Glen Alps Trailhead

A popular gateway to Chugach State Park, the Glen Alps Trailhead offers easy access to multiple routes of all lengths and ability levels.

• Powerline Pass
• Middle Fork Loop
• Blueberry Loop
• Flattop Trail
   

The trailhead is a 25-minute drive from downtown Anchorage, and a daily shuttle service is available for hikers without personal vehicles. A scenic overlook to the north of the trailhead parking lot offers accessible paved trails and panoramic views of the Anchorage Bowl, Cook Inlet, Mount Susitna, and distant Denali on clear days. From the trailhead, hikers can head toward Flattop for immediate elevation gain, or follow an easy, level path into a sweeping, verdant valley, where the south fork of Campbell Creek winds its way down toward the city.

The Glen Alps Trailhead provides all-seasons access to a treasure trove of Anchorage adventure. Find rich blueberry patches in the fall. See the aurora unfurl over the city skyline on a clear winter night. Enjoy cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat tire biking when the snow flies, or endless hours of backcountry hiking under the summer midnight sun. 

It’s also a prime place for wildlife and landscape photography — especially in the fall, when moose enter the rutting season, and bulls clash and spar beneath the spectacular backdrop of the Chugach Front Range. In the summer, watch also for bears lumbering across the mountainsides, eagles dipping between peaks, and a vibrant variety of wildflowers splashing the trailsides with shades of yellow, pink, and blue. 

While abundant signage and minimal tree cover makes the Glen Alps Trailhead area easy to explore solo, a number of knowledgeable local guides are also available to help show visitors the way. Whether you’re searching for an after-dinner sunset stroll or a day-long trek between summits, the Glen Alps Trailhead is a perfect place to start.