Peaceful little lakes with beavers, pissed-off bears, and terrifying glaciers: here are the seven best hiking trails in… Alaskan… Alask… Alaska!
Hey fearless adventurer! Ready to throw yourself headfirst into remote trails, long forest hikes, and cold so intense it could freeze your nipples? Great, because here you’ll find the most spectacular hiking routes in Alaska—the kind of stuff that’ll make you stop complaining when you can’t find parking.
What’s the most adventurous thing that’s happened to you so far? Retrieving your phone after it fell into a nightclub toilet using a toilet-paper glove? Pfft, child’s play for English lords!
Fair warning: Alaska is not for posers. Every trail is a kick in the ass to laziness, so get ready to sweat, look rough, dodge moose droppings, and bring out your inner pissed-off bear!
But trust me, it’ll be worth it. Get ready to test your lungs and your boots, because this is the real deal—let’s go...
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1. Horseshoe Lake Trail: the little trail to break the ice (not literally!)
So, you’ve just arrived in Alaska, feeling a bit disoriented and maybe still carrying the food baby from your intercontinental flight? Don’t worry, Horseshoe Lake Trail is the perfect appetizer.
It’s a nice, easy outing without too many demands, ideal for stretching your legs and starting to breathe in that crisp Alaskan air. But don’t think it’s a granny stroll! The trail runs along a lovely lake where you can spy on beavers building their illegal dams. Those little flat-tailed engineers are true professionals, and watching them work is quite a show!
2. Harding Icefield Trail: become king of the world (but with the wheezing of an old man!)
Alright, now things get serious. If you thought Horseshoe Lake Trail was awesome, get ready to have your jaw drop at Harding Icefield Trail. This one climbs—a lot. More than a thousand meters of elevation gain to reach a viewpoint that will make you feel like the god of the world.
Below you stretches the Harding Icefield, a gigantic mass of ice that will make Into the Wild look like a loser’s screensaver.
But the effort, the legs screaming for mercy, and the sweat running into your eyes will be more than rewarded by the breathtaking view. And if you’re lucky, you might even spot a bald eagle soaring majestically above your head. A real orgasm for the eyes, but torture for the legs!
3. Flattop Mountain Trail: the leg-breaking hike with views over Anchorage
In the mood for a good sweat with a city view? Flattop Mountain Trail is for you! This trail, near Anchorage, is a real leg-breaker, with a steep climb that’ll have you cursing whoever invented Alaska. But once you get to the top—what a sight!
You’ll have all of Anchorage at your feet, with the surrounding mountains framing it like a postcard. Even the salmon stop here to say: “holy crap!”
Take a photo here and God will ask you for copyright permission: it’s too beautiful to be free!
And if you’re the adventurous type, there’s also a bit of scrambling—a proper hands-on climb, to put it simply—to reach the actual summit, just to spice things up. But be careful not to show off: a slip here is definitely not something I’d wish on you! Even the mountain goats would crap themselves here—be cautious!
4. Exit Glacier View and Overlook Loop: the easy hike for taking a break from murderous climbs
Not every hike has to be a death marathon, right? If you want something a bit more relaxed, but still visually impressive, Exit Glacier View and Overlook Loop is the right choice.
It’s an easy little trail that takes you just a few steps from Exit Glacier, an impressive tongue of ice descending from the mountains, practically ready to make out with you for fun!
You’ll be able to admire its deep blue shades, listen to the creaking of the ice, and maybe, if you’re lucky, witness a calving event—when a chunk of glacier breaks off and crashes down with a roar. (The sound is more or less like when your phone fell into the toilet...)
5. Savage Alpine Trail: the wild trail, kingdom of the pissed-off bears
You know Denali National Park? Pretty cool, right? Well, imagine Savage Alpine Trail as its personal playground, except instead of swings there are bears as big as refrigerators.
This trail is no easy stroll in the neighborhood park—get ready to sweat like a pig in a nightclub as you climb routes that look like they were drawn by a drunk caribou. But damn, what a view! You’ll find yourself among valleys straight out of a fantasy movie and on ridgelines where you’ll feel as lonely as a single lost sock.
But again, WATCH OUT FOR BEARS! Make noise, shout like you’re belting out your favorite song in the shower, and above all, DON’T FORGET bear spray. Using it may not be ideal, but being mauled by a grizzly is a lot less ideal. If you make it home in one piece, you’ll have a story to tell that will even outshine your uncle who went fishing in Norway and caught a salmon that looked exactly like his wife.
6. Little O'Malley Peak Trail: a 360-degree view to make Santa’s drones jealous
Back near Anchorage for another badass hike: Little O'Malley Peak Trail. This trail tricks you—it starts off easy (the sneaky bastard!), but then it makes itself known, with a climb that’ll kick your ass!
But don’t give up, because when you get to the top, damn, it’s worth it! The view is so spectacular you’ll feel like you’re riding one of Santa’s reindeer. From up here you’ll see a 360-degree panorama, with mountains on the horizon and lakes sparkling like Eddie Murphy’s smile in the dark, making you forget your trembling legs and giving you the urge to dance the Macarena with the wolves!
It’s the perfect place to breathe a sigh of relief, enjoy the silence (interrupted only by your asthmatic wheezing), and take epic photos. And let’s be honest, the satisfaction of making it to the top after all that effort is priceless!
7. Portage Pass Trail: an awesome glacier view and waterfalls that will make you say WOW
And to finish in style, let me take you to Portage Pass Trail, which is kind of like the last slice of pizza when you’re on a diet: you know you shouldn’t, but damn it, you really want it! The climb at the beginning is a bit of a bastard—it’ll make you sweat like a broken radiator in the middle of August. But once you get to the top, it feels like winning the lottery!
You get a view over Portage Glacier that makes you forget all the swearing you were doing five minutes earlier, and the surrounding mountains look like they were placed there just so you could take the photo of the year. And then there are the waterfalls—not exactly Niagara Falls, but they still look damn impressive, perfect for a break and for pretending you’re in a mineral water commercial with Reinhold Messner. Sure, there’ll be loads of people around, but the scenery is so stunning you probably won’t even notice.
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A wild, kick-ass adventure: run to Alaska!
So, have I convinced you to drop everything and come with us to Alaska? Forget boring, predictable vacations—this is the real deal! And if you want an unforgettable experience without having to worry about organizing anything (other than packing your hiking boots!), I recommend taking a look at our 13-day group trip to Alaska.
We’ll travel aboard awesome motorhomes, immerse ourselves in the wildest nature, and have the chance to see bears, whales, eagles, and then some. What are you waiting for? Book your spot before they’re gone! We’re waiting for you, hyped up like a coiled spring and ready to conquer the mountains!
