Slaughter Gulch and Mount Juneau: Gorgeous views in Cooper Landing
South-facing trails like Slaughter Gulch (or the first part of it, at least) are often the first to be truly hikeable in the spring; that southern exposure means they get more direct sunlight to melt away the snow and dry out the early-season mud.
It doesn’t hurt that the Slaughter Gulch trail offers stunning views over the striking blue-green waters of Kenai Lake. It also sprouts a surprising number of summer wildflowers given its rocky terrain, although all that sun exposure means the flowers start (and finish) earlier here than on more protected trails.
This is hike 86 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska.
| Round Trip: 2.2 to 6.2 miles | Nearest community: Cooper Landing |
| Elevation gain: 1,500 to 3,300 feet | Typical season: May to October |
| Parking fee: No fee | Nearby trails: Crescent Creek, Juneau Creek Falls, Russian River Falls/Lakes |
Slaughter Gulch Trailhead Directions
From Anchorage, take the New Seward Highway south to Cooper Landing (about 100 miles). Turn right onto single-lane Stetson Road, which I believe actually has a road sign nowadays. It’s just before the intersection with Bean Creek Road. Stetson Road goes up a short hill and ends in the unofficial, unmarked trailhead.
Park at the high point in the dirt road, being careful not to block anyone else in (or out) or to infringe on any posted private property, and look for the obvious trail leading into the woods.
Hiking Slaughter Gulch
Once you’ve found the trailhead, Slaughter Gulch is a fairly straightforward hike — with a few small caveats.
Many people consider the turnaround point for this main trail trail to be at a prominent lookout just 1.1 miles and 1,500 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead; turning around here gives you a total hike of 2.2 miles.
But if you keep going for another mile and 1,200 more feet of elevation gain you’ll reach the peak of 3,216-foot Mount Juneau, which ratchets up the beautiful views yet another notch. Total round-trip distance: 4.2 miles and 2,740 feet of elevation gain.
If you see a clear footpath heading off to the right, into the valley beneath Mount Juneau, it leads to a small lake. Instead, stick to the left fork that continues straight up the mountain in front of you.
The defined trail more or less ends atop Mount Juneau, but you can easily push another mile west to an unnamed, slightly higher knob. On a clear day, that knob gives you great (if distant) views over the very popular Resurrection Pass trail. Total round-trip distance to and from this point is 6.2 miles, with a total elevation gain of 3,300 feet.
Slaughter Gulch’s Many Names
Heads up: This trail is sometimes also known as Slaughter Ridge, because it follows a ridgeline instead of hiking up the actual gulch; and you might also see it called Mount Juneau or even Juneau Peak, because it’s easy to keep walking all the way up to the top of said mountain. I suppose which trail you’re on ultimately depends on how far you go.
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.
