Glen Alps Trailhead: The most popular trailhead in Anchorage

Easily the most popular hiking destination in Anchorage, the Glen Alps trailhead is sometimes also called the Flattop or Powerline Pass trailhead. Even with a massive parking lot and a sizable overflow parking area, it can fill up quickly on sunny weekend days and weekday evenings.

If you don’t want to end up circling like a shark in hopes some departing hiker will give you their parking spot, you can check the Glen Alps webcam to see how crowded it is.

If Glen Alps is full, you can access some of the same trails from the nearby Upper Huffman or Prospect Heights trailheads. The extra miles of walking this tags on will only build character! You can also hike up the “back side” of Flattop — now known, more charmingly, as the Sunnyside Flattop Trail — from the very limited parking area at Upper Canyon Road.

• GPS Coordinates: N 61º06.188′ W 149º40.998′
• Fee: $5 or buy a Chugach State Park parking pass. Credit card payments are accepted.
• Trails: Flattop (front side trail), Powerline Pass, Little O’Malley, Middle Fork Loop, Hidden Lake, Williwaw Lakes

Glen Alps Trailhead Driving Directions

Take O’Malley Road east (toward the mountains). Turn right on Hillside Drive, then left on Upper Huffman. Continue following brown Chugach State Park signage as you turn right on Toilsome Drive. The trailhead will be on your left.

Pictured: An American flag atop Flattop Mountain. (See where it gets its name?)