Hiking in Alaska can be an incredibly unique and rewarding experience of a lifetime. Alaska is over 660,000 square miles open tundra, alpine terrain, and boreal forest. And in all of it, there are very few trails. Here you often have the opportunity to wander at your heart’s content, to set out on your own tracks on routes that no one has ever done before.
Here I’ve highlighted some areas, hikes, routes, and trails to help get you started. This guide just began this year, but it is growing fast. Consider subscribing for updates and for information on other projects I’m working on. This content is just a small part of a larger Alaska Guide with as much info as I can gather on interesting places and activities in the state.
Sugarloaf Ridge Trail is a very steep, 4.5-mile round-trip hike up Sugarloaf Mountain, beginning at the Grand Denali Lodge outside of Denali National Park. Photos,...
Ermine Hill trail guide with trail and weather information, trail map, and detailed information on hiking this 7.6-mile out-and-back hike that connects to the K'esugi...
A guide to a few hikes in the Nome Creek hills from the Mt. Prindle Campground in the White Mountain National Recreation Area, Alaska. Great...
Thunderbird Falls is a highly trafficked out-and-back hike in Chugiak, Alaska (near Eklutna Village), about a 1/2-hour drive from Anchorage, Alaska.
The approximately 12-mile round-trip Mastodon Dome hike in the White Mountains of Alaska is located on the south side of the Steese Highway at the...
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Description for a few Worthington Glacier hikes, starting at 2 miles and up. Maps, photos, information, and route descriptions.
Map and descriptions for numerous trails near the entrance and Visitor Center to Denali National Park. Trails for all walkers and hikers.
McManus Mountain is an excellent hike through tundra and alpine terrain near the twelve-mile summit off the Steese Highway. The area is covered in wildflowers...
Trail description and map for a popular 2-3 day hike up Mt. Prindle from Nome Creek in the White Mountain National Recreation Area. Great views...
Route information for hiking Mt. Thoro and the Thorofare Ridge. Both hikes are off-trail, although fairly easy to navigate through rocky alpine tundra.
The Twin Bears Trail is a relatively easy day hike at mile 29.5 Chena Hot Springs Road. The approximately 5-mile hike gains over 1300 ft....
The Eielson Alpine Trail is a short, steep hike at the Eielson Visitor Center in Denali National Park. Great views of the mountain and wildlife...
Info on hiking College Creek to College Glacier near the Hoodoos on the southern part of the Delta Mountains in the Alaska Range. Good backcountry...
A fun, short (~5 mile), back-country, off-trail hike in the Teklanika foothills in Denali National Park. Open tundra and great views of Double Mountain!
Wickersham Dome Trail is a 6-7 mile out-and-back hike that travels through boreal forest to rocky alpine tundra. Great day hike near Fairbanks, Alaska.
Table Top Mountain Trail is a 3.5-mile hike with a short extension to the summit of a treeless, mesa-like mountain with great views of the...
The Gulkana Glacier area has much to offer, including day-hiking, backpacking or mountaineering expeditions, or just a roadside view of the glacier.
The Healy Overlook Trail is a steep yet well-maintained, easy-to-follow, and relatively short 4.7-mile hike and offers gorgeous Alaska Range views.
Hiking guide to the 15-mile Granite Tors Loop in the Chena River State Rec Area. A moderately intense day hike or overnight hike amongst granite...
A casual back-country day hike to a large glacier, or start of a mountaineering adventure, the Castner Glacier offers great hikes and views of ice...
The Savage Alpine Trail is a 6.5-mile loop or 4.2-mile point-to-point day hike in Denali National Park with beautiful alpine vistas and valley views.
Hiking guide with photos to the Harding Icefield Trail in the Kenai Fjords National Park near Seward, Alaska. Easily one of the most stunning hikes...
Fed by the 700 square miles (1813 square km) Harding Icefield in the Kenai Mountains, Exit Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers in...
The Canwell Glacier is an approximately 10-mile long valley glacier on the south side of the Delta Mountains in the Eastern Alaska Range. It is...
The hike is steep, but not for long. It’s just less than 1-mile of climbing, and the steepest section is very short-lived at about 0.4-miles....
Creamer's Field - Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is a 2,200-acre wildlife refuge on a historic (non-operating) dairy farm. It is open to the public for walking...
The Savage River Loop is a 1.7 mile long well-maintained trail in Denali National Park that begins at the Savage River parking lot. It's a...