Fall Foliage in Anchorage Area

Hi, I am new to this forum but have been reading and benefiting tremendously from your posts.

I%26#39;ll be in Anchorage this week on business and have a day and 1/2 to kill before flying home. I wonder if anyone can tell me some nice places to view fall colors with snow-capped mountains as background.

I have been to Hatcher Pass and driven the Seward Highway before on my previous trips. Denali would be too far for me. Any places you can recommend would be greatly appreciated. Are there any nice hiking trails with beautiful fall color sceneries you would recommend?

I tried last year for fall color but was a little too late. Hope I won%26#39;t miss it this year. Thanks a lot for any help/tips.

Fall Foliage in Anchorage Area

You are here at a good time and I saw this morning that we should have nice weather early this week so you have that on your side. Anchorage is just starting to turn and we have a little snow on our highest mountains. You might want to just head north and maybe drive out the Glenn Highway as far as you would like. It is beautiful scenary and the colors shpould be a little further along than in the Anchorage area.

Fall Foliage in Anchorage Area

Northernlighter, there are many spectacular hiking trails right in Anchorage. I never hiked them this time of the year but they must be beautiful when tundra turns all shades of red, yellow, green and orange. I would chose

#1. Little O’Malley Peak. The trailhead is at Glen Alps ($5.00 parking fee)

#2. Wolverine Peak and Near Point. The trailhead is at Prospect Heights ($5.00 parking fee)

A little farther I would opt for

1. Twin Peaks or Bold Ridge trails. The trailhead is in Eklutna ($5.00 parking fee)

2. Crow Pass, Albert Loop and Dew Mound trails from Eagle River Nature Center ($5.00 parking fee)

Eagle River Nature Center is a great place to visit for hiking, views and wildlife. Crow Pass trail is over 20 miles long and it ends in Girdwood. We never made it through but maybe one day.

www.ernc.org

Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine State Historical Park must be gorgeous too this time of the year.

www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/units/indmine.htm

Good luck and I too hope you won%26#39;t miss fall colors this year.

Two beautiful trails I ALWAYS hike in the fall are at Eklutna State Park. Take the Glenn Hwy 26 miles to Eklutna exit. Follow the signs to Eklutna SP (10 mi). Continue past the fee station area and park in the farthest parking lot. Pay $5 SP fee. Hike either the Twin Peaks Trail or Eklutna Lakeside Trail. If you hike the Twin Peaks trail, you will be rewarded with a beautiful view of Eklutna Lake after hiking about 1.5 mi up. A bench will appear with the view of the lake and the valley below. Here you will see magnificent color, and while you are there, pick a few berries right over the side by the bench! If you continue the trail further up another mile, you will see the east and west twin peaks across the valley and Dahl Sheep. At the terminus of this trail, you can continue on a well worn foot path to the East Twin Pass.

The other trail in Eklutna SP is The Lakeside trail. This trail follows the lake along a wide trail approximately 7 miles or so. Your reward will be the lake itself (beautiful blue color) and the entire valley before you. You can rent a bike there to take this trail, but I don%26#39;t know when and if they are still open. Enjoy!

Thank you all very very much. That will keep me busy for a while. Forecase indicates Wednesday is a nice sunny day. Are there good spots near Anchorage to view Mckinley (if I am lucky enough to see its face)?

Thanks again.

I have been so lucky to see Mt. McKinley twice in the last week. I am sure anywhere on the hillside you can see it IF it is unobstructed from clouds. I generally see it from the Seward Hwy and Dimond Blvd.

inluvwithAK: Where on Seward Hwy and hilltop do you see Mckinley? I%26#39;d like to see it. I have only seen Mckinley from air and if I can see it from land, that will make this Alaska trip special for me. Thank you very much.

If the weather%26#39;s clear, head downtown and go up to the top of the Hilton - in the restaurant up there, you get a great view of the mountain. There are places along 3rd Ave. (the street the Hilton%26#39;s on) where you can look across to the bluffs on the other side of the Inlet and see McKinley rising behind them - try the sidewalk along the parking lot that is kitty corner from the Hilton. Enjoy!

kileysmom: Thanks a lot. Is Mckinley on the same side as the ';Sleeping Lady'; (I don%26#39;t remember the indian name)? But that is the mountain I see across the inlet when I stand next to the Captain Cook statute. I thought Mckinley might be somewhere in that direction?

Also, last year, as I drove on Glen Hwy from Palmer to Anchorage, I saw forests in golden color with snow capped mountains as backdrop (on my left hand side going towards Anchorage from Palmer). Do you know how I can access that area where I can get shots of snow-capped mountains with golden trees as the foreground? I sure hope I am not too early for the fall colors (I was too late last year).

Thanks again.

Last year we had a great view of Mount McKinley from Earthquake Park. We also seen it many times along 12miles long Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.

The best view we had where these two places meet and Point Woronzof which is father west from Earthquake Park

Almost forgot but we had a magnificent view on Mount McKinley form our room in Marriott Hotel.

Have a great trip.