Lane Hut Trail, AKA the Fern Mine Trail in Hatcher Pass
The Lane Hut trail is a pretty and relatively flat ramble through a squishy wet tundra valley. It gets its name from the public use hut that used to be located at the end of the trail, but said hut was removed due to excessive vandalism. Perhaps as a result, I’ve heard some people calling this the Fern Mine trail after the private mine near the trailhead; maybe its name will shift entirely over time.
Some people might also call this the Archangel Valley Trail, since it starts at the end of Archangel Valley Road.
This is hike 10 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and one of 13 fantastic hiking trails in Hatcher Pass.
| Round Trip: 4.2 miles | Nearest community: Wasilla/Palmer |
| Elevation gain: 910 feet | Typical season: July to September |
| Parking fee: No fee | Nearby trails: Fairangel Lakes, Reed Lakes, Snowbird Mine, Gold Mint |
Lane Hut 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.
Keep driving past the trailhead (on your right) for Reed Lakes and Snowbird Mine, then continue over extremely rough road that requires good ground clearance and preferably AWD or 4WD. Park at the end of the road, making sure not to block any other vehicles in.
This road is quite rough so if you prefer to stop at the Reed Lakes trailhead, you can walk or bike the remaining 1.7 miles (one-way) to reach the Lane Hut trailhead at the end of Archangel Road.
Hiking Lane Hut
The trail starts as a continuation of the road and, then heads off into the tundra on the right after about 0.25 miles. Take care not to intrude on private mining property — it’s worth having a map handy to make sure you’re headed in the right direction.
At about 0.9 miles from the trailhead, the trail forks; head left, and expect to hop boulders for a brief stretch at about 1 mile from the Lane Hut trailhead. At 1.9 miles from the trailhead, you might just be able to pick out the lingering, unnatural colors of graffiti on the rocks upslope. That’s all that remains of the Lane Hut.
Expect to get your feet wet on this hike. If you bring kids with you and try to keep them from splashing around in the shallow ponds and rivulets near the trail, you’re probably going to lose. Might as well put them in rubber boots and set them loose to have fun!
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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.
