Blueberry Knoll: A pleasant waystation on the way up Government Peak
One of 13 wonderful trails in Hatcher Pass, Blueberry Knoll is a great short day hike on the flanks of Government Peak. It also serves as the first part of the civilized hikers’ trail up to the summit of Government Peak.
But the challenging, scenic hike up to this little knoll is a fantastic trip in and of itself. Blueberry Knoll has a rickety picnic table with a little register tucked underneath it, and views a-plenty for your photo-taking pleasure.
This is hike 13 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska.
| Round trip: 3.2 miles | Nearest community: Wasilla |
| Elevation gain: 1,450 feet | Typical season: June to October |
| Parking fee: $5 or Mat-Su Borough parking pass | Nearby trails: Government Peak, Gold Mint, Marmot Mountain, Gold Cord Lake, Reed Lakes, Snowbird Mine, Fairangel Lakes, Lane Hut |
Blueberry Knoll 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 mile 7 of Hatcher Pass Road, turn left onto Edgerton Parks Road. One mile later turn right on Mountain Trails Drive, which will lead you straight into the marked Government Peak parking area.
Hiking Blueberry Knoll
When you first drive into the trailhead, look for a large, wooden sign that sits flush against the road on your right. I’ve found that to be the easiest place to enter the sometimes-bewildering web of trails around the base of Government Peak.
Once you’ve walked into that web of trails, you should see a sign for the Blueberry Knoll trail in short order. From there, it takes only a little hunting and pecking for each successive sign as they guide you up the slopes of the mountain. By about 1 mile from the trailhead you’ll start up a relatively steep slope.
At about 1.25 miles from the trailhead, you might spot a “Government Peak” sign nearly buried in the brush. It’s a trap! That is one of the spur trails connecting the Blueberry Knoll trail to the racer’s trail up Government Peak, and it’s a miserable, brushy slog. Instead, keep going just a little further up the main trail and you’ll hit one more signed intersection, where a right turn will take you to Blueberry Knoll.
If you want to continue onward to Government Peak, go back to that last signed intersection — not the first one — and turn north to continue through the bushes. You’ll quickly gain the toe of an obvious ridge, which in turn carries you all the way up to the peak.
The Obvious Comparison to Mount Marathon
I see Government Peak as the Mount Marathon of Hatcher Pass. Case in point, both mountains have very steep runners’ trails that zoom straight up the mountain, along with milder hiking trails that get you to the same place — after a relatively roundabout, scenic journey. Needless to say, Blueberry Knoll is the first part of Government Peak’s “milder” trail, but it’s still steep enough to be a fun challenge.
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.
