Chugach State Park and Chugach National Forest are two of Anchorage's closest outdoor options. The Chugach Mountains are perfect for a wide range of outdoor activities like hiking, rafting, biking, kayaking, and fishing. Explore the Chugach landscape and all it has to offer.

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.

With the city below on one side and the surrounding mountains stretching out to the east, this is where Anchorage meets the wild. From trailhead to the rocky top of Flattop, it’s approximately 3 miles and 1,500 feet of elevation gain.

Once just a single point of light in the mountains, the outline of the star near Arctic Valley is now clearly visible from downtown Anchorage, almost 14 miles away. The five-pointed star is a beacon all winter long in Anchorage, one the brightest of many Anchorage winter traditions.

The Chugach Mountains are a local favorite for outdoor activities of all stripes. Spend a few days amid the peaks in and around Anchorage.

Chugach State Park covers approximately 495,000 acres, and there are plenty of trails by which to experience it. Hikers of all ages and skill levels can find breathtaking views and bountiful wilderness access within easy drives of downtown Anchorage.

Turnouts at Beluga Point, Windy Corner, or Bird Point are perfect spots to view the Kenai and Chugach mountains and spot beluga whales and Dall sheep. The bore tide, a wave of water that rushes down the arm and can top six feet tall, is an unusual, unforgettable sight.

Fishermen flock to the creek’s rich tidal waters. An adjacent campground features inlet views. The nearby ridge trail leads hikers to one of the most popular views in the Chugach Mountains, and roadside bike paths connect cyclists to the ski community of Girdwood to the south.

Girdwood’s glaciers are more than just scenery. Hiking and ice climbing trips explore Alyeska Glacier. The local airport and helipads are the launch point for flights out on to glaciers higher up and further out. Alpine Air flies into the Chugach Mountains and sets down on Punch Bowl Glacier. There’s even a summer dogsledding camp.

The Chugach Mountains. The Chugach Mountains create more than a dramatic skyline for Anchorage. They are a playground for outdoor...