever, but I hear the quality deteriorates around mile 12 or so.

Nice easy to moderate hike. The view was nice on the top. It wasn't the best one out of all the…read morehikes that we did but it was pretty nice. Alaska is beautiful no mater where you hike in general. And of course, it wouldn't be called Bear Point without a bear. We were a bit disappointed that we didn't spot any bear on our hike. As we were heading back about 5 to 10 minute walk to our car, we heard a loud noise and a huge black shadow about 15 feet in front of us on the trail. Our dog reacted and started barking. The bear saw us and climbed on the tree near by. We had a staring contest for a good 5-10 minutes before we decided that it was safe to walk under him to be on our way. It was quite an experience to have a bear on the tree right above your head staring at you at you walked by. Pretty awesome! That bear was more afraid of us than we are at him. However, bring your bear spray and gun just in case on any hike in AK because you never know who/what you might run into.

Steep at the start but easy after that. It took us about an hour round trip at a relaxed pace,…read moreincluding time at the falls. Good payoff for a short hike.

Thunderbird falls is a nice little trail. Parking lot is fairly small. $5 for parking per day…read more Credit card only. Bathrooms and info signs as well at the trailhead. We went may 2023 and the trail was not very maintained yet as there were several Rees we had to climb over/go around that had fallen. Not sure if/when somebody cleans them up. No trash around which was nice. Pretty small viewing areas for the amount of people that are trying to see the overlook or the falls. I recommend going down to the bottom where the bad of the falls are, you don't exactly get to the base of the waterfall but pretty close. I recommend this trail, some steep hills but took us an hour to go to/down to the bottom, and get two geocaches and we were back in the car.

This park/ campground was amazing with epic views and there were play areas for the children or…read morepavilions for parties. Many campgrounds sites were available, but we were just there for a walk and taking some photos. Planes were flying above as it's near the Palmer airport and I got some great shots of the airplanes flying above. This airport is predominantly single engine planes. Trails were marked well, but keep track of where you are, as we were not sure on the way back, but you have cell service to look at where you are exactly to find your way back. It's next to a cemetery, which was a great spot for photography also. Overall a great choice for an easy stretch out your legs hike, with marked options for longer hikes/ mountain biking trails.

One of the nicest, most modern campgrounds in Alaska. To start, they have on site hot showers…read more Thats unprecedented in Alaska. They also have a volleyball court, playground, children's bike course, and beautifully landscaped facility. This is much more on par with what you would expect in the lower 48. They also have a nice set of short trails (not safe for children who are incapable of following directions due to shear cliffs), but other than that they are fairly easy with nice views and not terribly difficult.

You've probably seen this peak a million times if you've ever driven up to Palmer…read more It's the second most-notable peak in the area, behind Pioneer (which is sits right next to). The twin peaks vaguely resememble a pint-sized version of the Tetons if you squint your eyes just right. To get to the tops of them, you need to start at Eklutna Lake: https://www.yelp.com/biz/eklutna-lakeside-trail-eklutna Take the trail that goes *away* from the lake, you'll quickly start gaining some elevation. Eventually you'll come to one of the most scenic trail benches in Alaska. Keep going up! The trail will end and you'll see an expanse of tundra in front of the craggy Twin Peaks. You want to go for the one on your right. (if you continue up the "hill" behind you, you'll summit pepper peak, which is a walk-up) You've got two options for summitting East Twin: East Ridge: this is on your (climber's) right. It's got some pretty exposed 4th class terrain and maybe one or two 5th-class moves. The climbing is easy but the consequences of a fall could be dire. (there are a couple spots where a fall might be fatal) Just keep making your way up the ridge, scrambling through the path of least resistance, until you can't anymore. If there is still snow on the ridge, you may need crampons. Main South Gully: this is a garbage chute of loose rock located roughly in the middle of the Twin Peaks massif. It's the descent route for the East Ridge route as well. This is the most common way people take to access the summit. While the movement isn't anywhere near as exposed as the East Ridge, rock fall can be a serious issue. The scree/talus here is very loose. If there are people ahead of you, they could easily knock stuff down on you. In winter/early spring, this gully is filled with snow and is probably more pleasant, however, avalanches would be a very real concern. It took us about 9 hours roundtrip, going up the East Ridge and down the Main South Gully. The views from the summit are incredible. Eklutna Lake and Bold Peak dominate the area and there is also a backside view of Pioneer Peak. On clear days, Denali can easily be seen. You'll also probably see lots of Dall Sheep on the way up/down. Summit post is a great resource for topping out on East Twin: http://www.summitpost.org/east-twin-peak/753392

Playground is ancient, rusted, and weathered. Kids can still manage to have fun. The park itself is…read morealright.

Over the years, I've committed to walking more, despite the lack of sidewalks in neighborhood. I…read morehave to take a very roundabout route to get to Valley of the Moon, but it just means I get more steps in. My comments in my previous review all still remain true. This park is conveniently connected to the trail system which connects it to several other parks and bodies of water. This has become a popular location for birthday parties and is unofficial dog park since the official dog park down the street has become unsafe due to druggie. This park is sunnier and more exposed and less popular with people causing problems.