2 Alaska Hiking Trails Locals Love

January 19, 2015 | Updated: January 19, 2015 | By Elizabeth | Reply More

Alaska hiking trails: Barn from the late 1800s, Crow Creek Mine, Girdwood. Photo credit Victoria Lynn Pennick.

Alaska hiking trails: Barn from the late 1800s, Crow Creek Mine, Girdwood. Photo: Victoria Lynn Pennick.

Alaska hiking trails stretch out across the state. These offer authentic travelers what they came for: gorgeous scenery and a chance to experience nature unrefined.

Anchorage-based photographer Victoria Lynn Pennick generously contributed her images and insider comments for this guest post. Both of us hope they will inspire you to explore beyond the beaten path of Alaska’s “must-see” sights and will lead to a genuine connection with the state’s natural beauty and unique lifestyle.

Alaska hiking trails: Powerline Trail, Glen Alps, Anchorage. Photo credit Victoria Lynn Pennick.

Alaska is known as the land of the Midnight Sun. When long summer days arrive, they are certainly put to good use! There is something for everyone with more than 750 trails throughout the state, most of which are easily accessible from major roadways. Many are multi-purpose and used for skiing, running, biking, walking, horseback riding, hiking, roller blading, dog mushing, snowshoeing and ski-joring.

(From Elizabeth: Skijoring is a winter sport where a person on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog (or dogs) or a motor vehicle. Never heard of it? I hadn’t either until I read it here. Alaskans enjoy a unique lifestyle, complete with a colorful vocabulary to describe it.)

With some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, there is no wrong choice when it comes to exploring the State, no matter what time of the year. Throw in a little fishing or hunting… and what’s not to love?

If you prefer the warmer temps (and remember, “warm” is relative!) the best time to visit is between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Short winter days get longer as we slide towards Summer Solstice. Soon it’s green and warm, and it seems like the sunlight will never end. Anchorage has approximately 19 hours between sun-up and sun-down during the summer, and the sky never really gets completely dark. Of course, there are mosquitos, but that’s a small price to pay for the beauty of this season.

Prefer winter activities? The trails turn into Winter Wonderlands, and by the full moon you don’t even need a flashlight to see. Many trails are utilized all winter long - and sometimes all night long.

Akaska hiking trails: Crow Pass Trail, Girdwood. Photo Victoria Lynn Pennick.

Alaska hiking trails: Crow Pass

One of the most popular trails is Crow Pass. This challenging trail is accessible from either Girdwood just past Crow Creek Mine, or the Eagle River Nature Center, with 21 miles of gorgeous countryside in between. Most locals make a 2-3 day hike out of it, but people have been known to run the entire length of the trail in less than one day. Lakes and glaciers grace the trail that follows the historic Iditarod supply route.

Just want to try your hand at panning for gold? Crow Creek Mine, once one of the largest hydraulic placer gold mines in Southcentral Alaska, is now a popular recreational mining and hiking area, with several trails following the Iditarod trail, including a hand-tram across the Winner Creek gorge. There are historical buildings and relics of mining days gone by, lending a rustic charm to the area.

Click here for more information on Alaska hiking trails.

You can see more of Victoria’s Alaska photos on Facebook at Frozen Glass Photography and Flicker.

Click here to read about one of my all-time-favorite Alaska adventure experiences.

Thanks, Victoria.

Elizabeth Hansen