10 Easy Winter Hikes near Anchorage, Alaska

Don’t let the the dark, snowy, icy Alaska winter get you down! You might just find the cure for those winter blahs on one of these winter hikes near Anchorage.

PROTIP: If you’re hiking in icy conditions, you need serious ice grippers.

The following are ten of my favorite easy winter treks. Some are in the Anchorage bowl, while others are near the close-by communities of Girdwood, Eagle River and Eklutna.

I couldn’t find winter pictures for every single one of these trails, so you’ll have to make do with my best “YIPPEE, WE HAVE SNOW!!” jump shot, taken on the Viewpoint Trail in Campbell Tract, which happens to be part of Hike #1 on my list.

By the way, you might also want to read this article about making winter hikes less miserable (if you’re properly prepared, they can be real fun!) and this list of popular but dangerous winter hikes near Anchorage.

Okay, one last link: Before you hit the trails, please make time to read this important safety information about hiking in Alaska.

Easy Winter Hikes Near Anchorage

1. Campbell Tract & Far North Bicentennial Park

By Alaska standards, these heavily forested trails are “flat.” What that really means is that they’re a super-fun series of loops and cross-paths through rolling terrain, so it’s like you’re exploring a new, self-contained world at each bend of the trail.

The only downside to that? It’s easy to get lost in the web of trails and offshoots, some of which aren’t well-mapped. It’s a good idea to use a mobile mapping app to keep your bearings, or at least pay good attention to where you’re going. (Thanks to Kevin N. who reminded me of this!)

Most of the trails here are multi-use, but a few are designated for mushing only. STAY OFF THE MUSHING TRAILS. WALKING ON THEM CAN GET YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE HURT.

Whew. Now that I have that out of my system, the best access points for this network of fun winter hikes near Anchorage include Campbell Creek Science Center (5600 Science Center Drive) and its nearby trailheads; plus Abbott Loop Community Park (8101 Elmore Road), Campbell Airstrip trailhead, and the North and South Bivouac trailheads.

Campbell Tract is hike 26 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage. 

2. Turnagain Arm Trail

This 10.4-mile (one-way) trail links four trailheads along the Seward Highway. Starting with the closest to Anchorage, they are:

• Potter Trailhead (mile marker 115)
• McHugh Creek Trailhead (mile marker 112)
• Rainbow trailhead (mile marker 108)
• Windy Corner (mile marker 106)

This is a great trail for hiking as much or as little as you like. While it’s “flat” by Alaska standards, you’ll still find some big hills and stretches of rolling terrain, too.

Update as of January 2020: I believe parts of this trail cross through avalanche terrain — and I know parts of it (particularly toward McHugh Creek) have been subject to ongoing rockfall, probably a combination of the Nov. 30, 2018 M7.0 earthquake and ongoing, atypical freeze/thaw cycles.

Translation: Even though this is a relatively easy trail close to town, always evaluate the situation to decide on an appropriate level of care/caution!

This is hike 53 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 12 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

3. South Fork Rim Trail

Many trails from the Prospect Heights Trailhead are great winter hikes near Anchorage — okay, basically in Anchorage — but this is my favorite. If you walk out to the main Powerline Pass Trail and turn right, follow signs for South Fork Rim, then turn back toward the trailhead when it rejoins the Powerline Pass Trail, it’s about a 2.4-mile loop.

This is (partially) hike 22 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

4. Basher Loop

East Anchorage people, this loop is for you! It starts at the Basher Trailhead, just short of the Stuckagain Heights neighborhood, and putters a total loop of about 4.1 miles out into the trailheads near Prospect Heights, around what used to be called the Wolverine Bowl, and then back to the trailhead.

This is part of hike 42 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska.

5. Barbara Falls (Eagle River)

This lovely 6.2-mile round trip starts at the Briggs Bridge Trailhead in Eagle River, sometimes called the Greenbelt Access, and one of my favorite winter hikes near Anchorage. Be aware that during the winter the trailhead may be gated, in which case you can park in a small plowed area and walk to the trailhead.

The trail itself is a mostly flat walk through the forest, across some boardwalks through a wetland area (caution, these are slippery when frosted over), across an ice bridge* and then on to the falls.

* Well, you’d better hope there’s an ice bridge there! Otherwise you’ll be wading in the river, which I don’t recommend as a winter activity. Pay close attention to the integrity of the “ice bridge” in the spring or during periods of warm temperatures.

This is hike 33 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 32 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

6. Eagle River Nature Center Trails (Eagle River)

Located at the end of Eagle River Road, the Eagle River Nature Center is home to several mild loops of varying lengths: The teeny super-friendly 0.8-mile Rodak Loop, the 3.25-mile Albert Loop, and the 6.1-mile Dew Mound Loop.

Signage is great on the first two loops. Signage isn’t bad on the Dew Mound Loop, but you’ll need to follow orange markers in the trees for part of the trail. Ultimately, all three rank among my favorite winter hikes near Anchorage.

The Albert and Rodak loops are hike number 34 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 38 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage. Dew Mound is hike number 35 in DHSCAK, and hike 39 in 50HAA.

7. Reflections Lake (Knik River Area)

Winter hikes near Anchorage don’t come much friendlier than this 1.2-mile loop around an abandoned gravel pit that nature decided to turn into a beautiful lake. There’s a multilevel, 30-foot observation tower partway around the lake that offers some great lookouts over the nearby Knik and Matanuska rivers.

The trailhead is northeast of town, off the Glenn Highway; take the Knik River exit and follow signs.

This is hike 18 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 48 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

8. Eklutna Lakeside Trail (Eklutna Area)

The narrow road leading to Eklutna Lake can be challenging when road conditions are bad, but the broad lakeside trail (and in proper conditions, the frozen lake surface) are a true winter playground. Technically this is a 25.4-mile round trip; go as far as you like before turning around.

Although this might be pushing the limits of winter hikes near Anchorage in terms of drive time, it’s well worth a visit in any season.

The Eklutna Lakeside trail is hike 24 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 46 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

This is a good time to bring up avalanches. Although I’ve heard rangers recommend this trail as having typically low avalanche hazard, there are some big peaks around you — so it’s smart to know the basics of spotting avalanche hazard and evaluating runout zones.

Check out avalanche.org for some awesome educational resources, attend local workshops (Google is your friend!) or read “Snow Sense” by Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler to get you started.

9. Thunderbird Falls (Eklutna Area)

Have you ever seen a frozen waterfall? Now’s your chance, with this 1.8-mile round trip hike to a viewing platform overlooking Thunderbird Falls.

Stay on the trail; there are some steep drop-offs hidden in the brush. In fact, you might even see hardcore ice climbers pulling themselves up over those precipices after climbing shockingly thin frozen seeps that run down the cliff walls.

This is hike 26 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 45 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

10. Winner Creek (Girdwood)

This uber-popular trail starts just behind the Hotel Alyeska in Girdwood (1000 Arlberg Avenue) and is a 5-mile round trip out to the hand tram over Glacier Creek, then back again to the hotel.

Please note: The hand tram used to be closed during winter, but has now been closed indefinitely (year-round) due to a series of tragic accidents. Still, the segment from the Hotel Alyeska to Winner Creek remains a stellar exemplar among winter hikes near Anchorage.

Also: Parts of this trail do pass through avalanche runout terrain, and the resort sometimes does avalanche mitigation work to keep the ski slopes safe. You can call the resort and ask about any plans for avalanche mitigation during your visit, or unsafe conditions noted on the slopes.

Winner Creek is hike 59 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 3 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

Another Tip for Winter Hikes

Speaking of which, all land managers are good sources of safety information about whatever winter hikes near Anchorage, or in other parts of Alaska, you might be thinking of trying out.

How do you figure out who the land managers are? Most guidebooks list this information — mine do! If the trail isn’t in a guidebook or the information doesn’t seem current, your next best bet is a map. Print maps and most GPS topos usually show who manages which sections of land, although you may need to zoom out to see the markers.

Just don’t wait until the last minute to request information, because some offices are only open limited hours during the winter, if at all.