Barbara Falls: One easy waterfall hike with many names
While this lovely destination is colloquially known as Barbara Falls, there are a number of different names you might hear applied to it — and two different possibilities for access, one of which is has generated a lot of contention. I suppose the TL;DR version of this write-up would be “It’s kind of complicated, but easy to hike really, really pretty.”
With that said, the hike itself is a lovely woodland stroll, plus a short section of boardwalk and one (usually) easy stream crossing. Keep a sharp eye out for wildlife here, including bears, moose, and snowshoe hares in particular.
This is hike 33 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 32 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.
| Round Trip: 6.2 miles | Nearest community: Eagle River |
| Elevation gain: 715 feet | Typical season: Year-round |
| Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass, both during winter only | Nearby trails: Baldy and Blacktail Rocks, North Fork Eagle River, Rodak Loop, Albert Loop, Dew Mound, The Perch and Icicle Creek |
Barbara Falls Trailhead Directions
To reach the undisputed trailhead (i.e., the one that crosses only public land), drive northeast on the Glenn Highway from Anchorage. After about 11 miles, take the marked exit for Eagle River Loop Road/Hiland Road and turn right onto Eagle River Loop. Just before crossing Briggs Bridge (about 1.5 miles after you turned), look for an unmarked, unpaved road cutting to the right and downhill. The Green Belt Access/Briggs Bridge trailhead is at the end of this road.
During winter this road may be gated off, or the road may be open but unplowed. In that case, hikers often park at a small turnoff in the access road and walk the approximately 0.2 miles in to the trailhead.
Hiking to Barbara Falls
From the large, expansive trailhead, take any of the access trails heading down toward the river and turn right onto an old roadbed. At about 0.1 mile from the trailhead, ignore an obvious right fork in the trail and continue straight on the old roadbed.
At 1.6 miles from the trailhead the trail bends to the left, setting out on those boardwalks I mentioned. And at just past 2.1 miles, the trail runs headfirst into the river. It’s usually shallow and relatively slow-moving, making it easy to wade to the far side and pick up the trail. During the winter, an ice bridge forms here; you’ll have to use your best judgment on when that bridge is or isn’t safe to cross.
At 2.7 miles from the trailhead, the trail crosses under a set of powerlines and reaches a large four-way interection. Go right, followed by a quick jog to the left, to stay on the path to the falls. The trail ends at a concrete barrier. Just on the other side of that barrier, you’ll find a viewing platform overlooking the roughly 60-feet-tall Barbara Falls.
Different Names for This Hike
It’s not unusual for hikes in Alaska to end up with several names, and deciding which one of those names to apply to an “official” trail write-up is always an interesting process. In this case, the vast majority of hikers I know, and those I see posting on social media, refer to this destination as Barbara Falls — so that’s what I call it, in hopes of making it as recognizable as possible for the majority of people.
You might see other names used for the same hiking trail. Two of the most common are the Lower Eagle River trail and South Fork Falls.
Once in a blue moon, you might also see this hike referred to as the River Woods trail. That is a nod to its name in 50 Hikes in Alaska’s Chugach State Park, an excellent guidebook that, if memory serves, is where I first learned of this trail.
The “common” names for hikes sometimes change over time. It’ll be interesting to see if that happens here, especially in light of the two different trails to the falls (more on that below) and the fact that people use all sorts of different labels for trails on social media and in apps like AllTrails.
Access Issues for Barbara Falls
There are a couple of different ways to reach the waterfall that gives this trail its name. One of these methods — the shortest, easiest access, which I see someone’s entered into AllTrails as “South Fork Falls” — crosses what appears to be private land, and has long been a subject of contention with the local homeowners. The generally recognized parking area for that access route is routinely decorated with NO PARKING signs. Because of those reasons, I won’t cover it in detail.
What I will tell you about, with great pleasure, is the 6.2-mile round-trip hike that also takes you to the waterfall, with all the beauty of a quiet wander through the woods and none of the strife or tension that arises from tromping through peoples’ backyards.
You might find it interesting to know that there used to be an access issue with this trail to the falls, too, because part of the original trail cut through private homestead land. The trail has since been rerouted to run outside the borders of that homestead. You’ll know you’re on that rerouted section of trail when you walk along a lovely stretch of boardwalk, which is now one of my favorite parts of this hike.
Salmon Season Along the River
Salmon do run in this river, and thanks to that aforementioned redirect, the trail now runs closer to said river than it used to. Although I’ve never heard of Chugach State Park rangers officially closing this trail to limit bear encounters, I’d recommend thinking twice — and being on your best “bear aware” behavior — before hiking it when the salmon are running. That’s typically mid-August to mid-October, or roughly the time that park rangers close the Albert Loop trail at the Eagle River Nature Center.
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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.
This “South Fork Falls/Barbara Falls) easement and access from Ken Logan Cir to the BLM 17(b) 1D9 (Lower Eagle River Trail aka Eagle River Greenbelt Trail) was given to Chugach State Park by Barbara Gross May 3, 1990. Public Easement is noted on Plat 90-35 with the DNR Recorder’s Office) Parking is limited.