Summer Valley and Forest Hike
Description
Experience the wonders found in one of the Chugach State Park's fondest, glaciated valleys. On this tour, we will take you to the glorious Eagle River trail system where boreal forests, and salmon spawning streams are found. This trail network also hosts the renowned "Crow Pass", which is part of the historic Iditarod trail system once used by dog sleds and mushers. Afterwards, we meander over to iconic Barbara Falls, where you can hike right up to the base of the falls! If you're ready for a wilderness valley adventure, join us! • Experience hiking in Chugach State Park's Eagle River trail system, and Barbara Falls! • Perfect for solo travelers and couples. • Enjoy breathtaking views of towering vistas. Amazing landscapes await! • Learn about Alaska's boreal forests and glaciated valleys from a skilled naturalist. • Opportunity for wildlife viewing including, salmon, bear, moose and birds. • Provisions include a prepacked snack.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Eagle River hosts amazing phenomena and a rich ecology that you will learn about from our skilled naturalists. You will see photogenic birch and aspen trees mixed with giant spruces, as well as smaller brushes like willows, alders, and devil's club. Imagine endless varieties of edible berries, and fascinating fungi. If they are in-season, we will try a few! We may see moose, Dall sheep, and even a bear on this tour. Plus, there are many species of small mammals and birds we could encounter, too. At a distance approximately 6 miles in length, and a non-strenuous grade, most people can feel comfortable participating. Transportation included in total time of tour: (1 hour transportation & 4 hours hiking)
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Experience Suggestions: No experienced required, but you should be able to walk at least 7 miles on flat pavement, or 5 miles of uneven rolling terrain over the course of roughly 4 hours. Some parts of the trail are steep and hilly, placing additional stress on areas of the body not impacted by level terrain. Not recommended for those with cardiac or respiratory issues/illness. May be difficult for those with severe joint issues.
- Participation waiver signature required prior to departure.
- If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know and we will accommodate you with a different snack option.
Reviews(67)
By pure luck, what was supposed to be a group tour became a private tour for just the three of us, with Todd as our guide. He was absolutely fantastic!! As friendly as they get, incredibly knowledgeable, genuinely passionate about Alaska, and with a great sense of humor that had me laughing all throughout the hike. With his background in anthropology, he taught us about local plants, fungi, animal tracks, and Native Alaskan culture in a way that made the experience so much more meaningful👌. Despite the rainy weather, Todd came fully prepared with rrain gear , snacks, and water. we always felt completely safe exploring the wilderness with him. If you get Todd as your guide, you’re in for an amazing experience 🐾
Amazing review! Sounds like you had a great day on the trail with Todd. Really happy to hear about your experience. Let us know if there is anything else we can do for you in the future!
What an incredible experience getting to hike in the Chugach forest! We saw bears!! Highly recommend, TODD was amazing and took us to look out points, the waterfall was beautiful and the time overall was very well spent. I loved every minute!! A must do to hike in the forest!!
Hey Kimberly! Glad to hear about your experience on the valley & forest hike with Todd. We love Barbara Falls! Sounds like a great day with the bears and views. Thanks for leaving us a review! Take Care.
Our tour guide was great, offered a ton of conversation about the nature walk and otherwise! He went above and beyond to make sure we enjoyed the hike and the day overall. A last stop at the waterfall was a great way to finish the trip!
Stefan is an experience guide and showed us different plants and trees along the trail. While it was drizzling when we were hiking, we enjoyed the walk through the forest. A pity that we didn’t spot any wild animals, only their traces ( paw prints, marks in trees when they scratch or eat them, poops), it was still an amazing walk in the nature.
This hike was perfect! I ended up being the only person signed up so paid the extra for a private guided hike. The guide, Todd, was super knowledgeable and shared a lot of knowledge about everything. I had a great time and it was more like hiking with a friend than a stranger. The hikes were peaceful and the views were amazing. I would definitely do this again and would recommend it!
"Hiking with a friend," I love that! Thank you for coming out with us. To anyone reading this, we do provide solos the option for a private outing if no one else joins your hike.
Nice activity, beautiful landscape. We enjoyed the knowledge of very friendly guides. Not too brisk or challenging.
The hike is beautiful. Matt was our guide and gave us a lot of information about the flora and fauna. He knows the scientific names of ALL the mushrooms we saw. The view at the river was amazing. Hiking up to the waterfalls was a little tricky but Matt guided us well to ensure we were all safe. We saw moose and multiple rare birds.
Our tour guide Michael was awesome! A nice combination of local info, history, and general knowledge.
We love to hear it! Thank you for coming out with us!
Stefan was a great guide! He made conversation flow very easily and supplied many great facts about Anchorage.
Stefan has been a fantastic addition to our team this year. Thank you for joining us and taking the time to leave a review!
We thoroughly enjoyed our hike to Little O’Malley. Beautiful scenery and Eli was a fun and knowledgeable guide. We had 5 people ranging in age from 25-60 and he helped pace us so no one was left behind. His enthusiasm for Alaska and the outdoors made it a special hike. Loved that we got to try several new berries (Crow and Watermelon) along with Eli finding a great blueberry patch! If you don’t have a car and want to hike this was a great option.
I love that you got to try some new berries. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
