To Palmer, Wasilla, & Fairbanks Upper Kenai Trails Map Anchorage

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22 The Upper Kenai 2017 Visitors Guide Cooper Landing Trails 1 Burney’s 1 Mile 9 Bear Mountain 1.6 Miles • Nice stroll through aspen and spruce Amenities: • This short but steep trail offers sweeping Amenities: Intermediate forest. Perfect for bird watchers. Easy views similar to those of Skilak Lookout • Acess: Skilak Lake Rd. MP 3.6 Trail. (Hidden Lake Campground) • Acess: Skilak Lake Loop Road • 200 foot elevation gain Mile Point 6.9 • Distance one way 0.5 miles • 400 foot elevation gain • Distance one way 0.8 miles 2 Hidden Creek 3 Miles 10 Crescent Creek 12.8 Miles • Perfect hike for families with small Amenities: children, going down to Hidden Creek • Gain elevation gradually through birch Amenities: (marsh) and Skilak Lake. forest to the grayling-rich lake. Snow • Acess: Skilak Lake Rd. MP 4.5 may be present in early season. • 300 foot elevation gain • Acess: Sterling Hwy. MP 45 to Quartz • Distance one way 1.5 miles Creek Rd. MP 3.5 • 1,300 foot elevation gain • Distance one way 6.4 miles 3 Kenaitze Tribe Trail 1 Mile • Winding interpretive paths highlighting Amenities: Kenaitze Indian Tribe cultural and 11 Resurrection Pass 38.8 Miles natural resources in the area. Trail is downstream of the campground. • From either end, this wilderness traverse Amenities: • Acess: Sterling Hwy. MP 52.6 & 52.3 climbs up through birch and conifer (Across from Campground forests, past lakes and streams, to wide entrance near the K’beq’ “Footprints” open, glacier-carved Alpine valleys. Interpretive site.) Snow can remain at higher elevations • No elevation gain until mid-June. Public use cabins (advanced reservations required) and • Distance one way 0.5 miles 19 campsites available along the way. • Acess: Sterling Hwy MP 53.2 OR Hope 4 Lower 4.6 Miles Hwy MP 16.2 + Left (S.) on Palmer Creek Rd. for 0.6 Mile; veer right onto Resur- • Accessible May to October. Hike down Amenities: rection Creek Rd. to trailhead ~3.4 miles to Kenai River then either downstream further. to Skilak Lake (through marshland) • 2,100 foot elevation gain with connection to Hidden Cr. Trail or upstream to Upper Kenai River Trail. 21.78 Miles • Acess: Skilak Lake Rd. MP 2.3 12 Russian Lakes • 250 foot elevation gain • This beautiful, spruce forest trail Amenities: • Distance one way 2.3 miles continues past the Russian River Falls to Lower and Upper Russian lakes to 5 Rainbow Lake 0.5 Miles Cooper Lake and the Snug Harbor Rd. trailhead. Or vise versa. Enjoy great • Short, meandering trail through Amenities: views of the and Skilak hemlock. Easy walk. Glacier. Try fishing the Upper and Lower • Access: Sterling Hwy. MP 48 + Russian lakes. There are numerous Snug Harbor (dirt road) MP 11.5. Parking campsites along the way and public on left. use cabins by advance reservation only. • No elevation gain Note —bears frequently use this trail, • Distance one way 0.25 miles too, so be “bear aware.” 4.8 Miles • Acess: Sterling Hwy. MP 52 (You must 6 Russian River Falls enter Russian River Campground) OR Kristine Route Sterling Hwy. MP 48 +Snug Harbor (dirt • Wide, easily accessed family trail with Amenities: road) MP 9 + Cooper Lake Road MP 3 beautiful view of Russian River Falls. Look • 1,100 foot elevation gain for jumping June-August. • Access: Sterling Hwy. MP 52 (You must 4 Miles enter Russian River Campground) 13 Skilak Lookout • 400 foot elevation gain • Gradual elevation gains. No water Amenities: • Distance one way 2.4 miles source. The panoramic view at the top is worth hiking to the end. • Access: Skilak Lake Rd. MP 5.4 7 Seven Lakes 8.8 Miles • 800 foot elevation gain • Distance one way 2 miles • Relatively flat, easy but often muddy Amenities: trail through birch-lined tapestry of lakes. Fuller Lakes 5.8 Miles • Acess: Sterling Hwy. MP 68.1 OR 14

Skilak Lake Rd. MP 9.6 (Engineer Lake • Steep hike to 3 sub-alpine lakes. Amenities: Difficult Campground) Good fishing. • 150 foot elevation gain • Acess: Sterling Hwy. MP 56.9 • Distance one way 4.4 miles • 1,400 foot elevation gain • Distance one way 2.9 miles 8 Upper Kenai River 5.6 Miles Skyline 2.6 Miles • See the river and angler action up close, Amenities: 15 with connection to Lower Kenai River • Rapid elevation rise. Be ready to sweat Amenities: Trail downstream. & bring plenty of water. • Acess: Skilak Lake Rd. MP 0.6 • Acess: Sterling Hwy. MP 61.6 • 260 foot elevation gain • 1,800 foot elevation gain • Distance one way 2.8 miles • Distance one way 1.3 miles Hope Trails 16 Gull Rock 11.4 Miles 17 Hope Point 7 Miles • This trail follows the south shore of Tur- Amenities: Amenities:

Intermediate • Be sure to bring enough water and nagain Arm to a rocky peninsula offer- layers; it can be cool at top. The view of Difficult ing great views. There can be downed Turnagain Arm from the top is definitely trees crossing the trail in spring. Be sure worth the relentless elevation gain. to bring water and snacks for a full day • Acess: Seward MP 56.5 + Hope Highway of hiking. MP 17.8 The trail starts on the left, just • Acess: Seward Hwy MP 56.5 +Hope Hwy before the entrance to Porcupine MP 17.8 Trail starts at the northwest end Campground. When the trail splits ~1/8 of the Porcupine Campground. (Closed mile in, stay left (right fork goes to Gull to motorized vehicles May 1 - Nov 30.) Rock Trail). • 1,000 foot elevation gain • 3,600 foot elevation gain • Distance one way 5.7 miles • Distance one way 3.5 miles Moose Pass Trails 18 Ptarmigan Creek 14.2 Miles 23 Johnson Pass 23 Miles • This short but sometimes steep family Amenities: • Part of the Historic Iditarod Trail, the Amenities:

trail paralleling the river is 3.5 miles up Easy forested trail opens to subalpine terrain to the beautiful turquoise, grayling filled at the top with beautiful mountain views Ptarmigan Lake. Trail continues another along the way. Trail often overgrown by 3.6 miles along the shoreline. mid-summer, adding difficulty for bikers • Acess: Seward Hwy MP 23. Trailhead (and for bears to hear you coming so be starts from the Ptarmigan Creek sure to make noise as you travel). Campground. • Acess: Seward Hwy MP 32.5 OR Seward • 450 foot elevation gain Hwy MP 64 • Distance one way 3.5 to 7.1 miles • 1,000 foot elevation gain 19 Vagt Lake 3.26 Miles Lost Lake 14.6 Miles • Easy, kid-friendly trail rambling through Amenities: 24 aspen forest to “secret” lake. Fun winter • Gain 2000 ft. in the first four miles, then Amenities: ice fishing, too. amble through the amazing Alpine

• Acess: Seward Hwy MP 25.4 vista another 3 to the lake. Campsites Intermediate • (Turn east, cross RR tracks, turn north; trail and public use cabin (by advance stars at South end of the lake.) reservation only) available. Snow could • 250 foot elevation gain still be present in May. For a 15-mile • Distance one way 1.63 miles traverse, continue to Primrose Trailhead. • Access: Seward Hwy MP 5+ Turn west on 20 Carter Lake 6.8 Miles Scott Way, which turns into Samantha Way, then left on Heather Lee Lane. • Trail features wildflowers, excellent views Amenities: Take first right on Hayden Lane and and the promise of and follow to Lost Lake Trailhead. grayling. Trail is short but steep and can • 1,820 foot elevation gain be muddy. Hike 1 more mile to Crescent • Distance one way 7.3 miles Lake or make a 17.7-mile traverse to the Intermediate Crescent Lake trailhead. Primrose 15 Miles Kristine Route • Acess: Seward Hwy MP 34 25 • 1,000 foot elevation gain • Wander steadily up the forested hillside Amenities: • Distance one way 3.4 miles and, after a steep stretch, emerge into 11.8 Miles a vast Alpine wonderland. Walk along 21 Crown Point Mine the shores of Lost Lake and, if you’d like to make the 15-mile traverse, continue • This is a popular motorcycling trail, so Amenities: down Lost Lake Trail to Seward. you may need to share the trail and its • Acess: Seward Hwy MP 17 + Primrose spectacular views. Campground Dr. MP 1.1 Park near lake; • Acess: Seward Hwy ~MP 25 + Drive east trailhead at south end of campground. 0.4 mile, turn left at sign for active mining • 1,600 foot elevation gain claim. Drive a bit up on the rugged road then park and start hiking. • Distance one way 7.5 • 2,400 foot elevation gain • Distance one way 5.9 miles 26 Victor Creek 5 Miles Devil’s Creek (Pass) 20 Miles • First mile is steep but then levels. Should Amenities: 22 only be traveled in summer due to • Moderate elevation gain through Amenities: avalanche dangers. conifer forest becomes steeper midway, • Acess: Seward Hwy MP 24.9 leveling out near end as vast tundra • 1,100 foot elevation gain expanses are revealed. Intersects with • Distance one way 2.5 miles Resurrection Pass Trail at mile 10 for through-hike options (27 miles to Cooper Landing or 32 miles to Hope.) Good for *Note if you plan to fish along these trails, multiday backpacking or hardy bikers. be sure to have your fishing license with Public Use cabins available by advance you and know the current regulations. And reservation only. • Acess: Seward Hwy MP 39 always be “bear aware”* • 1,400 foot elevation gain • Distance one way 10 miles