Check Trail Conditions With Alaska Webcams

There’s enough difference in elevation between my home in Anchorage and the Glen Alps trailhead — somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 feet — for the weather down here to be very different from the weather up there. Case in point, as I write this post it’s raining here — but snowing there!

When I find myself wondering whether it’s worth the effort to drive up there, I check the DNR’s handy Glen Alps webcam — and you should, too! Not only are the webcams great for scouting current weather conditions, they’re also good for checking parking availability on sunny weekend days, when Glen Alps in particular is quick to overflow. As you can see from the screenshot below, nobody’s really feeling the adventure at midday on an unexpectedly snowy weekday. (Click the image to visit the live webcam.)

Glen Alps isn’t the only trailhead or trail with a handy webcam. Here’s a collection of hiker-friendly webcams in Alaska. If you know one that’s not on the list, please let me know so I can add it!

Alaska Webcams for Hikers

• Glen Alps webcam (DNR)
• Flattop/Rabbit Creek/McHugh Peak (Alaska Weather Watch)
• Alyeska Resort (Good for gauging snow cover before shoulder season hikes)
• FAA webcams (Use the Whittier webcam to check conditions in Portage Pass)
• The Road Weather Information System cameras (DOT) come in handy for checking snow or flood conditions before a long drive

And finally, Denali National Park has a series of webcams that are just plain cool, from views of Denali itself to surveilling the year’s litter of growing sled dog puppies. And one westward-looking webcam does offer useful views of conditions in the nearby tundra.