Winner Creek Trail

Traveling through lush northern rainforest and over rushing mountain streams, Winner Creek is one of the most accessible and popular hikes in Girdwood.

Guided hikes reveal the natural and historical secrets of this part of the Chugach. This is the northernmost temperate rainforest in the United States. The dense forest is filled with wildlife and a little gold prospecting history. In addition to hiking, Winner Creek is also popular with mountain bikers.

Start out below the base of the aerial tram at Alyeska Resort, and follow the boardwalks and trails to the sound of rushing water. At around 2.5 miles, bridges cross a scenic gorge perfect for photos. The trail continues on to Glacier Creek. Once the site of a hand-pulled tram suspended high over the mountain creek, the trail currently ends here. A bridge to replace the hand tram scheduled to be built in 2024. There's no current connection to the trail at the far side, but once the bridge is built and ready for users, the trail continues out to Crow Creek Mine and even links up with the Historic Iditarod Trail, the traditional route for travel between Seward and Nome before rail and road.