Chugach State Park

When I used to live/​work here, I’d hike the trails through here all the time. Now, back after several years, I am happy to see that the trails, environs and sights are still as pristine as ever. Great views everywhere.
Trails are in good shape, clean & never any trash left by hikers. Always plenty of Devil’s Club, but it’s generally beat back by the consistent hiking activity on the paths.

Chugach is a nice state park near Anchorage. It’s huge and pretty spread out. As a result, we only saw a small part of it. You have to pick which area you want to see and stick to it, unless you have a lot of time. We visited the Eagle River Nature Center area, and did the Albert Loop trail, a flat, 3 mile loop with nice mountain views. It ends near a platform with a small marsh-​y area, which makes for nice photos with reflections of the mountains. We would have liked to hike some more but there wasn’t really anything that different in that area and we didn’t feel like driving to a whole new area. If I had it to do over again, I would have picked an area with more trail variety. We heard that bear and moose are seen here frequently, but we didn’t see any. $ 5 parking fee.

Just a little drive out of Anchorage and I got to go on top of those majestic mountains that I keep seeing wherever I’m at in town. We parked in the lot and it wasn’t until we got to an area where we noticed to pay the $ 5 fee in order to park and enjoy the area.
With paying out of the way, we made it onto the trail that looked over Anchorage. You get a fantastic view of the city along with the more mountains in the background. You can even see Mt. McKinley on a clear day. After the overlook, we made our way down to another trail. There was still a lot of snow so we just hiked around for the next couple hours. My group and I were not exactly experienced hikers, but we had no trouble at all getting around as long as you have the right shoes and dress accordingly.
Be ready for some one of a kind views and enjoy!

My partner and I visited Chugach State Park a few times while we were staying in Girdwood for Labor Day weekend. Having been my first time in Alaska, I was surprised at how large this state park actually is.
The park is magnificent and majestic, that is without saying. Because it’s so large, there are many places and trails and activities. There’s a salmon viewing area on the drive to Whittier, which is actually a lot more interesting than it seems. We also went rafting at the Spencer Glacier, but that required a special train on the Alaska Railroad to get to. While we were on the train, I did see a National Park Service ranger leading a group on a hike — so that’s another option I didn’t even know about.
Overall, I think because the Chugach State Park is so large, there isn’t as much infrastructure or information available, but is still an amazing place with pristine mountains.

Chugach State Park is the absolute best part about living in Anchorage. A short drive and you go from metro to man vs wild. We take day hikes in the Chugach all summer long and it’s just wonderful. There’s so much amazing fauna, glacial lakes, rivers and waterfalls, wild berries, and in the areas closest to Seward Highway, breathtaking visitas of the Inlet that are just minutes from parking areas.
Much of the park is very accessible from Seward Highway, and the temptation to start hiking without being properly outfitted is very real. You should be prepared for temperature and terrain changes. Beware of the bears and moose because they are all over the park. There isn’t much cell service in this area either, so keep that in mind as well. There aren’t restrooms either, except in at a few roadside parking area trailheads. Be prepared to go au naturale. And pack lots of water, snacks and your camera!
My favorite route begins and Windy Corner and winds northward to Rainbow Falls. With proper footwear you can even hike right up the icy glacial falls. Only in Alaska!
I love the Park. This is Alaska at it’s best.

You can’t really go wrong with any hike in the vast Chugach State Park, except if you are unprepared. Make a plan and share it with someone. Wear bear bells or talk loudly. Be prepared for rain even if the forecast is good. Have a map. There is a great detailed map of the Chugach State Park available at the Anchorage REI store.
The Powerline Trail is cool. So is the Falls Trail, but give yourself a whole day.

I work with a guy from Haines Alaska. I told him my in laws were from Anchorage and he said «Anchorage is nice, you can see Alaska from there»
True, a lot of Anchorage is pretty much like any other American City, but Chugach is something unique and incredible. I am working on highlightling all the trails I can on my topo map of the park on my yearly trips to Anchorage. Hopefully on one of my next ones I will make the trip from Girdwood to Eagle river, or perhaps Power Line Pass from Indian to Upper Huffman.
You can hike along a trail for days and traverse Glaciers while never leaving the city of Anchorage! Just as importantly, there are countless day hikes here for people of all abilities from something like 15 trail heads. Power Line Pass is apparently world renowned for Moose sightings, which is both a good and a bad thing depending on how close you get to them, and everyone keeps telling me that there are a ton of Dall Sheep in the area, but for some reason I am always «just missing them»
Anyway, this place is a must do on any trip to Anchorage, and reason 123,674 why I would love to move near my in-​laws.