Snowbird Mine and Snowbird Hut: Mud and beauty in Hatcher Pass
The first part of the Snowbird Mine trail overlaps with the very popular Reed Lakes trail. But it’s not long before the Snowbird Mine trail zips up and left, up a muddy slope, to explore the remaining artifacts of an old mine. Even though the trail isn’t all that long, that muddy slope and unstable footing in the mining area make it feel pretty challenging.
This is hike 8 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and one of 13 amazing trails you can hike in Hatcher Pass.
| Round Trip: 4.7 miles | Nearest community: Wasilla/Palmer |
| Elevation gain: 1,640 feet | Typical season: July to October |
| Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass | Nearby trails: Reed Lakes, Fairangel Lakes, Lane Hut, Gold Mint, Marmot Mountain, Blueberry Knoll, Government Peak |
Snowbird Mine Trailhead Directions
Take Trunk Road north from Wasilla until the road ends in a T intersection. Turn left at the T, which will be signed either for some variety of “Fishhook” road or for Hatcher Pass Road. At about mile 14.4 of Hatcher Pass Road, turn sharply right onto unpaved, often rough Archangel Road.
This road usually doesn’t open until June or July; it depends on weather. It’s also gated shut once winter sets in.
The actual trailhead is on the right, about 2.4 miles in, and it is more rutted/rough than the road up until now. There is a more civilized gravel parking area a short distance before this, on the left side of the road.
If you miss the trailhead and keep going, the road gets extremely rough and requires very good ground clearance.
Hiking Snowbird Mine
The first 1.5 miles of this trail coincide with the very popular Reed Lakes trail; it’s easy walking on an old roadbed lined with dense willows and fireweed. There is one stream crossing that, at normal water levels, is as easy as hopping rocks across a placid stream.
At about 1.5 miles from the trailhead, take the left fork and work your way over the obvious trail in a steep, muddy slope. The slope is usually so muddy that some people will wear aggressive ice grippers — usually reserved for winter use — to give them better traction.
By 1.9 miles in you’ll start passing rusty old relics from mining days, as the trail climbs to an unmistakable mountain bowl. Beware of old mining shafts and crumbling, ruined old buildings that may fall; please leave mining relics in place so other people can enjoy them, too.
Take great care if hiking onward to the American Alpine Club’s Snowbird hut, which sits in the nearby pass and overlooks the Snowbird Glacier. Boulder-scrambling, off-trail navigating and possible water crossings are part and parcel of that particular adventure. Don’t venture onto the glacier unless you have the proper training and equipment.
Not a Winter Hike for Most
I don’t recommend this as a winter hike; it too easily becomes a full-on expedition. Sorry for the seeming contradiction of having a wintry picture up — that trip is how I discovered that even when snow cover is light, hiking in the upper valley/bowl can be a challenge or even a downright hazard, because you’re constantly punching through the snow to uneven/bouldery terrain beneath.
Recommended For You
Lane Hut Trail, AKA the Fern Mine Trail in Hatcher Pass
Lisa Maloney
A long-time Alaskan, Lisa has written three award-winning guidebooks including "Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska" and "50 Hikes Around Anchorage." She also served as senior editor of Alaska magazine and has written hundreds of newspaper columns and magazine articles about her adventures around the state. Learn more about her at http://maloneywrites.com.
