In a previous article, I described my favorite hikes around Anchorage. In this article, I describe five hikes further south from Anchorage on the stunning Kenai Peninsula. The scenery couldn’t be more dramatic than the soaring peaks and water views of the Cook Inlet and Gulf of Alaska. These five hikes on the Kenai Peninsula take full advantage of the beautiful landscapes.
The first three hikes can be reached by road and are two-to-four hours away from Anchorage by car. Fore the last two, a water taxi is needed to visit Katchemak Bay State Park and Lake Clark National Park is reachable only by air.
Located in Chugach National Forest, the 38-mile Resurrection Pass Trail can be accessed from either Hope or Cooper Landing for day hikes, backpackers, or hut-to-hut hikers. While there is a 2,600-foot pass, it’s nicely graded with only a few steep sections.
We did a day hike from historic Hope, an original and relatively untouched Gold Rush Town, and found the gentle, tree-lined trail along the Resurrection River to be pleasant, peaceful walking. The trail can also be accessed from Cooper Landing on Highway 1 at the opposite end. We hiked a couple of miles and reversed our tracks to return to Hope. Hope was a delightful town with few tourists.
Backpackers can hike the trail in three to five days or longer, staying in any of 19 campsites or eight public use cabins. Permits are not required for tent campers. Cabins can be reserved but demand is high—book these six months in advance by cabin name on Recreation.gov. See the Guide to Backpacking the Resurrection Pass Trail on Alaska.org for cabin and campsite information.
Alltrails: Resurrection Pass Trail
At the end of the Seward Highway is the Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park, just one of 40 glaciers flowing from the massive Harding Icefield in Seward, AK. From the Kenai Fjords National Park visitor center, there are a couple of hiking options.
The Glacier View Loop Trail and Glacier Overlook Loop Trail form a network of short trails that provide stunning views and photo opportunities of the Exit Glacier, as well as short side trails to the outwash plain at the bottom of the glacier. The trail is 2.2 miles of easy walking.
The Harding Icefield Trail offers a more challenging 8.6-mile (round trip) trail with an elevation gain of 3,198 feet. It’s a hard, steep hike from the visitor center to the edge of the Harding Ice Field.
Alltrails: Glacier Loop Trails
Alltrails: Harding Ice Field Trail
Just outside of Seward is the 3.1-mile (round trip) Tonsina Creek Trail in Lowell Point State Recreation Site. The trail climbs high above the water in dense forest before dropping steeply down to Tonsina Creek, providing access to a large beachfront site on Resurrection Bay where bald eagles can be spotted during salmon runs.
A suggested one-day Seward itinerary is to hike the Exit Glacier Loop trails in the morning, stop by some highlights in Seward and hike the Tonsina Creek Trail in the afternoon. Highlights of Seward include the Benny Benson memorial honoring the child designer of the Alaska flag, a viewing of the very steep Mount Marathon Trail visible from downtown, and the Mile 0 monument that marks the start of the famous Iditarod Race.
Alltrails: Tonsina Creek Trail
The Grewingk Glacier Lake Trail in Katchemak Bay State Park might be my favorite hike in Alaska. First, there’s the water taxi from Homer to reach Katchemak Bay State Park, then there’s the hike through a hilly forest with gorgeous water views. Then there’s Grewingk Glacier Lake with blue icebergs floating in the lake. The whole experience is magical.
There’s a network of trails around the lake and the water taxi can stop at different places. Arriving late in the day, we only had a couple of hours before we had to catch the last water taxi back. We did a 4.5-mile (round trip) hike to Grewingk Glacier Lake. To reach Katchemak Bay State Park, we took Mako’s Water Taxi to Halibut Cove, hiked the Saddle Trail up a steep hill and connected to the Glacier Lake Trail to reach the lake. We returned the same way. If you want a longer hike, there are several ways to extend the route on intersecting trails. When you purchase a water taxi ticket, you can ask about different places they can drop you and they have maps of different trails.
Alltrails: Saddle and Grewingk Lake Trail
The Tanalian Falls Trail in Lake Clark National Park is the hardest to reach because there are no roads in the national park and access is by small plane, float plane or boat only. The 4.2-mile hike (round trip) passes through birch and spruce forests. We enjoyed a pleasant hike along the Tanalian River to the point where the river drops over a 30-foot rocky escarpment to form the short but turbulent Tanalian Falls. For a longer hike of 6.5 miles (round trip), continue past the waterfall on the Kontrashibuna Lake Trail.
We flew Lake Clark Air from Anchorage to an airstrip at Port Alsworth, where we stayed in a private cabin at the Farm Lodge and Lake Clark Resort for two nights. We transferred to a floatplane to access the historic Dick Proenneke cabin and did a short hike there with a guide. This was a highlight of our trip.
Alltrails: Tanalian Falls Trail
Alltrails: Kontrashibuna Lake Trail
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Every time I go to Alaska, I think it might be my last, but I can’t seem to get enough of this incredible state that is full of so much natural beauty. Any of these five hikes on the Kenai Peninsula will give the visitor a taste of Alaska.
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