Explore Chugach State Park: Alaska's Backyard Wilderness

Alaska's Backyard Wilderness at the Edge of Anchorage

Anchorage earns its reputation as one of the most outdoors-friendly cities in North America partly because nearly 500,000 acres of genuine Alaskan wilderness begin where the suburbs end. Chugach State Park, the third-largest state park in the United States, rises from the foothills just seven miles east of downtown Anchorage, offering residents and visitors a seamless transition from city life to boreal forest, alpine tundra, and glacier-carved mountain valleys. Nothing else quite like it exists anywhere near a major city.

The park’s 280 miles of maintained trails spread across 16 trailheads covering terrain from a flat lakeside path at Eklutna Lake to demanding multi-day traverses across glaciated passes. Flattop Mountain, accessible from the Glen Alps Trailhead about 20 minutes from downtown, is considered the most frequently climbed peak in the entire state. The ascent takes a few hours and rewards hikers with sweeping views of Cook Inlet and the distant Alaska Range. At the other end of the scale, the Crow Pass Trail, a 28-mile route along a segment of the Historic Iditarod Trail, connects Eagle River to Girdwood through a mountain corridor used by people for thousands of years before it became a hiking route.

Eklutna Lake, a 7-mile-long glacial lake about 45 minutes from Anchorage, anchors the park’s northeast section with camping, mountain biking, kayaking, and four public-use cabins to reserve. Bike and kayak rentals are available at the lake in summer, making it one of the most complete family day-trip or overnight destinations in the region. The Eagle River Nature Center, in the park’s north section, offers interpretive programs, guided walks, yurts, and cabin rentals that put guests in immediate contact with a glacial river valley flanked by 3,000-foot cliffs.

Wildlife in Chugach is exceptional in variety and accessibility. Biologists estimate the park supports more than 1,000 moose, 40 brown bears, 80 black bears, and approximately 2,000 Dall sheep, with mountain goats, wolves, wolverines, and lynx also present. The Seward Highway south of Anchorage borders the park’s Turnagain Arm, where beluga whales appear seasonally and bore tides rank among the highest in North America.

Dogs are welcome on a leash throughout the park. For accommodations, Anchorage provides a full range from vacation rentals with mountain views to cozy cabins close to major trailheads. Girdwood, the ski village at the park’s southern edge, offers cabin-style rentals and luxury lodges with views of the surrounding peaks. Larger vacation homes in the greater Anchorage area comfortably sleep multi-generational groups, many with full kitchens, fire pits, and easy access to trailhead parking.

Check Alaska State Parks at dnr.alaska.gov/parks for trail conditions, campground availability, and cabin reservations. Book your accommodations for Chugach State Park.