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| Last Updated: May 11, 2007 | ||
Difficulty |
Easy- very little elevation gain throughout the trail system | |
Connects With |
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail | |
Miles One Way |
Many miles of trail throughout the city. Get the map, Anchorage and Vicinity (Alaska Road and Recreation Maps, Publisher) for details or, Anchorage's Best Trails Map - A brochure of all the biking, hiking, and skiing trails in the city can be purchased at the Anchorage Convention Center & Visitors Bureau, "the Log Cabin", at 4th and F. | |
Miles
from
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In Town | |
General Vicinity |
Municipality of Anchorage | |
Season |
All year | |
Description |
One of best things
about living in Anchorage is its multiple stretches of undeveloped areas with paved
and unpaved trails running through them. Many of the trails go
through tunnels underneath roads, so for long periods of time there are
no worries of motorized traffic. The chance for seeing moose is very high and scenery goes
from small ponds, creeks, and spruce forests to open fields, parks, and
neighborhoods. In the winter, people use these trails for cross
country skiing. 11 miles of trail are lit up for winter use (and with
only 5 hours of sunlight in the middle of winter, it's surely welcome). ***** The following is a contribution from Bob (Trails of Anchorage) on one of the city trails. His website goes into detail about the others. Hike: Campbell Creek Greenway (Bob gave this a 4 hoof rating with difficulty rating of easy) Description: Campbell Creek Greenway is a multiuse trail. Its northern trail head is located at 54th and the Old Seward Highway. Its southern trail head is located 4 miles away at the intersection of Dimond Blvd and Northwood Drive. The trail does not present significant grades; however, traveling north to south is less strenuous as Campbell Creek is flowing downhill in this direction. There are 9 wooden bridges crossing Campbell Creek and 5 underpasses including one under the Alaska Railroad tracks. Warnings: The trail crosses Dowling Road 0.62 miles south of
the northern trailhead. Use caution crossing this dangerous
intersection! The trail skirts Taku Lake at about the halfway mark. Taku
Lake offers various recreational activities including fishing, swimming,
and picnicking. There is a pavilion and large grassy area just past the
lake. Salmon fishing is permitted in Campbell Creek in accordance with
posted signs. Wildlife sightings, including moose, are common place. It
is advisable to carry water and perhaps a little tissue paper as there
are no public restrooms on the trail. Anticipate encountering fast
moving cyclists and rollerbladers. Keep to the right and stay alert and
always give moose the right of way!
***** The following is a contribution from Linda Bee Hike: John's Park Trails (LInda gave this a 1 hoof rating with difficulty rating of easy) Description: John's Park is a very small adorable neighborhood park with little winding trails on both sides of a small creek but the 2007 Anchorage Visitors Guide mentions it for access to the Anchorage Wildlife Refuge which stretches along the inlet coast from Potter Marsh almost to Kincaid. This little neighborhood park is located on the intersection of Bree and John Road with main access and street parking on Bree. So directions are: Head south on the C street past Dimond Blvd and through the two new roundabouts. Turn left on Klatt Road and right on John. John's park is on the right about 1/2 mile. Turn onto Bree and park anywhere on the right side of the street. The main park(picnic tables/play ground) is about half way up Bree.Warnings: Most people seem to stick to the very short bike trail over the bridge. There are small trails to the left of the bike trail. There are more small trails following the creek before crossing the bridge. It was pretty wet and soggy in April 2007 in the Anchorage Refuge so we could not get very far into the refuge off the bluff. There are no direction signs, no maintained trails, and the refuge looks pretty wild so take a GPS/compass if you tend to get lost. The refuge is a moose and bird paradise. Etc: A fantastic view of the refuge and the inlet is from Ocean Bluff Park at the end of Reef Place. In April 2007 we saw moose, trails, and heard sandhilll cranes just standing on the hill/bluff. This has an access to the refuge also but as of today I have not explored this access. Ocean Bluff Park only has limited street parking. Directions to Ocean Bluff Park: Continue past John's Park to the end of Johns Road which will turn into Highview, then turn right on Oceanview and follow around and turn right on Reef and the park is at the very end of Reef and enjoy. To see a beautiful bird's eye view of the Anchorage Wildlife Refuge go to Anchoragelive.com and type "Reef" in the street name space. When addresses come up click on one of the magnifier signs next to addresses and the street will come up. Click on the hand to the left, scroll down and fly south. ***** If you are a visitor, and you have an afternoon free, rent a bike and check these trails out. Just make sure you eventually head towards and ride on the Coastal Trail for the best biking in town. |
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Important Information |
It
is highly likely that you will encounter moose on the trail (and I mean
ON! the trail). Be careful riding fast when you can't see far
ahead of you. If a moose is off to the side you can usually pass
without impunity, but don't linger. If you see a cow with her calves,
use extreme caution! When in doubt, turn back. Please go to my Education
page for more information.
Also be aware that there will be many people on the trail using it
for many different reasons (running, dog walking, biking, etc.).
Stay to the right and respect everyone's space. |
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Etc. |
You can rent bicycles from many
places downtown and midtown. There's a great shop at 4th and D in
the Ship Creek Plaza. A note about smart urban planning: most Anchorage's public schools are connected to these trails. If you lived here, your child could walk to school and not have to deal with dangerous traffic. |
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