Besides April Bowl…read more(https://www.yelp.com/biz/summit-lake-state-recreation-site-april-bowl-trail-willow), this might be the most-trafficked trail in Hatcher Pass. (https://www.yelp.com/biz/hatcher-pass-state-recreation-area-fishhook?page_src=best_of_yelp) And that ain't a knock against it! In the summer, you'll find lush green lichen-infused granite rocks and other-worldly turquoise water. It also makes for a fun weekend backpacking trip. In the fall, you'll find bright orange and red tundra loaded with blueberries. In the winter you'll find fresh, bright-white snow ripe for XC skiing or snow shoeing. The terrain at the trailhead is pretty rough, I'd recommend NOT parking right at the trailhead unless you like the bottom of your car getting scraped. If you continue down Archangel road you: 1) Should have a high clearance vehicle, the road rapidly degrades. 2) Will access Archangel Valley (https://www.yelp.com/biz/archangel-valley-palmer) a great place to rock climb and/or pitch a tent. But, I digress. The hike itself is about 4.5 miles with about 1,600 feet of gain. It's fairly moderate but it does have a boulder field in the middle where there is no trail and you'll need to do some minor route-finding. It can get slippery if there is snow (right now). Make sure you take a pole in the summer, and some good waterproof boots (and probably gaiters) if there is snow in late fall. In winter, it might be a good idea to take skis or snow shoes.

On an overcast morning, my friends and I decided to hike the trail. It wasn't very crowded which…read morewas nice and it was well maintained. The hardest part of this trail is the seemingly endless amount of stairs that pop up halfway through. But overcome that, and you will be left with an amazing view from the top of the butte. There were plenty of dogs on this trail if you wanted to bring your pet as well. Round-trip from the parking lot, this trail is 2.4 miles with an elevation gain of 819 feet.

If you're looking for a short hike to pass a couple hours, this is a good one…read more There are two entrances to the trail. One goes up a steep dirt path while the other contains stairs. It's a challenging up hill climb, but it's less than a mile to the top, so you're not exerting yourself long. The downhill is super fast. You're back in a blink, especially if you let gravity take over and you have a four legged friend on a leash pulling you... you may even end up face first in the dirt path (I, of course, wouldn't know anything about that). Bring your Eno since there are trees up top to hook them on. Bring binocular to check out the eagles flying by. Beautiful views of Lazy, Matanuska, and Pioneer, not to mention the Knik River Valley.

Nice clean campground, sites are in the open and near to each other but pull thru site easy in/out…read moreand long enough for tow vehicle, lots of class A RVs here when we stayed, location was convenient for our trip and so we will stay here again, will hold packages for you, they have other services like laundry, propane sale, etc, overall a good place to spend the night.

Starting at the trailhead on Smith Road you'll head in on a relatively flat trail…read more It becomes mostly uphill at the moment that you take a slight left off the ATV trail. Don't worry, it's clearly labeled here and you'll know you're on the right trail because there will be a marker. Around 4600 you'll start to hear rushing water off to your left. Around 5400-5600 you'll hit your first view of Palmer and the Butte/Pioneer off to your left. Mostly uphill until 9800. Then it smooths out in the McRoberts Basin for about two miles. You Lazy Creek at 10800 After you cross the gulch around mile 4, it gets steep and strenuous. The top is just shy of 6 miles. The last marker I saw was 29700. In the future I might mountain bike in 4-5 miles. Or backpack in four miles, set up camp and hike to the summit with a couple water bottles. Certainly worth the views, but the books don't lie. It's a strenuous trail.

Only on Alaska Yelp can you be first to review a very popular hike!…read more Even if you don't know this peak, you know this peak. It's the "other" prominent peak (besides Pioneer) that looms over Palmer. This is the "big boy" corollary to the neighboring Lazy Mountain trail: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lazy-mountain-trail-head-palmer The trail starts out on a 4x4 road. It's pretty wide with hard packed gravel. Eventually it narrows and gets VERY brushy. Seriously, practice your "HEY BEAR"'s, because the vegetation really overtakes the middle part of this trail. Eventually you'll emerge from the brush and out onto alpine tundra. The trail is the obvious dirty path running through the hills of alpine prairie. Lots of grounds squirrels here. Now you're at the base of Matanuska Peak. Don't be like me. Take a trekking pole. The final 1,000 ft of gain to the summit would be WAY easier with a pole to balance on! Some rock is white and sticky, but lose. Some rock is solid, but covered in black lichen and therefore slippery. Choose your poison! (trail markers guide you up the entire trail, even up through the scree and rock, keep an eye out) The summit is pretty small, you'll definitely get to know the other people on the top. (can get crowded in the summer) Great views of the Chugach: Ice Cream Cone peak, Knik Glacier, Pioneer Peak, Twin Peaks, and the Palmer valley. I found the hike down from the summit to be much easier/faster, but my knees are feeling stronger these days. If you have bad knees...again, get yourself a pole. Stats for this trail: Miles R/T: 8 Elevation gain: 5,670 ft

Love this place! Very clean and lots of room. We are not squished together, it feels private. Lots…read moreof room to walk our dogs around. Poop bags and garbage cans to throw away too. The showers and bathrooms are so clean. They even have hair dryers and looks like a laundry facility, which we won't need to use. There is also a small playground for kids. It's nice to get away from Anchorage and camp and also avoiding the Seward Highway by coming up this way. We have tons of errands to do, so it's nice that wasilla and Palmer are close by to get stuff done, but still feel like we are out camping and enjoying the last of the summer. The check in process was very simple to, with clear instructions. I am very impressed. Every detail was thought of. We will be back! Thank you!

Great location! Easy to get in and out. Well lit and easy to register and pay late. Loved the…read moremiddle pavilion that had pic nic tables, hammocks and games. Wish we were staying longer to be able to relax here. Bathrooms were clean and easy to access.

So I'm struggling to assign a star value to the Knik Public Use Areas because there's so many…read morevariables. So for starters, it's free... so in my mind that's 5 stars off the top just for being gratis. There really aren't very many places that you can camp these days where it's legal and free. So that's dope. And the view, looking to the east is fantabulous. Not so much the Knik River, which is a wide, muddy mess, but the view of the mountains here is priceless. Turn around and look to the west though, and it's nothing but dust and sad, scrubby trees. And when I say dust, I mean DUST. And there's a lack of public facilities. No shower, no bathroom, no BBQ grills and not enough trees to afford privacy while relieving ones self. RV'ers favor this place because with a house on wheels you can be comfortable. But in a tent, you might be dissatisfied. If you are into dirt bikes, ATVS or mudding, you'll love Knik Public Use. This is probably the most popular location to do those things in the valley. It's legal and you won't bother anyone. I've also seem people launch small watercraft from here, but I think the ability depends on the tides and what kind of equipment you have. The old abandoned Knik River Bridge is also found here, which is safe to walk on and get a good view of the goings on. In summary, it's a cool place to visit, but without an ATV or RV there isn't enough to keep my attention here for more than a few hours.

This falls under the "great trail if you live nearby, A-OK trail if you don't" category of trails…read more The views it leads to are just OK. It kind of fizzles out at the foot of the mountains, but doesn't really lead to the summits of them. You can keep going and climb the mountains, but you will be very much off trail. The first few miles are in the trees, eventually it opens up into an A-OK valley. I had no idea this trail was here, and I'm glad we tried it, just not sure I'll be back. It's very close to the the outstanding Chugiak cafe: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chugiak-cafe-chugiak So you could make a morning of it :)

First off, credit to John Tyson and his book, "Best Hikes Near Anchorage" for outlining this trail…read moreand giving all the pertinent details needed! If you're from out of town and looking for a good introduction to backcountry hiking, this is a trail for you. The first two miles are at a moderate uphill pace and then it levels out. If your from in town and looking for a versatile trail with backpacking options, also for you. Excited to hike beyond the four mile point next time. Start your GPS at the trail sign (where you'll find some general trail notes and any notices you need to know). and not at the parking lot. There are some really nice views of the inlet and Sleeping Lady. At about the 1.6-1.9 mile mark you'll come across a perfectly situated log on the right of the trail which provides for a nice seat and a beautiful view. Take this in as you'll be headed inland from this point. If you're a little tired at this point, the harder climbing is almost done. Make sure to follow the sign for "Summer Trail." It is the smaller of the two paths, but the correct one. Around mile 4, you'll cross a bridge with a decent stream. It's a great stopping point for pictures and maybe your turning around spot I'd recommend going on about another half mile. At that point the trail opens up into a flatter area with some nice peaks to your left. Throw out a blanket and make yourself a cup of coffee! The trip back is much quicker as it is all downhill. John Tyson says 4-6 hours. Pretty accurate I would say. My wife and I did it in just under 4 hours with a 30 minute break. Didn't see much wildlife. Saw some moose prints and moose droppings. Maybe one ptarmigan. The views are still worth it to me.

Let's get something out of the way, right away. There is no "s" in Hatcher Pass, between the…read more"Hatcher" and the "Pass". Correct: Hatcher Pass Hatcher NO!: Hatcher's Pass Hatcher's Anyway, this is one of the shortest "real" trails in the large area above/between Wassilla/Palmer/Willow known as "Hatcher Pass". In case you're not confused yet, this trail is located right at the actual pass of Hatcher Pass. That's right. It starts from Hatcher Pass, located in "Hatcher Pass (East Management Area)" Anyway, this trail is about 2.2 miles roundtrip and has 800 ft of elevation gain. It tops out on the summit of Hatch Peak. It's a great hike to take people that are a little bit adventurous, but maybe don't consider themselves "hikers". You'll pass a couple beautiful alpine lakes that are perfect rest stops. The trail eventually gains a rock ridge that leads right up to the summit. On a rare day with good weather, the views are stunning. You can see a large chunk of the greater Hatcher Pass area, Denali, and look back towards the Chugach Mountains near Palmer. (Pioneer Peak is particularly prominent) It's a favorite jumping off point for paragliders. It's a gravel road to get to the trailhead, but it's pretty well maintained. Any car will do.