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Hanging Valley: A peaceful getaway from weekend crowds

The Hanging Valley trail starts off as part of the wildly popular Eagle and Symphony Lakes trail. If that trail gets too crowded for you, heading up into the hanging valley makes a nice escape. Both trails start from the always-busy South Fork Eagle River trailhead; good luck finding a parking spot on sunny weekends, and on most sunny evenings too.

This is hike 37 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska.

Round Trip: 10 milesNearest community: Eagle River
Elevation gain: 1,960 feetTypical season: May to October
Parking fee: $5 or an Alaska State Parks parking passNearby trails: Eagle and Symphony Lakes, Rendezvous Ridge, Harp Mountain, Rendezvous Ski Loop

Hanging Valley Trailhead Directions

From Anchorage, take the Glenn Highway northeast toward Eagle River. Take the marked exit for Eagle River Loop Road/Hiland Road, turn right coming out of the exit, then turn right onto Hiland Road. Stay on Hiland Road as it changes names repeatedly.

After about 7.5 miles turn right onto South Creek Road, followed by a right onto West River Drive; the trailhead will be on your right. Keep an eye out for the brown Chugach State Park signage that will help guide you in the right direction.

Hiking Hanging Valley

This 10-mile round-trip hike is a great destination for a day hike, and a blissful backpacking destination because it feels so quiet and remote. In the fall, you can catch some truly stunning colors in the tundra.

From the South Fork Eagle River trailhead, follow the only obvious trail (the Eagle and Symphony Lakes trail) until it crosses the river on a sturdy bridge. Shortly after, look for a well-beaten but narrow and sometimes grassy trail veering off to the left, just as the main trail hooks sharply to the right.

The Hanging Valley trail makes a steep but brief ascent into the obvious hanging valley. From there it’s another 2 miles across the valley floor to the first lake:

First Lake in hanging valley

Don’t stop there. Walk past the lake, then follow a clear footpath up and to the right into the tundra bowl above you; the path ascends just to the right of a tumbling creek. Once in the bowl, you’ll find a second tarn. This is a beautiful place to camp or enjoy a nice picnic before you head back down into the main valley, and the hustle and bustle of the main trail.

hanging valley upper tarn

Above: The second, higher tarn in the hanging valley.

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