Wasilla Creek Boardwalk: A wonderful kids’ outing that’s good for adults, too

At less than a mile, most of it alongside a small, gently flowing creek, the Wasilla Creek Boardwalk is a great shorting outing for anyone who needs a breath of fresh air. This is a wonderfully easy and kid-friendly trail, as long as you’re okay with the water being so close to the relatively narrow boardwalk.

This is hike 50 in my guidebook 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

Wasilla Creek Boardwalk Trailhead Directions

From Anchorage, take the Glenn Highway northwest. Follow signs for Wasilla and take the Trunk Road exit. Turn left, passing over the highway, and continue straight through the roundabout on South Trunk Road which will bear right and turn into E. Nelson Road.

Just after crossing a small bridge, you’ll see a sign for Wasilla Creek. Turn left into the small trailhead. The actual trail isn’t immediately obvious, or at least it wasn’t to me on my first visit. Look for the start of the trail just left of the large sign in the parking lot.

Walking the Wasilla Creek Boardwalk

This trail is basically all boardwalk alongside the slow-moving creek, ending in a small viewing platform. The boardwalk is just wide enough for one person to walk on comfortably; if you meet somebody coming in the opposite direction, you can scoot past each other carefully.

This is a lovely trail for birdwatching or spotting wildflowers near the boardwalk. All that water nearby means it can also get very buggy, so either walk when there’s a strong breeze or bring your bug spray.

Although this is a great winter outing, use caution because boardwalks often accumulate a thin rime of ice that makes them surprisingly slippery.