6 Southcentral Alaska Goal Hikes

Hiking goals in Alaska are as diverse as the people you meet out on the trail, so these Southcentral Alaska goal hikes aren’t the only trails worth training for. They just happen to be my favorites, and the ones I’ll always steer visitors toward if they express an interest in “big” hikes.

Here’s what each of these hikes has in common: They’re long enough and steep enough to be a physical challenge; pretty enough that the payoff is well worth the effort; and reasonably well-known, so finding the trailhead or the trail isn’t a struggle.

Big or small, I’d love to hear what your Southcentral Alaska goal hikes are — drop me a line and let me know!

My Favorite Southcentral Alaska Goal Hikes

One quick note about these hikes: The first three are true day hikes, while the last three link two day hikes into what most people would consider a backpacking trip — but some hardy folks will tackle numbers 4 and 6 as day hikes, too. I’ve never heard of that happening for number 5, but I’m sure at least one person’s probably done it…

1. Harding Icefield (Seward)

If I could only pick one of these Southcentral Alaska goal hikes to offer for ambitious visitors or locals, it’d be the trail to Harding Icefield near Seward. At 9.2 miles round trip and 3,250 feet of elevation gain it’s a challenge worth training for, but still imminently doable for any reasonably fit hiker that packs enough snacks, chooses a day with good weather, and starts early enough to take their own sweet time (i.e., rest as needed).

And who wouldn’t want to hike a beautiful, hardened trail to see the massive icefield that spawns dozens of glaciers, including beloved Exit Glacier down below? If you’re the shy sort, you can choose to hike some or all of the way up as part of a ranger-led group. (Check out the Exit Glacier Nature Center, which doubles as the hike trailhead, for scheduled programs.)

That said, do yourself a favor and leave this trail until late summer/early fall, even if you’re fit enough to do it now; a winter or early spring trip here comes with enough avalanche hazard and fickle, dangerous weather to turn it into a serious expedition.

Also, because this is in Kenai Fjords National Park, dogs are not allowed. Sorry, Fido (and Fido’s people). But the hike is absolutely worth planning your entire summer around.

Click through for more details about hiking Harding Icefield, which is also hike 77 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska. 

2. Hope Point (Hope)

This pretty trail, overlooking the small town of Hope, weighs in at an 8.1-mile round trip and just over 3,500 feet of elevation gain. That’s a respectable distance and degree of steepness, which, combined with some of the most beautiful views you’ll ever see over Turnagain Arm, makes this a worthy inclusion in any list of Southcentral Alaska goal hikes.

If you pay close attention, you can also see lingering traces from the evolution of this trail. Not too long ago, it was pretty much an elevator chute that went straight up the side of the mountain; that original trail was so steep that, no exaggeration, I didn’t even have to bend over to pick berries when I climbed it in the fall.

Then the Forest Service came along and saved many a future hiker’s nerves from fraying, thanks to the beautiful, switchbacked trail they created. Sure, it takes a little while longer, but the ascent is that much more pleasant and less dangerous — all while not losing a single whit in the views department.

Click through for details about hiking Hope Point, which is hike 70 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska. 

3. Pioneer Peak (Palmer)

Harding Icefield may be the most spectacular of Southcentral Alaska goal hikes, but the hike up Pioneer Peak is spectacular for another reason: Try 12 miles round-trip and roughly 6,000 feet of elevation gain on for size.

This hike is a long, thigh-burning thrill, crawling slowly from sea level near Palmer up the shoulder of massive Pioneer Ridge. As reward for your efforts, you get fantastic views of Knik Glacier and its floodplain, Knik Arm, and the winding Knik River.

The final approach to the actual peak also feels like something out of Mordor, narrowing into an exposed, rocky ridge before shifting into a “good luck with the routefinding” scramble guaranteed to slow even the strongest, bravest hikers to a sensible crawl.

But don’t worry: You don’t have to hit the actual summit to get your badass points. Many a sensible hiker stops after cresting the most prominent ridge to a beautiful viewpoint, getting the best vistas with none of the fog-shrouded, trailless scrambling on awful rock that you get from a summit climb.

That milder turnaround point is “just” a 9.6-mile round trip and 5,300 feet of elevation gain — so is it any wonder that people train for this hike all summer long?

Pioneer Peak is hike 23 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska. 

4. Lost Lake (Seward)

If I had to name the single most-beloved backpacking trip in all of Southcentral Alaska, it’d have to be the Seward-area classic, Lost Lake. This backcountry pilgrimage has earned its place among the biggest Southcentral Alaska goal hikes, but at “just” 15.6 miles from one trailhead to the other it’s also a popular (if very long) day hike, mountain run, or even a mountain biking trip.

But if you hike all the way to the lake itself, which is roughly near the middle of the trailhead, I promise you’ll regret not giving yourself the option to stay a night or two, or three.

If you’re concerned about the distance, you have some time to train up: Snow lingers here late into spring, and the mosquitoes can be awful at the peak of summer. So to me at least, this trail is at its absolute best in the fall.

Click through for details on hiking Lost Lake, which is hike 74 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska. 

5. Carter-to-Crescent Traverse (Kenai Peninsula)

Both Carter Lake and Crescent Lake are worthy Kenai Peninsula hiking destinations in their own right. But if you really want to maximize your adventure options, link them up for a 17.7-mile thru hike.

Although this trail doesn’t have the same notoriety as other Southcentral Alaska thru-hikes, make no mistake: It’s a serious adventure, featuring a serious stream crossing in fast-moving water and what is, by mid-summer, a long and dramatically overgrown trail along Crescent Lake. There’s a public use cabin partway along Crescent Lake that you can use as shelter, but only if you’ve reserved it in advance (for a fee).

If you’re going to do this hike, start from the Carter Lake trailhead. That way the water crossing is only about 3.5 miles into your hike, so you can easily backtrack if it doesn’t look feasible. If you hike from the Crescent Lake/Creek trailhead, you’ll be some 14 miles into your hike before you have the face the decision of whether to cross or turn back.

Carter Lake is hike 71 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and Crescent Lake is hike 84 (listed as Crescent Creek). Click through for details on the hike to Crescent Lake/Creek.

6. Crow Pass (Girdwood to Eagle River)

There’s room for some confusion here: Crow Pass is an actual place, and it’s also the name of a trail that starts in Girdwood, passes through Crow Pass (the place) and then ends at the Eagle River Nature Center. It’s that trail I’m ranking among the big Southcentral Alaska goal hikes.

I have to admit that I’m a little biased: I think the first four miles of the Crow Pass trail, i.e. the part that goes from Girdwood to the actual pass and wonderful views of Raven Glacier, are really where it’s at.

Speaking of which, the entire Crow Pass Trail enjoys near-legendary, iconic status. It also takes most people two or three days; so if you want to train for a serious, quintessentially Alaskan backpacking trip, this is it. Just be warned that you’ll face a bevy of potential hazards to contend with, from late-summer avalanches in the pass to a sometimes very serious crossing of Eagle River, along with a handful of other crossings that range from dry creekbeds to rushing torrents.

Now that is an Alaskan hike. Start your research with resources like the Crow Pass Trail Facebook page, which reports current conditions and news as they’re available, and the knowledgable staff at the Eagle River Nature Center. (They’re also the folks who manage the aforementioned Facebook page.)

Click through for details on hiking the first part of the Crow Pass trail (as far as Raven Glacier). The trip to Raven Glacier is also hike 60 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska. 

Training for Your Southcentral Alaska Goal Hikes

See something that piques your interest? Set a goal date to do the hike, and get started training now by tackling trails that are already within your comfort zone. As you get stronger you can push your limits on length and elevation gain, little by little. Before you know it, that seemingly out of reach goal hike will be something you know you can handle.