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.

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.

Great trail for a leisurely hike or ride. The trail is not super long but it takes you back to…read moreupper Jim Creek and has numerous overlooks along the way. You can also hike above tree line and get a good view of the knik glacier. When you get to the metal bridge over Jim Creek you can easily hike downstream for a glimpse of some salmon in late summer/fall.

Warning: This is NOT an easy or "lazy" hike. There is one area that flattens out for a little…read morereprieve after about a mile and a half and another somewhat flat area around 2 miles in. There are several false summits. Which is a challenging mental battle after the first 2.0 miles of going consistently UP! The first false summit comes somewhere around the time you exit from the trees and shrubs about 1.2 miles in. Around this point you will arrive at a picnic table. The natural instinct on your first trip up is to look up and see rocks and think "I'm almost there!" You're not. You're only about halfway there. But keep going because. This segment is above the tree line and affords some spectacular views of Pioneer and Matanuska Peaks. This is a superb trail to hike year round. It receives a great deal of foot traffic even through the winter which means the trail is easy to follow and the snow is packed down. Note: If you see a smooth surface of snow on part of the trail in the winter, this is from people sliding down the trail on their butt! Fun times! Enjoy that! Note: Moose frequent this area and are far more prevalent in the winter. Keep and eye out! Note: This parking lot has a good deal of crime. I'd suggest not leaving no anything valuable. I often leave a window down or a sign saying it's unlocked so my windows don't get broke.

You wanna get high in Palmer?…read more This is a safe bet. Fantastic views of Pioneer Peak and Palmer. This trail is actually pretty steep, don't be fooled by the "lazy" moniker! Don't be too intimidated though, this trail is pure hiking. It's got a 'Merikan flag at the top, like many AK hikes. Like many AK summits, this flag is also usually frayed.

This is a terrific spot for enjoying the lake in a hot summer's day…read more The water is crystal clear (except in the swimming area where all the dirt has been kicked up). - There are several campgrounds. - There is a picnic area with grass and space to throw a football. - There is a beach area (gravel type) for swimming. - There is a boat launch and parking for around 8-10 trucks and trailers. - There is a dock. - There is limited parking AND IT DOES FILL UP. On those hot summer weekends, expect there to be a full parking lot and the possibility of waiting for a spot to park. - There is a camp host that walks around and checks the cars for the fee receipts. Make sure to pay or have your state parks decal displayed.

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.

Archangel Valley is incredible…read more Fern Mine? Just alright. It's classic Alaska: Step 1: mine leaves rusty equipment and questionable shafts. Step 2: instead of cleaning up/restoring area, make it a "historic" mining area. Step 3: Profit? The "other" mine in the area is much more interesting. If you've made it down to this mine, feel free to hike the trails through lush foliage or set up a tent at the perfect spot. Don't waste too much time at the mine though. NOTE: a high-clearance vehicle is REQUIRED to get here. If you don't know if you have a high-clearance vehicle or not: you don't. Stay away or your car will get TRASHED.

At the terminus of Archangel Road in Hatcher Pass country lies a very cool abandoned mining route…read morethat leads to Fern Mine. Fern Mine was actively mined from 1922 to 1951 and produced about 44,000 ounces of gold. Mining relics are scattered all over the property, including a Caterpillar generator and cooking utensils. It really is a cool site and if you keep going, there are winding paths that line Archangel Creek. About a mile past the mine there is a free-use cabin with bunks, even a (yucky) working outhouse. I actually intended to do the Reed Lakes Trail, as its trailhead is on Archangel Road. However we passed the trailhead to see what was at the end, and low and behold, you get to Fern Mine. A website that provides more info: http://www.alaskahikesearch.com/hikes/Archangel.htm

Awesome time!! Had family in town and we decided to give this a try. The guided tour was so fun,…read morebeautiful and perfect length. We winded up the trail and thru some parts of the river. Threw snowballs around up too and enjoyed some hot chocolate then made our way back. Great time l! Will definitely do this again!