Bird Ridge: One of the steepest hikes you’ll ever love
For me, hiking Bird Ridge is an obligatory rite of suffering passage every spring. Huffing and puffing Hiking my way up this steep, unrelenting trail is a constant reminder to turn around and look at what’s behind me because as soon as you clear the thickest trees, every single step yields ever-more-spectacular views over Turnagain Arm.
A trip up Bird Ridge is absolutely worth the effort, even if you only hike partway up — but it’s also my yearly validation that if I just keep hanging in there and putting one foot in front of the other, I’ll get to my goal.
Eventually.
This is hike 57 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, and hike 7 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.
| Round Trip: 5.2 miles | Nearest community: Anchorage |
| Elevation gain: 3,350 feet | Typical season: May to October |
| Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass | Nearby trails: Turnagain Arm Trail, Rainbow Knob, Falls Creek, Bird to Gird |
Bird Ridge Trailhead Directions
There are two possible trailheads for Bird Ridge.
Bird Ridge trailhead: As you’re driving north out of Anchorage, this first trailhead is a relatively small pullout on the left, at mile 101 of the Seward Highway. For many years, this was the only designated trailhead for Bird Ridge.
Bird Creek trailhead: If you keep driving just another mile down the road you’ll see a massive pullout on the left (land side of the highway), labeled as the Bird Creek parking area. It’s at mile 100 of the Seward Highway. This parking area is used by people fishing in nearby Bird Creek, too, so don’t walk toward the creek. Instead, take the obvious paved trail on the west side of the parking area. That’s the side that points back up the road toward Anchorage.
The parking fee applies at both trailheads, or the Alaska State Parks pass is accepted at both trailheads. If you need to pay with a credit card, use the Bird Creek parking area.
Hiking Bird Ridge
Whichever trailhead you use, their respective access trails converge near a pair of pit toilets and a scenic overlook. From that point the two trails continue as one, and it’s all business: Up, up, up, up. The good news is that such a steep trail invariably offers stellar views out over the water, and as you climb past treeline there’ll be a few flattish, grass- or tundra-clad spots that present themselves as great places to rest.
Make sure you pack a windproof jacket and maybe pants, too. Although there is an occasional, blissfully calm day on this mountain, you can usually expect some sort of breeze here — and on truly windy days, it can reach “cling to the mountain” levels of extreme.
The trail splits occasionally to get around obstacles, but usually reunites in short order. As a general rule, as long as you stay on the most-traveled path you are heading in the right direction. There is one juncture of particular note: At about 1.2 miles from the trailhead, the trail splits to pass through a particularly rocky area. The left trail is easier to see but the right is easier to traverse, as long as you don’t mind a little mild exposure. Both involve some minimal scrambling.
As you near the peak of the ridge — or more accurately the high point on this end of the ridge — you’ll see there are three fins or rocky high points in the trail, one after another. The middle one is the actual peak, with a survey marker identifying it as 3,505-feet high Bird Ridge Point.
Continuing on to Bird Ridge Overlook
Most people turn around at Bird Ridge Point (or without ever reaching that high point), and universal consensus is that this is the end of the Bird Ridge hike. However, if you’ve packed extra layers and don’t mind a lot of wind and a bit of exposure, you can continue walking the ridge another 3.5 miles (one way) to 4,625-foot Bird Ridge Overlook, deep in the Chugach Range. Don’t forget you’ll have to hike back, too. That’s a total round trip of more than 12 miles, plus a brutal amount of elevation gain.
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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.
