Albert Loop: 3.2 miles of swans, beavers, and maybe a few bears

Albert Loop is one of several easy, family-friendly, and thoroughly enjoyable loop hikes that start from the Eagle River Nature Center. It’s a great trail year-round, excepting a seasonal closure to limit bear encounters when the salmon are running — this usually starts in mid-August.

The numbered stations you’ll see along the trail are part of a self-guided geology tour. I find it really interesting and think it’s well worth paying $1 for the explanatory pamphlet, available inside the nature center building when it’s open.

Heads up: Cellular/mobile phone coverage is limited to nonexistent here.

This is hike 34 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 38 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

Albert Loop Trailhead Directions

The beautiful Eagle River Nature Center serves as the trailhead for this hike. From Anchorage, take the Glenn Highway northeast for about 11 miles. Take the marked exit for Eagle River Loop Road/Hiland Road, and turn right onto Eagle River Loop Road. After about 4 miles, turn right onto Eagle River Road. Follow this road until it ends at the nature center (about 11 miles).

Hiking the Albert Loop Trail

Like all the trails that start at the Eagle River Nature Center, Albert Loop is open even when the nature center itself is closed — and the signage here is excellent by Alaska standards, so you shouldn’t have any problem finding your way.

From the nature center’s back deck, follow the main trail downhill. At about 0.3 miles from the nature center you’ll pass a beautiful viewing deck on your right; at 0.8 miles from the nature center, turn right at a signed four-way intersection to stay on Albert Loop.

From here, the hike is as easy as following the trail in front of you through the forest. Keep an eye out for swans in large ponds along the trail, and at about 1.4 miles from the nature center the trail will begin roughly paralleling the braided, silty Eagle River.

The river channels sometimes shift and flood the trail, which makes this one of my favorite places — but people who don’t love stomping through puddles in rubber boots will appreciate the signed detour that cuts inland at about 2 miles along the trail, helping you avoid the worst of the flooding.

At 3.1 miles from the trailhead Albert Loop intersects back with the trail you originally started on; turn left to return to the back deck of the nature center.

Seasonal Closures of Albert Loop Trail

Every year, usually around mid August, the Albert Loop trail is closed to limit bear encounters. That’s because the salmon run through Eagle River at about that time, and the trail passes very close to Eagle River — which greatly increases the risk of surprise bear encounters.

Please respect the trail closure. This isn’t a bear-viewing area, and the rule is there because said encounters were proving dangerous for both people and bears.

Parking at Eagle River Nature Center

It’s worth noting that Alaska State Parks parking passes are not valid here. Instead, you need to either purchase a membership to the Eagle River Nature Center, or pay $5 for a day-use parking pass. You can pay by credit card inside when the nature center is open, or by check or cash (exact change only) when the center is closed.