Good place overall to go kayak around a smaller lake. The lake is close to the highway so you can…read morehear all of the highway noise so its not as peaceful.

We stopped by here on our way to Denali, it is was a random stop but turned out to be absolutely…read morebeautiful. We were here on Thursday afternoon and there was no one here. We had the lake to ourselves. The area around the lake was clean, there are plenty of picnic tables, bbq pit and kids play area around as well. They also have a boat launch area on the other side. Tip: Come here during week day to enjoy the quaint lake, 'cause when we stopped by on our way back on Saturday, the place was fully packed.

Eagle River Nature Center is highly worth it for about a 30 minute drive from Anchorage. As you…read moremake your way along the road in to the area, you're greeted with scenic views of the Chugach mountains. There are pullouts to take pictures of those and the river. The nature center is literally at the end of the road with a large lot ($5 parking fee) and the area trails & outside space open even when the building itself is closed. Sadly, we did go on a Tuesday (they're open Wednesday-Sunday) but we still enjoyed the scenery and a short trail. I had hoped to do the 3 mile Albert loop but it was closed due to bear activity feeding on salmon. That was expected since it's a normal closure for August. Still enjoyed the shorter Rodak trail which brings you to a deck and amazingly scenic overlook. There are longer trails but I had other plans for the day. We saw a beaver dam and some salmon from the viewing deck, no bears on our trail, but did carry bear spray as they are active and regular seen in the area. What a beautiful peaceful place. A must do when visiting Anchorage.

This was a stunning place to get out and see the beauty of Alaska. The river, the mountains, the…read morefall colors, the mushrooms and the wildlife. Thank you to all the helpers who reviewed this place so I could enjoy it too

We got here about 630am on 20 May 2021 (a Thursday) and the gate was still closed but we are able…read moreto go around the side. There is not too much ice on the trail and other than a snack and a single glove that someone seemingly dropped accidentally, it is fairly clean. The initial incline will have you gasping for air (you'll be fine if you're fit or not coming from flat, low incline area). There are a lot of switchbacks but the trail is clearly marked.

This is a great after-work hike, especially if you're getting bored of Flattop…read more The hike is shorter than Flattop (only 1.5 miles one way) and probably has less gain (although I'm not certain). Don't be fooled by its being in Eagle River, the driving distance is still pretty similar to Flattop. (you can go faster on many of the roads) The hike is pretty steep and the trail isn't incredibly defined in spots, but it's straightforward. Just keep going up. It's not a scramble like Flattop, you'll never need to use your hands. There ain't many trees up here, hence the name. You'll get some really unique view of the Eagle River area Chugach mountains. You can turn this into a larger hike by continuing up the ridge to Blacktail Ptarmigan Rocks, or a longer day by going up to Roundtop. If you want to go higher still, you can go up Vista Peak. This trailhead is still accessible in the winter, just be sure to bring gaiters and/or snowshoes. Huge snow drifts can accumulate on the trail, and you will probably punch through a couple times. This trail sees enough traffic that there will often be a bootpack leading up, though. I'd also recommend some form of foot-traction/spikes if doing it with snow. Watch out for: the winds. They can be pretty insane up here. I went up yesterday and it was sustained 40mph with 50-60mph gusts!

We went here to do a little hiking and to check out the waterfall. The trail to the waterfall was…read morepretty good, but a bit close to the edge in 1 or 2 places. The waterfall itself was impressive. I really felt the power of it, being so close to it. I did not see any wildlife on the trail other than a few ducks in the stream. I would recommend this trail.

Like some other trails in Anchorage (Ram Valley, McHugh Peak) the legality of this trail probably…read morevaries depending on who you ask. I'm pretty sure it is legal, but you have to follow the rules: - obey any and all private property signs: while the waterfall itself is probably public land, there is lots of land around it that is not. - DO NOT park directly at the end of this cul-de-sac. You will probably get towed. Pull forward until you stop seeing all the no parking signage. Got it? OK. So there are two ways to get to the falls. If one were walking up the creek (against the flow) I'm going to describe them as viewer's left and viewer's right. Both ways start by walking down a road with a locked gate. If you hear a big Great Pyrenees barking at you, you're probably in the right spot. Folks describing this as a "trail" confused me and I ended up doing some minor bushwhacking on this completely easy and mundane trail. In a very short amount of time, you'll come to a sturdy bridge. This is where the paths diverge. 1) To get to the viewpoint: continue across this bridge. In maybe 100-200ft you'll see a sign saying "Barbara Falls" with an arrow pointing right. Go right. You're still on a very wide road that you could drive a truck on. Following this uphill, veering right-ward at any junctions. This will take you to the viewpoint with guard rails. With a 50mm-ish lens (the "zoomed in lens" on most modern phones), you can get pretty decent shots of the falls. If you want to get closer, you can go around the guard rails and climb down. BE EXTREMELY careful and take it slow. This terrain is really slippery and pretty steep, a fall would not be good. This view isn't that great for more "serious" (on a tripod) photography though. Why? Because the wind is constantly blowing mist off of the falls and to this point. 2) To get to the "right" side of the falls: BEFORE the sturdy bridge, look for a FOOT PATH (NOT a big, truck-wide road) on your right. It starts almost exactly where the bridge begins (see my photos). Fall foliage may make it hard to find. It hugs the creek pretty closely the entire way. This is the best spot for photography. It takes you to a pretty big area where you can safely explore the falls at their base...without any sketchy down-climbing. Wide-angle lenses work great down here, this is a very photogenic falls. In the "Fall" (*groan*) there are lots of nice autumnal colors here. Have fun and obey the rules so that others may do the same in the future!

I'm with Joy G, this place is like a liquor store for Baptists: a place everyone goes, but no one…read moretalks about going to! I had only heard about it when my brother was visiting. He's a avid fisherman and did extensive research, and stumbled upon this area. Now that I've finally visited, I recognize it as the place where a lot of drone videos posted on social media are shot. There's a well-maintained parking lot with no fee. From here, you can go right to the water and fish. There's also a very short, but very well-maintained hiking trail. (maybe ¼ of a mile) The highlight here for me is the small bridge. It's right at the start of the hiking trail, over a milky-turquoise canal, and Pioneer Peak almost perfectly frames the scene in the background. It's an easy-to-take show that will blow away all your non-Alaska friends. If you're a tourist: this place is a must-visit. If you're a fisherperson: this place is a must-visit. If you're an avid hiker: this place is a must-visit...once. It's probably a good place to look for the Northern lights though! Decent sky views and you can stay close to your (warm) car!

Wanted to visit this area after reading great reviews from Elite Yelpers. I call the road you need…read moreto take to get there the "Palmer back road." Growing up religious we had these yearly summer camp meetings and that road is the only road I know to use to get there. Funny, I never noticed the sign for this place before, which is pretty large and obvious. Any way, it was my birthday and I wanted to get some fresh air with my family. We get there about 10am on a Monday morning. I was surprised to see a lot of fishermen in spots all around. I think they were just as surprised to see us. We started off strolling my youngest then found it easier to put her in a carrier. This place is breathtaking. The water is so calming and so tranquil. Love the bridge and as other yelpers mentioned, it is super close to the parking lot. Luckily it was sunny and we enjoyed the short hike through the wooded area. We were definitely the only people there not fishing. Greatful to have found this place.

When I was scouting this park for review, the road next to it was being ripped open…read more It seems like a pretty nice park. It's got a picnic shelter, some fancy new playground equipment, and tennis courts (which were locked shut?). Profile of the park is pretty long, room for dogfriends to run. The section of Fish Creek running through here looks...pretty weak, like it's barely flowing :-/ This place is also a pokestop.

This park IS THE SHIZNIT. The equipment is brand-spanking new, super durable and super fun…read more There's an awesome zip line thing that people of all ages were having a blast on. There's swings for kids of all ages, including a really great swing that would be really excellent for kids (even big kids) With disabilities. And the two person purple T-Rex is bomb. Definitely one of the best parks in Anchorage. To my mind it's only second to Westchester.

Beautiful, well kept trail! I saw five moose on the trail!…read more 11 miles each way starting at Elderberry Park and ending at Kincaid Park. Plenty of pull outs, benches, and look out points along the way. There was one point of the trail that had some bumps that appear to be in the process of being repaved, but otherwise no complaints. The only downside, biking up to Kincaid park was a challenge and the views at the top aren't worth it, there is also nothing waiting up top. Would be cool to see a coffee shop or something of the sort.

Very amazing hike with great views. We absolutely loved walking this trail last night and early…read morethis morning. Great views of the port as well as many other things!

Lovely quiet hike with a lot of "bang for your buck" - a short walk with beautiful views of the…read morelake, mountains, and trees. We stopped here to break up our drive from Anchorage to Talkeetna and it was well worth it!

If you are looking to put your feet in the water, throw a ball for your dog, or wonder around the…read moregreat outdoors without over exerting yourself, then this is your place. Nice views of the lake, and easy to follow trails. I didn't see a place for us to pay to park.

This inclusive multi-use park/playground is centrally located in Anchorage near the public library…read more Parking is ample and accessible in at least 3 different areas surrounding the park. All of my kids have played here and enjoyed the offerings. Surprisingly, there isn't a single swing at this park FYI. But still tons to do, to keep the kids entertained. There is a man-made pond front and center. Lots of birds + bird poop. Lots of walking/biking trails here. Lots of space to lay out. Tons of space to hold events here. I attended some of the best music festivals/concerts with mountain backdrop here; but due to disagreements with the city and the unhoused population, the space isn't utilized for these purposes anymore. Highly recommend.

It's a pretty large park, located in the middle of Midtown…read more Great place to go when there is a festival/event of some sort going down. It's also a good place to take a lunch break if you work in the area. If neither of these conditions are satisfied, there are much better parks to explore in Anchorage ;)