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    Winner Creek Trail

    4.7 (39 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 6:00 AM (Next day)

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    Winner Creek Trail
    John S.

    1. BEAUTIFUL trail! My favorite in Alaska 2. 5 miles total to the tram and back 3. Tram is probably inop. Someone nearly got killed on it during summer 2019 4. Beautiful bridge with a big waterfall 2 miles in 5. Bring bear spray 6. Easy trail, perfect for beginners or those not in shape 7. Lots of moss and rainforest-type scenery

    Signage at the trail head on Crow Creek Road
    Joy L.

    Did I seriously not write a review for this awesome little trail! I guess I was so busy hiking this summer that I didn't make time to Yelp. Hear me, oh non-Alaskans, oh hear me. If you are an inexperienced hiker and you only have to time to hike one trail while you're in the Anchorage area, THIS IS THE TRAIL YOU WANT TO HIKE. Even if you aren't terribly fit, start at the trailhead on Crow Creek Road. Hike one mile to the hand tram and the gorge and back. For mere 2 mile hike you will have a unique experience, get a some amazing photos and you'll want to kiss me. The hand tram is SO cool. The gorge and waterfall are stunning. It looks like something out of Fern Gully or Hawaii. If you go off the trail and walk under the handtram and follow the curvature of the river for about 500 feet you will get a unique view of the falls that a lot of people miss. You can also take a longer hike that's about 8 miles (I think) that will take you to the Aleyeska Resort. Catch it at the right time of year and you can pick blueberries too. If you want to berry pick, remember the blueberries aren't really on the Crow Creek side, they're mostly from the gorge to Aleyska. I really, really recommend this trail. Can you take a hint! Don't miss it!!! Directions: To get to the trail, take Seward Highway to Aleyska Highway. Then you can bear left at Crow Creek Road and drive about 3-4 miles and the trailhead will be on your right. Or you can take Seward Highway to Aleyska Highway, drive through Girdwood (you won't get lost, don't worry) and follow the signs for the Aleyska Resort. The Winner Creek Trailhead starts by the hotel and is clearly marked. Going from this direction, it's a much longer hike to get to the gorge and the falls.

    Ha P.

    Per recommendation from my fellow Yelpers, we embarked on this one adventure. And you could tell it's a popular trail since there were so many people there. The parking lot where the trail begins were full of tourists. We had to park over at the next trail head (Nordic ski Loop) The scenery was beautiful. It's different from other trails that we partook lately. A few minutes into the hike, we were transformed into a world of tall trees, berries shrubs, and mossy ground. My favorite part has got to be the bridge by the waterfall. There's a little path next to the bridge that gave you an amazing view of the rushing water. It's so relaxing The hand-tram was supposed to be the main attraction for this trail. However, it was my least favorite part. While the view from above was amazing and trilling, to me, the handtram reviews the true nature of some human beings. While there were several people who were willing to jump in and help to pull the tram, there were far more of those who just stood there and expected other to do the work for them. At least that was how it was when we were crossing. It's saddening. It angered me to see strong capable guys just stood there and watched a girl pulling the rope by herself. And just because you're a girl, that didn't give you the excuse to just step back and let another person (guy or girl) did all the work. We should all pitch in and share the work to the best of our abilities.

    don't go chasin' waterfalls
    Andrew H.

    "The Flattop of Girdwood"? This trail is 3 miles *round-trip* (read: short!) on extremely well-maintained trial with very little gain. If you're visiting Alaska it's probably a must. It's different from most trails in the Anchorage metro in that it goes through rainforest rather than tundra. This means that there are no "views", to speak of. Just dense, bright green foliage, and rushing waters. It's extremely similar to your average trail in the Portland metro (Columbia River Gorge) and many in Western Washington (Olympic Peninsula). However, the terrain is quite unique for this part of Alaska (South Central), it's more like a slice of Southeast Alaska, 45 minutes from Anchorage. No boat or plane required. Let's just call out the pink elephant in the room: the hand tram. That is the reason most people do this trail, and it is quite unique. I've never seen one on any trail in the Pacific NW, and I've been on hundreds of hikes in that area. When I did this trail there were TONS of people bottlenecked at the hand tram. At least a dozen. Everyone was pitching in on the pushing and pulling. The tram was going back and forth VERY quickly. Personally, I'd rather go when no one else is there and I can take my time going across, taking in the sites, snapping photos, etc. Being that I moved here from the PacNW, I actually enjoyed the views of the little gorge better. I used to be jaded about narrow canyons of crystalline-blue water (seriously, I have a tough life, right?), but since moving to Alaska, you just don't see a feature like this as much. I scrambled down from the bridge and took photos of the area for at least 30 minutes. I think it is the real highlight of this hike. The end of the trail is a bit awkward and uneventful. I'd highly recommend doing a couple things to avoid the crowds: -go on a weekday in the summer: The days are long. The trail is short. You can do it. I know you can. -go in the winter: trail is fabulously well-graded and at a low elevation with little gain. It should be easy to do with snow on it. The green-on-white contrast might even make it more beautiful. If you're afraid of your tootsie's getting cold: welcome to Alaska, time to get new boots. I highly recommend eating at Jack Sprat before/after your hike: http://www.yelp.com/biz/jack-sprat-girdwood *edit*: I'm now seeing information that it might be longer than this, YMMV, do your research!

    Hand tram
    Krista M.

    The Winner Creek Trail is a must try if you're in the Anchorage/Girdwood/Homer/Seward area. I actually found out about the trail from Yelp before I left for my Alaska trip and once again, I'm so thankful to Yelp for showing me the way time and time again. Winner Creek Trail is about 40-45 minutes from Anchorage and you get some spectacular views throughout the duration of the drive. Cliffs on your left, ocean on your right. Watch closely for wildlife on both sides! The trial head is a little hard to find as it is behind the ski resort but nonetheless, we found it back in early June. We actually went to hike the trail, realized we had to be at our helicopter/sled dog tour, and actually came back after the fact. The hike is different from others in Alaska in that it is rather brushy and doesn't have too great of views. The treasure of this hike is the hand tram. You can literally take a hand tram over the flowing water to the other side, hike some more, and then take it back. Everything is beautifully maintained and people are super friendly even though the trail was packed and it was quite hot. Definitely a dog friendly trail... We saw a whole bunch of dogs, families, kids, couples, etc. On the particular day and time that we hiked this trail was packed... I wish I knew this ahead of time and scheduled another day to try again or got there earlier. The hand tram was not too enjoyable because of the long lines on either side, forcing us to go too fast to really take it all in. I did, however, enjoy the hike up to the tram and the rushing water we went down to after taking the tram. I was able to take some pretty good pictures. It's awesome that this trail exists and that the hand tram is available for free to those who hike it!

    Blueberries!
    Nasha W.

    Wow! How had I not found this place until now!? Bring your kids, your dogs, grandma, and buckets! We came here recently and coincidentally the blueberry festival was going on. Who needs the blueberry festival! We were able to pick so many blueberries along the trail and had our own festival. The really great plump blueberries were a bit off the trail. This hike was so worth it. The trail was well maintained and there are lots of great photo ops to include the bridge that runs over the creek, the gorge, hand tram, and overall gorgeous greenery. We accessed the trail from a different point (where road dead ends to the tramway) but you can also access it from across the tramway, ahead on the left. With those yummy blueberries in August be sure to keep an eye out for bears and be safe :-)

    Winner Creek Trail
    Angie M.

    Another personal favorite, the Winner Creek Trail is in Girdwood and can be located from two different areas. Off of Crow Creek Road or behind the Alyeska Resort. The trail is especially one of my favorites to take visitors to and is a good trail to access year round. Located in a temperate rain forest, the trail starts at the t-junction behind Alyeska hotel by the tram. The trail meanders through a heavily wooded forest, over boardwalks and gravel fed paths to Winner Creek Gorge and a traversing hand tram. It can be completed as an out and back trail (2.5 miles each way) or you can connect the Crow Creek Road location, though you would have to coordinate transportation back to the trailhead. That option is 5.1 miles beginning to end. It is relatively close to Crow Creek Mine, so an option is to walk to the mine and take the free Glacier Velley Transit bus that runs during the summer. Most people however turn back at the hand trip for a full out and back experience. The trail is full of stunning vistas of the surrounding mountains. In the fall it also offers some excellent berry picking. Even in pouring rain the tree canopy offers enough coverage to where you would not get soaking wet. It is also an excellent trail for snowshoeing in the winter months. The area is notorious black bear and moose habitat and I have run across both while hiking. It seems like every time I come here during the summer months I run across a black bear. It is considered a multiuse trail so people will allow their dogs off leash. Which could present a problem if they are not good with voice command as one time during my hikes another group of hikers had their dog chase after the bear and ended up bringing it back to the group. You will reach a point a few miles into the trail where you come across a second t-junction and a wide planked bridge or the option to continue on a trail to the left. To reach the hand tram, you will need to continue left. If you go across the planked bridge it leads to the Upper Winner Creek train which is more difficult and leads to open tundra, but after crossing many rock and root covered areas. There are times where it is not uncommon for the hand tram to be down. Additionally there is another trail that leads off down to the waters edge right before the hand tram. It is quite picturesque for photos or to even sit on the rock ledge and watch the gushing torrents of water below you. Winner Creek trail offers a little something for everyone.

    Becca C.

    This 5 mile roundtrip hike from the Alyeska Resort has a truly phenomenal features: lush ferns, well-maintained boardwalks (for the first part of the trail), and a fabulous hand-operated tram that safely whisks you high above a creek. The grade is pretty even for most of the trail and is an out-and-back experience. I was able to hike it in 2 hours with almost no stops. What makes this trail great is that it has water features, mountain views, lush rainforest, berry-picking in the summer and fall, and the tram. Wish I could do this one every week!

    Look for this sign on your way in - Google Maps stops a little short of the trailhead
    Melissa T.

    I had one day in Anchorage and decided to do this trail and the Flattop trail. Spoiler alert, I didn't finish EITHER which means I'll just have to come back here one day. I came in late May, hiked to the Hand Tram and found out that it was "out of service for the season." MAJOR bummer. There's a path near there that can lead you down to the water, and it's not too difficult - the end requires either a brave jump or an easy scramble down the rocks. From there, I walked along the creek just a bit, but stopped not too far from there and just turned back. Not sure if it's possible to continue hiking without use of the tram. Trail was really flat, easy, serene ... I saw zero hikers, other than some rafters. On my way out, another pair arrived to go rafting. It was a Friday afternoon in May around 5pm and the trail felt very secluded. There's a bathroom at the trailhead and for the most part, helpful signage. Google Maps stopped its directions a little short of the actual trailhead - if you keep going, you'll see a sign post for Winner Creek on the right side of the road, which will lead you to a parking lot with several spaces

    Waiting for the Tram.
    Michela I.

    Looking for an easy, yet still scenic trail with a little bit of adventure, this one might be the one for you. Winner Creek starts right at Alyeska Resort and leads you all the way to Crow Creek Mine. I would not plan on starting from Crow Creek, not unless you are wanting a parking ticket, or worse, your vehicle towed. Buttttt ... back to the trail. Very minimal elevation changes, which makes it great for the young and even old. Part of the trail is even on bridged through the forest, which makes the trail that much easier. Some of the bridges do go over rivers of rushing water, but note some do not have a railing. Following the crowd of people, you will hit the hand tram which sits a few stories above the gorge. This is where I would highly, highly suggest you bring gloves if you plan on crossing. I can easily see those ropes tearing up your hands by the time you make it across and then back again. If you don't have any, last time I was there, there was a spare set located on each side for users to use. I wouldn't guarantee or count on them being there again, but maybe you'll get lucky. After across, you can hike another mile or so and check out Crow Creek Mine. Without giving too much away for another review, Crow Creek Mine offers an interactive mining museum with a bunch of little historic buildings with old mining antiques scattered around the grounds. Roam the roads, pan for some gold or take a guided tour of their land. Either way makes for a unique Alaskan experience between the trail and the mines.

    Samantha G.

    This was a fabulous and beautiful and fun hike. It's a 3+ mile trail that goes from the Alyeska Resort to the Crow Creek Mine. It's windy, up and down, and very pretty. It's not exactly an easy, breezy hike, but it's by no means difficult either. It's a fairly well-maintained, nice trail. Walking through the forest is just beautiful, plus all the creeks and waterfalls and bridges and... It's awesome. There's even a hand tram! Totally fun. Definitely a bit of a work out. But note that is it note a loop. You've got to come back along the trail or some other way once you reach the end.

    Start of the trail

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    Ask the Community - Winner Creek Trail

    Review Highlights - Winner Creek Trail

    Located at the base of Alyeska Resort, it's probably about 6 miles round trip before you arrive at a stunning waterfall.

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    Falls Creek Trail - The glacier checkpoint.

    Falls Creek Trail

    5.0(6 reviews)
    16.1 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Falls Creek Trail - Falls Creek 11/16/19

    Falls Creek 11/16/19

    Falls Creek Trail - Nice spot at the end to cool off.

    Nice spot at the end to cool off.

    Falls Creek Trail - Falls Creek 11/16/19

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    Falls Creek 11/16/19

    Crow Creek Trailhead - Still closed

    Crow Creek Trailhead

    5.0(2 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    This is a point to point hike, that for the average hiker takes several days. I'm a serious slow…read morepoke, so I always out and back the first couple miles. The hike is fairly steep, that in the summer doesn' require cleats, but walking poles or a stick is nice, especially if your knees are garbage like mine. You definitely want to being a well equipped pack and plan for everything, since this location is somewhat remote, and if something goes sideways you want to be prepared. Animal encounters are a real possibility. The weather and temperature fluctuates in typical Alaskan style as well. If you go far enough, you'll have to cross a creek, which depending on the time of day, can be unpassable. In fall the colors are absolutely stunning. I highly recommend this trail for adults. Leave the kids and pets home.

    Great hike in Girdwood, more exciting and less crowded than the "other" trail in Girdwood…read more You'll pass old mining debris and wander up a hill. As things get steeper watch out for Mountain Goats! I saw a Nanny and a Billy last time I was here. Eventually, you'll get pretty close to some assorted waterfalls and then top out on the pass proper. At the top is a lovely A-frame hut (reservation only, don't mess with the people in there, give 'em some privacy!). If you continue onward you'll see great views of the Raven Glacier. We brought some ice tools and crampons so we could play around on it. It was a great time! Most people turn around here. But, if you're well-equipped, you can continue almost 20 miles, all the way to Eagle River. Definitely a must-hike in the Girdwood area. If you get back in time, I recommend dinner at Jack Sprat!

    Photos
    Crow Creek Trailhead - Can you spot the amazing Crow Pass Cabin?

    Can you spot the amazing Crow Pass Cabin?

    Crow Creek Trailhead
    Crow Creek Trailhead - Heading out

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    Heading out

    Portage Pass Trail - The trailhead for Portage Pass, located right near the Whittier Tunnel.

    Portage Pass Trail

    5.0(9 reviews)
    18.2 mi

    Portage Pass Trail is a fantastic hike in Whittier, Alaska!…read more I didn't even know this trail existed until the Ship Captain on my 26 Glacier Tour Cruise mentioned it was his favorite activity. So...being only about 6pm in the summertime and still looking for more worthwhile areas of Whittier to explore...I thought...why not come over here to Portage Pass to hike for a few hours! From the parking lot where I had left my car for the cruise, the trailhead was only 1-mile away near the tunnel area getting in and out of Whittier. When turning onto the road leading towards the trailhead, be careful of all the potholes along the way. I parked on the side of the road. Portage Pass Trail is a 4-mile roundtrip hike. Well...let me just back up a little... It's a 1-mile hike to Portage Pass which overlooks Portage Lake and Glacier in the background. Then, it is 1 more mile to trek from Portage Pass down to the shores of Portage Lake. Then...obviously, it is a 2-mile hike back to the trailhead. The 1st mile hiking to Portage Pass was virtually all uphill. I gained 800 feet in elevation. This part was moderately strenuous. I believe, since you work hard to make it to Portage Pass, you might as well go all the way to Portage Lake/Glacier. The 2nd half of the hike from Portage Pass was mostly downhill where I winded my way through bushy areas but all on a defined, dirt trail. And it was sort of fun to maneuver on down to the shore. And just to back up one moment, at Portage Pass in late afternoon, the sun was shining brightly onto Portage Glacier and the surrounding landscape offering beautiful views worthy of pausing for photos. Finally, at "The Toe" of Portage Lake and Glacier...the setting was calm and quiet. There weren't many hikers around with me at 7pm. I took some time to admire Portage Glacier but found that my pictures weren't nearly as colorful being at eye-level with a fading sun in comparison to the perspectives looking down on the landscape while hiking lower from Portage Pass. For me being a picky photo person, the dwindling sun started facing me which created shadows rather where I would have preferred the sun positioned at my back. So...to give a suggestion...I believe visiting Portage Lake and Glacier; you'd be better served coming in the morning time. I also noticed that you could hike around the lake to possibly even step on Portage Glacier! That was intriguing to me, but I knew I still had the return hike to complete along with taking the tunnel to depart Whittier. Those factors were on my mind. And...I didn't have any micro spikes or crampons with me so the best I could do was maybe just stand in front of the glacier. But I feel that would maybe lose the photogenic aspect whereas being at the shoreline, I could capture the glacier in its entirety. This just me being particular...lol, that's all. I spent 25 minutes wandering along the shore, even to just breathe in the fresh air. Had I known about Portage Pass Trail ahead of time, I certainly would have afforded myself an extended stay to marvel at how cool untouched glaciers can appear in the distance. The hike back to Portage Pass was uphill, but not nearly as difficult as the initial trek from the trailhead. Then, of course, once back at Portage Pass, it's downhill back to the dirt road where I parked. I'd say the 4 total miles hiked plus time at the lake took me 3.5 hours...just enough time to complete my 26 Glacier Cruise Tour plus this afternoon hiking adventure making for an absolutely wonderful summer day experience here in Whittier, Alaska.

    Wanting to see a glacier but with our previous honeymoon glacier adventure being canceled due to…read moreinclement weather, we had to get creative. My husband and I found the trail head for Portage Pass and decided to give it a shot! The trail head is located down a gravel road, on your right hand side immediately after you exit the Whittier tunnel. There is no parking lot. The trail was extremely easy to follow and as most reviews state, the 1st mile is all incline until you reach the peak. Once you reach the summit, the wind picks up but then it is all downhill until you reach the glacier. During our adventure, the trail was quite slippery and frozen over with ice but we managed to find a few foot holds. Seeing a glacier up close and personal is absolutely breathtaking and a once in a lifetime experience. We had the entire trail to ourselves since it was the off-season and not too many people wanted to brave the whipping windchill. Definitely worth the short drive from Anchorage if you want to see this glacier before it is gone!

    Photos
    Portage Pass Trail - From the trailhead, it's 1-mile to Portage Pass and 2-miles to Portage Lake.

    From the trailhead, it's 1-mile to Portage Pass and 2-miles to Portage Lake.

    Portage Pass Trail - Appreciating the moment at Portage Pass.

    Appreciating the moment at Portage Pass.

    Portage Pass Trail - At the shores of Portage Lake.

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    At the shores of Portage Lake.

    Trail of Blue Ice

    Trail of Blue Ice

    4.2(6 reviews)
    15.2 mi

    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

    Photos
    Trail of Blue Ice
    Trail of Blue Ice
    Trail of Blue Ice

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    Byron Glacier Trailhead - Avalanche debris (not the Byron Glacier, contrary to popular belief, which is much further up-valley)

    Byron Glacier Trailhead

    4.6(18 reviews)
    16.1 mi

    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!

    Photos
    Byron Glacier Trailhead - Avalanche debris (not the Byron Glacier, contrary to popular belief, which is much further up-valley)

    Avalanche debris (not the Byron Glacier, contrary to popular belief, which is much further up-valley)

    Byron Glacier Trailhead - Avalanche debris (not the Byron Glacier, contrary to popular belief, which is much further up-valley)

    Avalanche debris (not the Byron Glacier, contrary to popular belief, which is much further up-valley)

    Byron Glacier Trailhead - Avalanche debris (not the Byron Glacier, contrary to popular belief, which is much further up-valley)

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    Avalanche debris (not the Byron Glacier, contrary to popular belief, which is much further up-valley)

    Slaughter Gulch Hike - views from up high

    Slaughter Gulch Hike

    5.0(1 review)
    40.6 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Slaughter Gulch Hike - When you first exit the trees

    When you first exit the trees

    Slaughter Gulch Hike - Great spot for a pano!

    Great spot for a pano!

    Slaughter Gulch Hike - Pano

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    Pano

    Wolverine Peak - looking east from the summit

    Wolverine Peak

    4.6(5 reviews)
    23.7 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Wolverine Peak - Looking west from the summit

    Looking west from the summit

    Wolverine Peak - Wolverine summit

    Wolverine summit

    Wolverine Peak - Looking toward Williwaw lakes from summit

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    Looking toward Williwaw lakes from summit

    Pioneer Falls - Leftover berries

    Pioneer Falls

    4.0(2 reviews)
    37.2 mi

    Joy G's review is bang-on!…read more There is so little info (beta, as we say in climbing) about this hike, that I'm shocked it is actually marked on google maps. (the previous map-marker was off, I put in a fix, you should be able to navigate to this spot from Yelp now) Not only is the trailhead marked, so is the trail! (on google maps, NOT in real life) I did this on a frigid winter day. The (very short) road to the trailhead is not plowed, so use good judgement if you don't have good: tires, clearance, etc. (but it's so short, you can park on a pullout and walk in) There is no sign marking this trail either. Most of the falls was under snow when I was here. The falls were at least partially frozen underneath. Still, this is a nice place to go. It's shockingly short and feels shockingly remote. I'll be back in the summer, I wonder how far up you can wade?

    I have no idea why, but Pioneer Falls is one of the best kept secrets in the valley. People who've…read morelived here their whole lives have never heard of it, it's not in any guidebooks, it doesn't have an address, and the sign is so inconspicuous it's like they WANT you to miss it. The falls is absolutely lovely and is very very close to the road, but not visible from the road. From the little parking lot, it is a Very short walk to the base of the falls. The walk to the base is an easy walk less than a city block's distance the should be accessible to anyone on foot. The falls is (guessing here) is probably about 800 feet, but cannot be viewed in its entirety from any one vantage point. The trail isn't maintained, but if you have good footwear and a walking stick if you like, you can leapfrog over rocks and fallen logs up a few hundred feet (less than a half mile) to the widest part of the falls. At this point you can go no further because the canyon walls close in. I would LOVE to see these falls from above. We did find ourselves in need of bandaids after this little jaunt due to bare legs and leaping over fallen logs. I've got crappy knees and the was also one little spot I had to scooch down on my but because if I had tried to step down I probably would have blown out my knee (hence why I use a walking stick ) I think most people wouldn't have this issue though. These falls are exceptionally beautiful in my opinion, second in the Anchorage area, only to Thunderbird Falls. However, I wouldn't make the trip to the Valley solely for the falls, since it's such a short little hike. I suggest if you drive out that way, visit other nearby sites such as Knik River Public Use Area, Eklutna Tail race, the reindeer farm, Pyrah's U-pick, or Austin Helmers Pioneer Ridge Trail. Enjoy.

    Photos
    Pioneer Falls - Getting ready to go down

    Getting ready to go down

    Pioneer Falls - "Parking lot"

    "Parking lot"

    Pioneer Falls - Going up

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    Going up

    Winner Creek Trail - hiking - Updated May 2026

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