Chugach State Park, Alaska

Thunderbird Falls is just 1 mile from the parking area off the Glenn Highway. The trail starts off with climb but quickly levels off. It skirts the Eklutna Canyon through a birch forest with viewing decks overlooking the cayon and falls. The trail splits near the end. If you stay to the right yo...

You'll see tons of animals including bald eagles, bears, moose, muskox, lynx, reindeer, and wolves!  It's a conservation center so they have a great mission.  It is located in Portage Valley and is surrounded by the Chugach Mountain Range and the Turnagain Arm Inlet.   Open 7 days a week, 10 am t...

This beautiful lake is fed by Eklutna Glacier.   There is so much to do here:  Rent bikes or kayaks (bring your own too).  Info about renting is here.   Walk or bike along the trail that wraps around the lake Hike Twin Peaks TrailIf you want a more difficult hike, do Pepper Peak. This hike incorp...

The lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains that host a variety of interesting wildlife. If you look closely, it is not uncommon to see a Dall's sheep or two on the mountain side. At the western edge of the lake, you will find the parking lot and trailhead. There are picnic tables and a bathh...

This hike must be done in the deep of winter! Around February, Portage Lake is often frozen solid-solid enough to make walking safe.  Hikers, bikers, skiers, skijourers, and snowshoers will form a 3 mile trail out to Portage Glacier.  This trail is appropriate for children. For younger children, ...

To begin on this adventure, you first have to find the trailhead. Drive out on the highway to Girdwood, and turn left at the sign that says "Portage Glacier". Towards the end of the road, it Ys and you take a right, then another right. Follow this road, and the first parking lot on your right is ...

Slaughter Gulch Trail is a leg-busting 2600' ascent up Slaughter Mountain in Cooper Landing, Alaska. Covering only a few miles, the trail is steep and quite rocky in some places, requiring the use of trekking poles, all fours, or impeccable balance. Start off early at the small parking lot near t...

I set off down the road towards “the lake I saw on the way in that was really blue”. From Seward, AK I knew that Kenai Lake was along State Highway 9, our only road out of town. It was deceiving to see the south end of the lake about 10 miles outside of Seward- but I found that the most accessibl...

Probably one of the best bang-for-your buck hikes I've ever been on. Starting from the trailhead, which is just on the Whittier side of the Portage tunnel, you'll hike up 800ft in one mile on a mostly wide, rocky trail. In what seems like no time at all, you'll be at Portage Pass, with views of t...

Starting at less than 200ft above sea level, the trail starts off steep and never lets up. It climbs through forest until you are at about 2000ft. The trail gets muddy as the ground thaws and becomes very slick. The vegetation thins out as the elevation increases and the trail begins to cut back ...

The hundred mile paddle across PWS is a right of passage for Alaska kayakers. Like most big adventures in AK, it’s a daunting proposition to launch into what locals refer to as both beautiful and terrifying. Sometimes in the same sentence. At it’s best, you can paddle in a t-shirt and shorts, sto...

This was my very first afternoon in Alaska. By myself just meandering around the state by car with a map in my lap. Alaska - what a limitless place of adventure. For those who end up following me, I have a things for places with bodies of water surrounded by towering peaks - so off I was to find ...

My sister and I with her dog did this great adventure after completing a Star Wars marathon and being pretty lazy on the couch. We wanted to get up and move our bodies, so we decided to check out this summit hike that ironically was named Lazy Mountain. This is a great hike for those that want a ...