Welcome to

Don’t Bail from the Trail Please stay on designated trails when exploring For More Information the Hillside Trail System. Tenacious tundra plants can survive the test of winter, but the footprints Headquarters of summer visitors are more than they can Potter Section House 18620 Seward Hwy illside endure. As the saying “grows by the inch, dies H Anchorage, AK 99516 by the foot” implies, these perennial plants can (907) 345-5014 take years to grow, but can be killed easily by www.alaskastateparks.org trampling. The network of braided trails quickly rails degrades the park’s natural resources. csp@.gov T in Chugach State Park “Chugach State Park” on Facebook To decrease your impact, practice these Leave No Trace principles: • plan ahead and prepare • travel and camp on durable surfaces— stay on the trail • dispose of waste properly—pack it in, pack it out. Clean up after your pet • leave what you find • respect wildlife • be considerate to other visitors

Photo courtesy of Steve Neel Alaska State Parks

Hillside Trail System Wildlife Chugach State Park is a major habitat for moose The Hillside Trail System consists of a variety and black and brown bears. Stay alert, make of routes that crisscross the rugged terrain noise when hiking, and yield to wildlife. To avoid of the western Chugach foothills. Accessible attracting bears while camping, know the safe Welcome from the Basher Drive, Prospect Heights, way to store and cook your food. Upper O’Malley, Upper Huffman, and Glen Carry bear spray. Just a 20-minute drive from downtown Alps trailheads, the trail system offers year- Fires Anchorage, the Hillside Trail System is one of round, multi-use recreation for experienced Chugach State Park’s most popular attractions hikers and beginners alike. Open fires are prohibited on the hillside. and offers a wide range of recreational Backcountry chefs should bring a portable opportunities, diverse terrain, and incredible The Hillside Trail System, including the Middle camp stove. views year-round. Whether you’re hiking, biking, Fork Loop and Powerline Trail, offers exciting wildlife viewing opportunities. Moose viewing snowmachining, or skiing, the Hillside Trail Giardia System is a great way to access the outdoors. is extremely popular during fall. Sparkling mountain streams might look clean, Use the map inside to choose the path of but they could be contaminated by Giardia. your next adventure. Thankfully, Giardia is easy to avoid. You can purify drinking water using a pump filter, chemical Know Before You Go treatments, or by boiling for at least two minutes.

Learn Outdoor Skills Avalanches This brochure does not tell you everything Avalanches can occur anywhere, but gullies, you need to know about venturing into the steep, snow-covered slopes, and areas below Chugach. Get informed, take a class, or invite steep ridges are particularly susceptible. The an experienced friend. Be prepared for the majority of avalanches happen shortly after unexpected. heavy, sustained snowfalls. Familiarize yourself Photo courtesy of Larry Anderson with avalanche warning signs and the techniques Headed to the backcountry? Tell a friend and gear you will need to protect yourself in the where you’re going, who you’re going with, backcountry. Take an avalanche class. and when you’ll return. Fees Hypothermia Fees are charged at Glen Alps, Upper Huffman, Unprepared adventurers are especially and Prospect Heights trailheads. Fees can be paid vulnerable to hypothermia, even in the at the time of use, or frequent visitors can save middle of summer. money by purchasing an annual parking pass Alpine areas can turn cold, wet, foggy, and at the Chugach State Park Office (18620 Seward windy without warning. No matter how good Hwy.) and DNR Public Information Center the weather looks, bring warm, rainproof gear. (550 West 7th Ave., Suite 1260), or online at www.alaskastateparks.org.

Wolverine Wolverine Bowl Bowl Knik Arm Prospect Chugach Golden Grass State Heights Anchorage Trailhead Park Little Loop Area of detail

South Fork Rim

Turnagain Arm Panorama View

Legend

Middle Fork Loop Parking Mountain Biking

Prospect Drive Trailhead Bridge Gasline View South Fork Rim Snowmobiling Trail Skiing Chugach State Park

S Alder Alder o u th

F o r k

White Spruce C Upper Blueberry am O’Malley p Hollow b Trailhead e ll

Creek Williwaw Lakes Shebanof Hemlock Knob Avenue

Silver Fern Upper Huffman Trailhead Snowmobile Exit

Gasline Middle Fork Loop Sultana Drive Snowmobile Entrance

Powerline Toilsome Road

Glen Alps Trailhead Powerline Access

Little O’Malley Peak

Blueberry Knoll Loop

Flattop

Highlights Middle Fork Loop Trail Little O’Malley Peak Trail Access: Glen Alps (via Powerline Trail) or Access: Glen Alps Trailhead Flattop Mountain Trail Prospect Heights (via Wolverine Bowl Trail) Travel Means: Foot trailheads Distance: 4 miles one way Access: Glen Alps Trailhead Travel Means: Foot, ski Elevation gain: 1,200 feet Travel Means: Foot Distance: 4.1 miles from Powerline Trail to Distance: 1.7 miles one way Wolverine Bowl Trail • A great peak for less experienced hikers. Stay Elevation gain: 1,300 feet Elevation gain: 1,000 feet on the main path to minimize erosion • Berry picking in fall • The most climbed summit in Alaska, with • Traverses the hillside through prime moose breathtaking views of Anchorage, the habitat. During fall, bring your camera to Snowmachine Area Alaska Range, and Cook Inlet capture rutting displays • Steep in sections with some • Provides access to the Little O’Malley Peak Access: Upper Huffman Trailhead scrambling required Trail, Williwaw Lakes Trail, and Wolverine Travel Means: Snowmachine Bowl Trail Distance: 2.7 miles to snowmachine area Wolverine Peak Trail • Open to snowmachine use when snow depth Williwaw Lakes Trail Access: Prospect Heights Trailhead is adequate to protect underlying vegetation Travel Means: Foot Access: Middle Fork Loop Trail • Remain on designated routes and within Distance: 4.7 miles one way Travel Means: Foot, ski designated riding areas Elevation gain: 3,500 feet Distance: 5.9 miles one way from Glen Alps Trailhead (7.4 miles from Prospect Heights) • Great views overlooking the Williwaw Lakes Elevation gain: 800 feet from Glen Alps • Berry picking in fall Trailhead (1,500 feet from Prospect Heights) • The trail passes the jewel-like Williwaw Lakes that dot the basin of a beautiful alpine valley • Good skiing in winter

Photo courtesy of Nicole Acevedo

Photo courtesy of Janice Tower of Singletrack Advocates Background photo courtesy of Aaron Ritter