5 Popular but Dangerous Winter Hikes Near Anchorage, Alaska

Did you notice several popular trails that are NOT included in my list of 10 easy winter hikes near Anchorage? That’s because although these trails are great during the summer, avalanche hazard and other season-specific problems can turn them into dangerous winter hikes.

That doesn’t mean you should never do these trails during the winter. But there are lots of conflicting forces at play: On one hand, people post beautiful photographs of these trails on social media, showcasing their beauty while (usually) not addressing the potential risk at all.

On the other hand, a lot of people don’t even know there’s risk to be addressed. This goes double if you come from a place where authorities are prone to closing areas down because of dangerous winter conditions. It doesn’t work that way in Alaska; a trail being open is no guarantee of safety.

So, it’s up to you to learn to evaluate and identify potential hazards on the trail, then decide if they’re worth tackling or not. If you’re hiking up here in the winter, that starts with learning the basics of avalanche hazard.

I implore you to visit avalanche.org for a good start at your avalanche safety education, and take any in-person classes you can get your hands on, too. Of particular note, Portage Valley (which I’ll discuss soon) falls into the forecast area for Chugach Avalanche Information Center.

Courses from Alaska Avalanche School and similar professional organizations are the gold standard, but even a 30-minute lecture on what creates avalanche hazard could save your life or that of a hiking buddy. A little education also goes a long way toward demystifying the whole idea of avalanche risk, which can do a lot to help you feel more confident in your winter hikes!

Without further ado, here are the five trails that I love to visit during the summer (okay, one of them is a lake during the summer), and a glimpse at some of the risks you should be aware of during the winter.

1. Byron Glacier

I find this trail in Portage Valley to be the biggest hazard — and worry — in all seasons. It’s not the trail itself; it’s gorgeous, short and “flattish,” perfect for exploring during the summer.

The year-round problem is the “ice caves” near the foot of the glacier that so often draw hikers into them for… you guessed it… social media pictures. But ice caves are inherently unstable and can collapse, partially or completely, at any time. There’s been at least one tragic death and one serious injury here in recent years.

And the bonus problem during winter? There’s high avalanche hazard from both sides of the valley. It’s like hiking in a shooting gallery. People are sometimes drawn to the ice caves during the winter because they feel the caves themselves will be more stable — but they’re often completely unaware of the avalanche hazard above them.

You can read about Byron Glacier’s friendlier summer face here. It’s also hike 62 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska.

2. Flattop Mountain

Both the “front” and “back” sides of Flattop Mountain are uber-popular trails during the summer, and with good reason. But both sides of the mountain pose real avalanche hazard during the winter, and people have been killed and injured here.

Check out this local news story about a hiker who was buried by an avalanche on Flattop in 2019, and rescued by another hiker who happened to see his legs sticking out of the snow. This sort of outcome is incredibly rare — a true miracle.

I have the lowdown for your summer ascents of both Flattop trails. Please forgive me if those descriptions repeat some of this safety information — it’s important for people to know so they can make informed decisions.

• The old “front” trail up Flattop is hike 43 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 16 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.
• The new “back” trail up Flattop (my preferred route) is hike 44 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 15 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

3. The Trail of Blue Ice

This flat, easy trail near the small town of Portage is a fantastic ramble during the summer, especially if you’re traveling with kids, camping in the nearby campgrounds, or want to scoot along on a bike. Most of this trail is also wheelchair accessible.

BUT: During the winter, several known avalanche paths cross the trail.

The Trail of Blue Ice is hike 61 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, or you can get the vital trail specs here.

4. Walking Across Portage Lake

Walking across frozen Portage Lake (or skiing, or fat-biking, or even ice skating, depending on conditions) is a great adventure. But before you head out there, please stop to consider two dangers that people often don’t think about.

First, our changing climate change means that the ice is freezing later, and staying solid for much less time, than it used to. Nowadays, what was once a great playground for much of the winter can remain open water for most or all of the “cold season.”

Second, glaciers calve even during the winter — and they can calve underwater. You won’t know one of these “shooters” is coming until the calved-off iceberg surfaces, fracturing the lake ice and sending swells out across the ice-topped water. Check out this trip report — and video! — from writer and adventurer Paxson Woelber, who witnessed this firsthand.

During the summer, you can get to the lakeshore by traveling to Whittier and taking the Portage Pass trail, which is hike 66 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska. If you are going to trek Portage Lake in the winter, you don’t need to do that. Most people park at the Begich, Boggs (Portage Glacier) Visitor Center and access the lake from there.

5. Raven Glacier/Crow Pass

Again, this is a super-popular trail during the summer. The Crow Pass trail is a 20-some mile traverse from Girdwood to Eagle River, but in this case I’m referencing the first few miles of it that ascend steeply from Girdwood to Crow Pass itself. I sometimes call this section of trail Raven Glacier, since that’s the prominent feature in the pass.

Anyway: Aside from all the wilderness hazards that make this a classic hot spot for rescues during the summer, there’s avalanche hazard all around during the winter. There’s also avalanche hazard during the spring, as snow lingers on the higher slopes. This was the site of another close call and miraculous save in 2020.

Raven Glacier is hike 60 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 5 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can get the trail specs right here.

Dealing With Dangerous Winter Hikes

I swear I’m not picking on Portage Valley deliberately — even though three out of these five hikes are that valley. I think that connection has a lot to do with the valley’s beautiful but rugged scenery, its close proximity to Anchorage, and how easily social media enables people to find that beautiful scenery.

I’m not hating on social media or winter hiking, either. Seeing other peoples’ pictures is hugely inspiring, and I love hiking during the winter!

But I am imploring everyone to please do a little proactive research before you hike on Alaska trails, especially during the winter. And keep in mind that just as not every trail is appropriate for summer hikes, not all of them are appropriate for winter hikes, either.

That goes double if you’re new to Alaska, because a lot of the standards that apply to “Outside” hikes, like people coming along to close a trail if it’s deemed unsafe, just don’t apply here.

The Benefit and Danger of Social Media

Does asking on social media count as research? Only if you take any answers you get with a HUGE grain of salt. I commend people who think ahead enough to put out the question of whether this trail or that trail is safe. But this is the Internet, so along with any well-informed answers you’re also going to get a slew of well-intentioned answers that are partially or completely off-base — sometimes very dangerously so.

It is, unfortunately, up to you to sort the well-informed answers from the bad, and then to evaluate how well those answers apply to you in that given moment. The more educated and informed you are, the easier that will be.

Again, I don’t mean this to be a downer. I approach it as an opportunity to be constantly learning and practicing the skills that let me be as self-reliant as possible. That turns hiking in Alaska into a fun, exciting and empowering adventure — as if it weren’t fun enough already!

More Information About Winter Hiking

If you are new in town or new to hiking, reading this safety information about hiking in Alaska might help you get oriented to some of the things that work differently up here.

And hey, these articles on winter hiking might help, too:

• 8 ways to make your next winter hike less miserable
• 5 reasons to sleep outside at least once this winter
• Packing list for a winter day hike
• The best ice grippers for hiking on ice and snow
• What’s wrong with your ice grippers?