Crescent Creek or Crescent Lake: Amazing singletrack, fish, and a tiny gravel beach

The official US Forest Service name for this trail is Crescent Creek, but you’ll also hear it referred to as Crescent Lake, because that’s where it ultimately leads: One end of a beautiful, crescent-shaped lake that’s a popular destination for float plane pilots, mountain bikers… and hikers, of course!

You can also fish for rainbow trout and grayling in Crescent Creek and Crescent Lake; see Alaska Department of Fish & Game’s sportfishing regulations for details.

This is hike 84 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska.

Hiking the Crescent Creek Trail

The first mile or so of this trail traces long, lazy switchbacks through the forest, before leveling out to sidehill along the valley. Keep an eye out for Crescent Creek roaring through a series of cascades in the canyon on your right.

By about 2.8 miles from the trailhead the trail starts to bounce along near the creek, sometimes right within arm’s length of it. Even as a hiker, you can feel the swoop and weave of a nicely crafted singletrack trail — it’s no wonder Crescent Creek is so popular with mountain bikers. Expect to hit a few muddy spots in the trail.

There’s a lovely, bowed bridge at about 3.8 miles from the trailhead. Photo op! After that, the trail climbs back up the valley wall with one notable stream crossing about 5.25 miles from the trailhead; you might be able to jump across without getting your feel wet.

Primitive Trail, Beach, or Dispersed Camping?

It’s not much longer before the trail dips back down to join Crescent Creek — now flat and calm. At mile 6.4 turn, left and cross the bridge for the Crescent Lake Cabin and beach. A right turn would take you along an overgrown, primitive trail (read: unmaintained, you will be wading through grass) that runs another 11.5 miles past the Crescent Saddle Cabin to Carter Lake trailhead.

Note: There’s a major ford near the Carter Lake end of that primitive trail. If you’re planning to hike that primitive trail, I recommend to hike it from the Carter Lake side so that if you nope out of the ford, it won’t be such a long hike back out.

There’s one more intersection on the way to the gravel beach on the lake: At about mile 6.4 from the trailhead, you’ll see a sign for Crescent Lake Cabin straight head. Turn right, instead, to hit the gravel beach on the lakeshore, which ranges from tiny to fairly wide depending on water levels.

There are a few dispersed (primitive; no amenities) campsites scattered near this side of the hike. Keep an eye out for signs — usually just a rough pictogram of a tent on a short brown pole.

Pictures From the Crescent Creek Trail

This is a beautiful hike at any point in the summer or fall, but I especially love it when the leaves have gone yellow. Here are a few pictures to give you a sense of the trail in general.

Known Avalanche Hazard

Heads up for winter hikers (or spring hikers, when the trail itself is bare but slopes above are still loaded with snow): There is well-documented avalanche hazard past mile 3 of this trail.