Wow!!!! How in the world has nobody, nobody, in all of the Unites States of America not written a…read morereview about this West Butte Trail??? That absolutely blows my mind!!! Okay! Well, West Butte Trail is without a doubt one of my new favorite hikes of all time! I visited Palmer, Alaska in June of this summer 2021. Palmer was actually just a town I was passing through along my 2 week voyage throughout Alaska. But...the reason I discovered this West Butte Trail was from a friendly girl I had met on the airplane flying to Fairbanks. This girl, who was obviously from Alaska...highly recommended this hike. Well...here I am now fully grateful to this random stranger for giving me info about this hidden gem of a hike! I am humbled by my journey and for the sights and surroundings when finally arriving at the peak of this West Butte Trail. Now...let me just back up a few moments. When arriving in Palmer...all you have to do (which I did) is plug "West Butte Trail" into Google Maps and it'll perfectly guide you to the trailhead. I came here in mid afternoon during the week back in late June. Although the parking lot was decently sized...I could envision on busy days the place being packed with hikers! It was $5 for the parking fee. That's all it costs. Basically, just like you do when you arrive spontaneously at a campsite, you grab a little envelope, fill it out and put $5 in the drop box. It's that easy. This West Butte Trail is specific and straight to the point. It's a 1.5 mile hike each way gaining roughly 800 feet in elevation. I was thinking 1.5 miles? No problem! But...towards the end of the trail it was sort of straight up the stairs with a few switchbacks. I definitely had to stop a few times just to catch my breathe. I wouldn't underestimate the hike, but overall it's casual for the entire family. Before I started the hike, I did read the trailhead sign and according to what it mentioned, the pathway to the top sounded inspiring. I'd like to relay to you what it said...."West Butte Trail begins in the forest and leads to the unique granite summit of the Bodenburg Butte. Look forward to breathtaking 360-degree views of Knik Glacier, Pioneer Peak, the Chugach Range and Talkeetna Mountains, and local Mat-Su Valley farmland. It is worth the climb!" I couldn't have said it better myself! Finally making it to the summit of Bodenburg Butte...the views (imo) were indescribable! I had chills! Just like the sign said...breathtaking! I was in awe of the 360 degree scenery and surroundings. Lol, alright I may be taking this explanation too far, but I felt like I was ready to cry. I had discovered salvation! Okay, okay....after about 15 minutes I believe my legs had settled down and I had my head on straight, hehehe. But...it was just beautiful...that's all I can say. The terrific aspect about arriving in early afternoon was that the sun was perfectly positioned for picture taking. The sun was at my back for 3/4's of the views. So...I had 3 incredible perspectives for which to snap pictures, take videos and breathe in the fresh Alaskan air. Another amazing detail was that from this granite butte, the weather was perfect. There wasn't any wind. It was like being in still air from high above. I was so impressed with how calm the setting was. Usually when you hike to the top cliff or overlook, it can be very very windy. This was the furthest from what you'd expect. No wind whatsoever. I believe the best part about being at the overlook was gazing out into the distance of Knik Glacier. It was the perfect backdrop. Another angle that was stunning was Pioneer Peak. There was 1 lazy cloud sitting next to it but that actually added a terrific element to the entire photogenic moment. Finally, the Talkeetna Mountains were also pretty special. I was just so happy to be here at the summit. It wasn't even crowded up top. I had tons of space to walk around and without having anyone "photobomb" my pictures. There were a few kids flying some drones but I didn't mind. I spent about 90 minutes up at the summit. After capturing plenty of photos and videos, I just had to sit down on a rock, bow my head and appreciate how far I had come being from South Florida to here in Palmer, Alaska. One last thing...for those who aren't familiar with the city of Palmer, it's located about 44 miles northeast of Anchorage. So...it's not out of the way for anyone to come and hike this trail. Lastly, just again, during my 2 week Alaskan vacation, this West Butte Trail was absolutely one of my highlighted and favorite memories...and all coming from a friendly stranger who recommended it while sitting next to me on my flight here. I am grateful. You never know. Kindness goes a long way. It pays to be nice to people, lol.

We got engaged here! Loved it. Challenging vertical at times but overall a manageable hike for…read moreanyone relatively active.

A few notes: 1. The…read moremap location on this is wrong. Here is a link to Google Maps. https://goo.gl/maps/2tCGimSECBKfwTj48 2. The trail is called Fishhook on the sign and on Google Maps, but I've also heard of it referred to as Marmot. 3. This trail is rated a variety of ways. It isn't long at 1.3 miles (one way), but it is steep. My Garmin registered 2000 feet of elevation change. I would rate the trail as moderate for distance and technical skills. There are some moments where the trail is pretty narrow. I would rate it as hard for exertion level. Locals will see it as a short and little difficult. Out of towners may view it as hard to expert. 4. Bring sunscreen on sunny days and bug spray if it is not windy. I saw a mosquito the size of a quarter on several occasions. Luckily, it was a bit windy. It is roughly .7 miles to the top of the first rise. Nothing is as steep after the first .7 miles, but the trails does meander up along a ridge until it reaches the top. It took me about 80 minutes to make the summit. I stopped along the way for pictures and taking in the views. Going down was faster, but tough on the toes and the bottoms of my feet. Hiking poles would have made the descent a lot easier on my toes. When I hiked in late June, it was very dusty and sandy. It was easy to lose footing on the ascent and descent if you are not careful. Nearly the whole hike rewards the traveler with 360 degree views of Hatcher and even down in to the Valley to Pioneer. There's a black tube at the top with a journal and pens. Sign your name, write a note. See who has been there before. The last .6 miles included lots of ground squirrels . If you stop and sit for a while, you will almost certainly see them running about, munching on vegetation, or licking rocks.

We hiked this in late October. It is absolutely gorgeous, but it's a rigorous hike with very steep…read moreparts. There was lots of ice and mud, so we were slipping a LOT. We could not make it to the top. Made it about 3/4 of the way. It was the first hike we haven't finished.

We used their canoe at Red Shirt lake and it was in fair shape and I had no problems with it and…read morehiking in 3 miles and being able to unlock the canoe and use it was perfect! They we're flexable on the pick up and drop off of key and paddles! A great service for our community!

Super easy experience, even for some of us novice canoer. Nancy lake was so gorgeous and such a…read moregreat time! Thanks!

Great trail for a leisurely hike or ride. The trail is not super long but it takes you back to…read moreupper Jim Creek and has numerous overlooks along the way. You can also hike above tree line and get a good view of the knik glacier. When you get to the metal bridge over Jim Creek you can easily hike downstream for a glimpse of some salmon in late summer/fall.

This historical park is so great! In summary:…read more - There is hardly ever anyone here (immediate win) - The entire area gets fabulous sunshine - It's free! (There is a donation box which I suggest utilizing if you enjoy the park because that's what keeps it going) - The birds will be chirping and the flowers will smell wonderful; take Claritin if you have allergies :) - There is a lot to learn about the original coal mines that are now this historical park. - There is a great playground for kids to burn off energy - There is a small outdoor exercise equipment area - There are picnic tables and a large grill! The end.

A lot of history here. I really like all the equipment and the buildings with all the old timers…read morephotos on the wall. Thank you to everyone in the community that has donated their time and energy maintaining this this park.

Willow and Houston have A LOT of ponds and lakes. Like, ALOT. And most of them are inaccessible…read morebecause they are surrounded by private properties like most lakes in Alaska. But we discovered a few lakes and ponds that had left public access with children's floaties, limited parking and lookouts. Prator Lake gets a 4 star review for clear signage, adequate parking, and by Alaskan standards- a decent swimming hole.

Looking for a well groomed, mostly flat, road to learn how to nordic ski?…read more Well look no further. Archangel, normally the road out to the Reed Lakes Trail in the summer, is a wide, well groomed trail in the winter. The space for skate skiing is broad. The grooves for classic (or is it Nordic?) are deep. Sometimes the classic grooves are over run by the skate skis. Here, the space for the skate skiers seems so wide, the classic grooves are clear. There is a parking lot at the beginning of the road. It's a state park fee lot. Five dollars to park per day or the annual pass. The trail goes 7.5km (one way) according to signage. On the way out, there are views, almost immediately, of the Gold Mint Trail and the Little Susitna River. On the way back there are clear views of the Pioneer Range in the distance.

We've been to 2 of the 3 entrances to the Hay Flats- this one is the best hidden and least well…read moreknown. It has a very strange and difficult to access entrance (as does the Norman Rd entrance). You have to take Fireweed - a road that runs parallel to the highway, but does not reconnect for a long way, which likely compels only those with intent to visit. Entrance to the park is free. This ride down the narrow dirt road is bumpy and had me wishing I had remembered my binoculars- the birds are always very active on the Flats. It's also common to see moose activity. At the end of the road is a single picnic table, a dock with overlooking Spring Creek full of lots of juvenile salmon , a small boat launch, and an incredible view of the Palmer snow capped mountains. This is a grossly underused refuge. According to the state website which I've linked here, camping, fishing, trapping, boating, hiking and birdwatching are just some.of the activities permitted here. Some have specific requirements, so please educate yourself you go. And of course, this is Alaska so... yeah.