タルキートナ山地のおすすめランニングルート

You get a nice view of X Lake (one of the Talkeetna Lakes) through the trees from here.

This loop around Talkeetna Lakes is a hidden gem. At the north side of the lake the trail takes you right up to the water and you get a great view down the length of the lake. Keep an eye out in late summer for cranberries and blueberries!

X-Lake Loop is an easy trail that circles Talkeetna Lake, offering vibrant scenery and a diverse ecosystem. The flat trail is surrounded by forest, making it an ideal spot to admire a variety of plants, mushrooms, and wildlife, including raptors, loons, foxes, bears, moose, otters, and beavers. Nature enthusiasts will especially enjoy hiking after rain, when mushrooms are more likely to appear and the colors are popping.

This park is arguably most famous for its enormous "Wonderland" playground for kids. There is plenty here for all ages though, including volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, a skate park, a BMX track, a bocce court and an outdoor amphitheater. The trails here also connect into the wider network of roadside trails throughout Wasilla, so it's a great place to start or end a run of any length.

There are two loops in this paved path, with the smaller one encircling the baseball field. This trail is popular with runners and walkers; dogs are allowed, but should be kept on leash. Doing two laps around both the large and small loops will get you close to a 5k distance. During winter, if there's enough snow cover these trails will be groomed for cross-country skiing.

This paved trail runs alongside a busy highway, so it might not be the most peaceful destination — but it's a great place to stretch your legs. And hey, if you've ever wanted to literally run from one town to another? This is your opportunity, as the highway you're paralleling runs from Wasilla to Palmer.

Wasilla Lake is a seaplane base, so you may see float planes taking off or landing. It's also a popular place for recreation, although the assorted watercraft all have to work to stay out of the way of the airplanes.

The first part of this wildly popular hiking trail is good for running too, with mostly solid dirt tread and enough rocks or streams across to make it feel interesting, but not turn into a full-on steeplechase. Soon after the trail starts up a steep ridge, though, it enters a massive, jungle-gym-like field of boulders that would thwart even the most seasoned of runners. (You could drop out of a run and hike your way through the boulders to continue past this point, if you so desire.)