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.
