The Old “Front” Trail up Flattop Mountain

Flattop Mountain, or just “Flattop” as we locals refer to it, is easily the most-hiked mountain in Southcentral Alaska. You’ll see everybody from grandparents to toddlers along the moderate trail to this mountain’s characteristic summit plateau.

This mountain is also a major hot spot for rescues from the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, so don’t let the smorgasbord of humanity you see on this trail lull you into taking it for granted. You’re still hiking in Alaska.

This is hike 43 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 16 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

Hiking the “Front” Trail Up Flattop

This trail up Flattop starts straight out of the main parking lot: Look for the stairs leading uphill near the automated pay station. If you’d rather, you can also access the Flattop trail by hiking a ways down the access trail for Powerline Pass. (This is the other trail that strikes out of the parking lot from near the pay station.) After a short distance you’ll see a clear footpath on the right that leads through the brush and eventually converges with the main Flattop trail.

Whichever of those access points you’ve chosen, the trail splits again to wrap around a sizable hump located low on the flank of Flattop Mountain: This is Blueberry Hill, which lives up to its name in the fall but is quickly picked out.

Those two trail branches meet again on the far side of Blueberry Hill, so pick whichever you like then, where they meet again, take a right and follow the signs up a set of badly eroded stairs. Not long after this you’ll hit a series of switchbacks in fairly loose rock, then the final scramble that marks the end of this trail.

Finish With a Scramble

The final push on this heavily eroded trail is a legitimate rock scramble: You’re going to need both hands and feet to make your way up a very rough route that is only approximately marked out by faded blots of old spray paint. If you’re traveling with kids or dogs, I highly recommend taking the “back” route up the mountain, AKA the Sunnyside Flattop trail, instead.

For bonus Alaska hiking credibility points, there’s no marker to indicate where to begin your scramble back down from the summit — and it’s always harder to spot a good route when climbing downward. So pay close attention to where you top out.

That said, there’s a reason so many people make the pilgrimage to the top of Flattop. Aside from it being so convenient to Alaska’s largest city (and so prominently visible on the skyline to the southeast of town), it also offers fantastic views out over the inlet and deeper into the mountains. And let’s face it: Running around on the broad summit plateau is just plain fun.

Which Flattop Trail Did You Want?

Heads up! If someone has discussed hiking Flattop with you, they might mean this trail, or they might mean the newer “back” trail, or Sunnyside trail, up Flattop. The two trails begin at different trailheads and don’t overlap at all until they converge at the top, so make sure you and your hiking buddies are all on the same page about which trail you’re taking.

For a long time the “front” trail was the only route up Flattop, but the Sunnyside trail was constructed with an eye toward better sustainability and a less dangerous ascent. Personally, I prefer the Sunnyside trail because of that — it leaves you free to enjoy the trail and the views.

FOR BONUS POINTS: Did you know this “old” trail is actually a revamp of an even older hiking trail that one ascended this same side of Flattop? If you spot the last lingering remnants of that trail, you’ll understand why it had to be redone.

Avalanche Hazard During Winter

This is one of several very popular trails that are wonderful to hike during the summer, but can be particularly dangerous during the winter due to significant avalanche hazard. I think people take it for granted that a mountain this popular must be safe, but every few years there’s news of a death or a close call from avalanches on this trail.

Do yourself a favor and learn the basics of evaluating avalanche hazard. It could save your life, and helps reduce the mystery about where is and isn’t safe to hike in the winter.