18 Shoulder Season Hikes That Don’t Suck

Over the years, I’ve learned that the shoulder season isn’t necessarily the time for hitting big goal hikes. Instead, the best shoulder season hikes are like comfort food you can always enjoy, regardless of how awkward and unpredictable that transition from fall to winter, or winter and spring, may be in any given year.

The following 18 shoulder season hikes are in Southcentral, because that’s the part of Alaska in which I spend most of my spring and fall. If you have favorite shoulder season hikes in your part of the state, please let me know so I can add them!

My Favorite Shoulder Season Hikes in Southcentral Alaska

These shoulder season hikes aren’t in order of preference, because who can pick just one favorite?! Instead, they’re in order from north to south.

1. Red Shirt Lake

Round Trip: 5.6 miles	Nearest community: Willow
Elevation gain: 750 feet	Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks parking pass

The rolling, forested, and fairly wet land around Red Shirt Lake can be pretty buggy during the summer, but the mosquitoes are much more subdued during the shoulder season — and the rolling, forested terrain is easy to navigate in almost any conditions.

This trail is in Nancy Lake State Recreation Area, and the same rolling terrain that makes Nancy Lake SRA such a good destination for shoulder season hikes also makes it a great place for skiing and snowshoeing. Some of the winter routes don’t coincide with the summer trails, though, so when in doubt it’s best to bring a copy (or screenshot) of this map, and consider throwing your skis or snowshoes in the car, too, so you’re prepared for any conditions.

The hike to Red Shirt Lake is trail 14 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, or you can click through for driving directions and a more detailed write-up.

2. Gold Cord Lake

Round Trip: 1.6 miles	Nearest community: Wasilla/Palmer
Elevation gain: 580 feet	Parking fee: $5, or Alaska State Parks pass if you park in the lower lot

Don’t wait too long to check Gold Cord Lake off your list of shoulder season hikes. It’s delightful in the crisp fall air or after a thin coating of snow, but it’s also one of the first shoulder season hikes to become impassible — or at least a lot more complicated — due to snowfall.

Part of that is because this trail has lots of uneven footing and occasional patches of boulders, all of which become ankle-twisting hazards once hidden beneath a thin(ish) blanket of snow. And although I’ve never measured the runout angles from surrounding mountain peaks, it’s pretty obvious that full-on winter here means avalanche hazard. That’s a great reason to brush up on your avalanche basics!

One more heads up: Shoulder season hikes here sometimes include unexpectedly muddy, slippery trail. Some people use ice grippers to help with traction on steep, muddy trails, although that does come with a few caveats.

This is hike number 6 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, or you can click through for driving directions and a more detailed write-up on the hike to Gold Cord Lake.

3. Bodenburg Butte

Round Trip: 2.6 miles	Nearest community: Butte/Palmer
Elevation gain: 720 feet	Parking fee: $5 or Mat-Su Borough parking pass

Bodenburg Butte really shines among shoulder season hikes, thanks to the 500-plus stairs that line its primary trail (AKA the West Butte trail). Most of the time, they serve as great protection against the mud that often plagues shoulder season trails.

With that said, sometimes in winter or spring the stairs get so caked with ice and hard-packed snow that they might as well be a slicked-down ramp. When that happens, a set of aggressive ice grippers is usually enough to keep you going.

This is hike 22 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 49 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can click through for driving directions and more detail about hiking Bodenburg Butte.

4. Reflections Lake

Loop Distance: 1.2 miles	Nearest community: Chugiak, Wasilla, Palmer
Elevation gain: 20 feet	Parking fee: No fee

If I had to pick one trail to visit in every season, Reflections Lake would be near the top of the list; you’ll see something new here on every visit. Shoulder season hikes here aren’t just a walk in the fresh air: They’re a big Alaska adventure seen in small, intimate detail.

The multi-level observation tower and an intriguing side trail down onto the tidal flats offer a broader perspective that you might expect, all from hiking just over a mile around what used to be a roadside gravel pit.

This is hike 18 in Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 48 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can click through for driving directions and a more detailed write-up on Reflections Lake.

5. Eklutna Lakeside Trail

Round Trip: 20+ miles	Nearest community: Village of Eklutna
Elevation gain: 1,385 feet	Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass

The Eklutna Lakeside Trial is another top favorite in this list, no matter the season. During the summer you can rent kayaks or bike the lengthy trail alongside Eklutna Lake’s stunning blue-green waters, and in winter this is a mecca for fat-tire biking, snowshoeing, and skiing with very limited avalanche hazard.

But we’re talking about shoulder season hikes now, and it’s that status as “year-round attraction” that makes this such a reliable hiking destination, even during the shoulder season. Do be ready for mud on the trail; it’s pretty pervasive here during wet fall days and the slushy period of spring.

This is hike 24 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 46 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can click through for driving directions and a more detailed write-up of hiking the Eklutna Lakeside trail.

6. Thunderbird Falls

Round Trip: 1.75 miles	Nearest community: Eklutna, Palmer, Wasilla
Elevation gain: 680 feet (including side trail)	Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass

Another year-round favorite, shoulder season hikes to Thunderbird Falls are a great excuse to watch this 200-foot-tall waterfall transitioning through the seasons. It does freeze during the winter, and in fact this entire canyon is a popular destination for ice climbers.

If trail conditions are particularly slick and you plan to take a marked side trail down to the base of the waterfall, it might be worth packing a pair of ice grippers to help you get back up the slope.

Thunderbird Falls is hike 26 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 45 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can click through for driving directions and a more detailed write-up.

7. The Perch

Round Trip: 6 miles (Echo Bend) 8.4 miles (The Perch)	Nearest community: Eagle River
Elevation gain: Coming soon!	Parking fee: $5 or Eagle River Nature Center membership

This is just a portion of the iconic Crow Pass hike that traverses all the way from Girdwood to Eagle River. I don’t recommend the Girdwood side of the trail for shoulder season hikes because it’s downright dangerous once snow starts accumulating in the pass.

However, the Eagle River side of the Crow Pass trail is much flatter which, following the theme of this list, makes for pretty pleasant hiking in almost any season as long as you’re ready to deal with some of the mud and slush that are endemic on shoulder season hikes.

There are a couple of nice destinations you can reach from the Eagle River side of the trail (that’s referring to the town Eagle River, not the body of water). The first is Echo Bend (6 miles round-trip from the trailhead), which doesn’t any water crossings but is sometimes subject to a bit of flooding. Depending on conditions, reaching The Perch (8.4 miles from the trailhead) might require a few creek crossings that are no fun in chilly weather.

The Perch is part of hike 40 in my guidebook 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can click through for driving directions and a more detailed write-up of waypoints along the trail.

8. Loop Trails at Eagle River Nature Center

Loop Distance: 6.1 miles (Dew Mound) 3.2 miles (Albert Loop) 0.8 miles (Rodak Loop)	Nearest community: Eagle River
Elevation gain: 880 feet (Dew Mound) 230 feet (Albert Loop) 130 feet (Rodak Loop)	Parking fee: $5 or Eagle River Nature Center membership

There are three major loop trails starting from the Eagle River Nature Center: The 6.1-mile Dew Mound loop, 3.2-mile Albert Loop, and the petite but still wildly beautiful 0.8-mile Rodak Loop. (The picture you see here is taken from one of the Rodak Loop viewing decks.)

All three trails are spectacular shoulder season hikes, if sometimes muddy. However, Albert Loop is closed for a few months during the fall shoulder season to prevent bear encounters when the salmon are running — usually starting around mid August. You can get updates about that seasonal closure on the Eagle River Nature Center website and the Friends of Eagle River Nature Center Facebook page.

All three of these great shoulder season hikes are featured in my guidebooks Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can click through for driving directions and more details about each trail: Dew Mound, Albert Loop, Rodak Loop.

9. Rendezvous Peak and Mount Gordon Lyon

Round Trip: 3.4 miles (Rendezvous Peak) 3.8 miles (Gordon Lyon)	Nearest community: Eagle River, JBER (Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson)
Elevation gain: 1,440 feet (Rendezvous Peak) 1,500 feet (Gordon Lyon)	Parking fee: $5 or Arctic Valley membership

Both Rendezvous Peak and Mount Gordon Lyon are best accessed from Arctic Valley Ski Area, so for obvious reasons they aren’t winter hikes. However, they’re among the nicest shoulder season hikes to do when the season’s first snow is laying a crisp, white blanket over the blazing colors of fall in the mountains.

Case in point, check out the tiny snowmen a friend and I made, using the tiny amount of snow we found the saddle between Rendezvous Peak and Mount Gordon Lyon during a late September hike. Depending on conditions that saddle might be the ideal stopping point, or you might push on to the peak of your choice.

Avalanche hazard does exist here once snowpack starts to accumulate; do you know your avalanche basics?

Both of these trails are featured in my guidebooks Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can click through for driving directions and more details about each peak: Rendezvous Peak, Mount Gordon Lyon.

10. Powerline Pass

Round Trip: 12.2 miles	Nearest community: Anchorage
Elevation gain: 1,640 feet	Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass

Powerline Pass is among the friendliest shoulder season hikes you’ll find: After all, it’s essentially a gravel maintenance road, which makes even the gnarliest mud and slush conditions easier to deal with.

Most people hike the Powerline Pass trail starting from the Glen Alps trailhead, although technically you could stand from the Prospect Heights trailhead, too. But the trail is at its widest and friendliest (read: graveliest) around Glen Alps.

Once winter sets in all the way, avalanche hazard and snowmachine traffic in part of the valley pose extra considerations — especially the marked avalanche hazard in the pass itself. But as far as shoulder season hikes go, this one is about as easy as they get. Bring binoculars to help you spot the many moose that are usually scattered across the valley, and a guidebook, map, or mapping app in case you decide to detour onto one of the many side trails.

This is hike 45 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 17 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can click through for driving directions and other details about hiking Powerline Pass.

11. Middle Fork Loop

Loop Distance: 8.9 miles	Nearest community: Anchorage
Elevation gain: 1,485 feet	Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass

This splendid loop trail overlaps with part of the Powerline Pass trail, and makes a fine day out at almost any time of year. Once again, it’s a year-round trail that really shines among shoulder season hikes, too. It’s no coincidence that this trail has also received extensive improvements over the years: All that hard work means that even when conditions are at their spring slushiest and fall muddiest, you can expect a relatively good experience on Middle Fork Loop.

The Middle Fork Loop trail is hike 46 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 21 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or you can click through for more details, including driving directions.

12. South Fork Rim

Loop Distance: 3.5 miles	Nearest community: Anchorage
Elevation gain: Minimal	Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass

South Fork Rim is yet another year-round trail that stands out among other shoulder season hikes: It’s relatively short and has only modest elevation gain, but still gets you far enough into the mountains to feel like you’ve had an adventure of some sort.

Although the South Fork Rim trail is beautiful in the summer too, parts of it can get pretty grassy (you can see just the hint of it in this picture). So the onset of crisp fall weather signals the welcome change of all that grass dying back to give you better visibility.

Although South Fork Rim is short, it offers some pretty overlooks of the surprisingly pretty Campbell Creek Gorge. The gorge is a bugabear to photograph to good effect, which is why you’re getting a picture of the view back toward Anchorage instead. You’ll just have to go see the gorge yourself and tell me what you think of it.

South Fork Rim is hike 22 in my guidebook 50 Hikes Around Anchorage.

13. Turnagain Arm Trail

One-Way Distance: 10.4 miles	Nearest community: Anchorage
Elevation gain: 2,325 feet	Parking fee: $5 or Alaska State Parks pass at Potter and McHugh Creek. No fee at Rainbow and Windy Corner

I don’t think anyone will dispute the Turnagain Arm trail’s status as one of the most popular shoulder season hikes near Anchorage. With four trailheads spaced along its length like beads on a string, it’s easy to tailor an adventure on this trail to whatever distance — and terrain type — favors your mood and current conditions.

The Turnagain Arm Trail is hike 53 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska and hike 12 in 50 Hikes Around Anchorage, or click through for more details, including driving directions to all four trailheads.

14. Russian Lakes Trail (be very careful when the fish are in)

One-Way Distance: 4.8 miles (Russian River Falls) 6.4 miles (Lower Russian Lake)	Nearest community: Cooper Landing
Elevation gain: 575 feet (Russian River Falls) 215 feet (Lower Russian Lake)	Parking fee: Pending!

The first part of the Russian Lakes trail is well-traveled and wonderfully maintained, making it one of the easiest shoulder season hikes you can tackle. However, there are a few obstacles. The biggest may be finding parking, because the Russian Riven Campground that serves as the trailhead is also home base for fishermen intent on fishing late salmon runs.

And, of course, any time there are fish there are bears — which means that if you’re hiking this trail during the fall salmon runs it’s not a question of if you’ll have a surprise bear encounter, but when. Make sure you’re prepared to handle them.

If you’re okay with all of that, a trip on this trail becomes a relative romp in the park — just follow the signs. There are two major destinations to choose from: The 4.8-mile round trip to Russian River Falls, or the 6.4-mile round-trip that continues past the falls to Lower Russian Lake. The trail gets extremely grassy — read, not fun to hike on — after that point.

If you hike here during the winter or spring, be aware that the usual winter trail veers onto one of the lakes to avoid avalanche hazard from surrounding mountains.

The Russian Lakes trail is hike 88 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska. 

15. Kenai River Trail (skip this one when the fish are in)

One-Way Distance: 5.6 miles	Nearest community: Cooper Landing
Elevation gain: 760 feet	Parking fee: No fee

I’m always a little conflicted when it comes to typing up a description of the Kenai River Trail. The first mile or so of it is stunning beautiful, but it’s also very close to the fish-rich Kenai River. Bear encounters are so common here that they don’t even bother to take down the “Warning: Bear in Area” signs at the trailhead.

My suggestion for stress-free shoulder season hikes here is to save this trail until after the fall salmon runs have ended; this at least reduces the risk of a bear encounter, although of course they’re possible at any time of year. I also tend to stick to the first 3/4-mile or so of trail from the east trailhead because that’s where you’ll find the best views, including mind-blowing lookouts over the dramatic Kenai River Canyon and the gorgeous, blue-green waters of the river itself.

If you walk all the way down to the river’s edge, then out via the far (west) trailhead, it’s a 5.6-mile trip one-way — but you’ll spend most of that time poking through the forest. You might as well save that hiking distance for another one of the nearby trails with nicer views.

The Kenai River trail is hike 91 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska. 

16. Seven Lakes Trail

One-Way Distance: 5.5 miles	Nearest community: Cooper Landing
Elevation gain: 150 feet	Parking fee: No fee

The Seven Lakes trail is a mostly flat ramble through evergreen forest, passing along two lakeshores (Kelly Lake and Engineer Lake) and within close view of two more. I know, that’s only four lakes; I’m not the one who named the trail.

Like many shoulder season hikes, this is a fantastic trail in any season. But Skilak Lake Road — the access route for the Engineer Lake trailhead — is not plowed during the winter. So once the snow falls, and until it melts, you can only hike this trail as an out-and-back from the Kelly Lake Trailhead off the Sterling Highway.

This is hike 96 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, or you can click through for driving directions and more details on the Seven Lakes Trail.

17. Exit Glacier (if the access road is open)

Loop Distance: 1 mile or 2.1 miles	Nearest community: Seward
Elevation gain: 65 or 270 feet	Parking fee: No fee

Don’t wait too long if you want to make Exit Glacier one your fall shoulder season hikes; the access road isn’t plowed and will be gated off once snow begins to accumulate. As long as the gate is open, however, a hike to Exit Glacier is an easy, mostly flat stroll through history. The signs scattered along the trail, each marked with a year, aren’t random at all: They mark how far the glacier extended in that year.

Reflecting on just how far the glacier has receded, and how quickly, is sobering; but the views from the glacier lookout at the end of the trail are still beautiful.

This is hike 76 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, or you can click through for driving directions and more details on the Exit Glacier Trail.

18. Tonsina Point and Caines Head

Round Trip: 4.4 miles (Tonsina Point) 11.4 miles (Caines Head)	Nearest community: Seward
Elevation gain: Pending (Tonsina Point) 2,485 feet (Caines Head)	Parking fee: No fee

Whether you only hike as far as family-friendly Tonsina Point (4.4 miles round-trip) or continue all the way to Caines Head (11.4 miles round-trip), views like the above (from the North Beach of Caines Head) make it easy to see why this is another of my favorite shoulder season hikes.

The trail to Tonsina Point is a pleasant stroll through the forest, ending on a rocky, grass-lined beach. If you continue from there to Caines Head, that’s when things get interesting. The rocky beach is often strewn with slippery kelp in any season — but during the shoulder season and winter it can also be covered with a thin rime of ice, which makes the whole thing as slippery as a collection of banana peels.

Several stretches of the trail to Caines Head are also underwater most of the time, so you have to time your trek to coincide with appropriately low tides — and unpredictable shoulder season storms can cut down on the number of suitable tides.

This is hike 80 in my guidebook Day Hiking Southcentral Alaska, or you can click through for driving directions and other details: Tonsina Point, Caines Head.