3 Great Hiking Trails in Hope, Alaska

Legend has it that there are a few informally maintained hiking trails in Hope, Alaska, kept open by chainsaw-wielding locals on an ad hoc “trails committee.” In order to find out about those, you’ll have to ask the locals. But what I can tell you about in this post is three great hiking trails in Hope that are maintained by the US Forest Service — although, as you’ll see, the access road to one of them is a little less-maintained than the others.

1. Gull Rock

Ironically enough, the easiest of the hiking trails in Hope, Alaska is also the longest — and one of the nicest backpacking destinations in Southcentral Alaska. It’s also wildly popular with mountain bikers, so be ready to share the trail.

The hike to Gull Rock is 11.6 miles round-trip, with 2,430 feet of elevation gain as you traverse a series of rolling hills on this mostly wooded trail. There’s one notable stream crossing (usually you can walk across a couple of logs) just before you reach the best views near the end of the trail. I recommend clicking through for more details on the trail to Gull Rock, lest you make the same mistake I did the first time I hiked this trail, and miss out on the very best views at the end.

2. Hope Point

If I only had time to do one of the hiking trails in Hope, most of the time I’d choose Hope Point. The views from this trail are just so freaking spectacular — and the relatively new switchbacks leading up to the top are so much nicer than the old straight-up-and-down trail, if rather less adrenaline-producing.

Of course you will, as always, work to earn those mind-blowing views, and the addition of switchbacks has made this trail a good bit longer than it used to be. You’re looking at 8.1 miles round-trip, and 3,545 feet of elevation gain, if you make it all the way to the top. But even going partway up gives you stunning views over Turnagain Arm. Click through for more information on hiking Hope Point.

3. Palmer Creek Lakes

This trail goes by a few different names, including Palmer Creek Lakes and Twin Lakes, and it’s the one I hinted at having a not-so-well-maintained access road. Getting as far as the US Forest Service’s Coeur d’Alene Campground is easy enough, but the following 4 miles of single-lane “road” can get a little dicey, depending on how recently (or not) a grader has been by.

In general, though, most passenger vehicles with good ground clearance and a careful, reasonably adventurous driver can make it through. Your reward for that mild “adventure driving,” plus 2.6 miles of round-trip hiking and a modest 935 feet of elevation gain, is a beautiful pair of lakes, a slender waterfall plunging out of them, and great views down into the valley below. Click through for more details on hiking to Palmer Creek Lakes.

One Thing To Keep In Mind About These Hiking Trails in Hope

All three of these hiking trails are, for most people, very seasonal, with a typical “open” season being May to September or October, depending on what the weather does.

The Gull Rock trail crosses underneath at least one (I think two?) active avalanche chutes, and the trail up Hope Point is, of course, subject to its own avalanche hazard.

The Palmer Creek Lakes trail, meanwhile, can only be accessed when the gates leading to the Coeur d’Alene Campground — and then the remaining four miles of road beyond it — are open. That, too, is limited to the summer months.

If there’s one more to this story, it’s that all three of these hiking trails in Hope, Alaska are amazing. Make sure you leave some room for them in your summer hiking plans!