ケナイ山脈の湖・トップ10

Just what the name suggests! There are a couple of small, pretty lakes, and a bit of a footpath leading around them. This park is an uninterrupted part of the woodlands around Seward; it's not maintained or "groomed" in any sense, except probably for some trail maintenance now and then.

Once upon a time, you could see Portage Glacier from this viewpoint. Now it has receded behind a corner of the mountains, so from here you can only see the lake left behind by the glacier, and every so often a few icebergs might still float by. Still, the lake itself is wildly beautiful and the small visitor center nearby is interesting to visit... if it's open. More information here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/chugach/recarea/?recid=71946

Portage Lake is a popular destination near Anchorage, attracting visitors with its scenic allure. Once a site for icebergs, the lake's appearance has evolved due to glacier shifts. Though less frequent, glacier ice chunks still float by.

Everyone talks about how beautiful Lost Lake is, but they don't always mention its size: This lake is enormous! Even when its sloping shoreline is littered with (literal) happy campers, it's still very easy to find your own pocket of peace and quiet.

Divide Lake is flat, tranquil, and edged with grass, almost as if it sprang out of the tundra on its own. As the trail passes it and begins a downhill grade, you'll catch glimpses of the lake's outflow — Divide Creek — as it races you down to Portage Lake below.

For most people, the broad, sandy shoreline of Portage Lake marks the turnaround point of this hike — or the perfect picnic spot. The glacier is not terrible active but it does sometimes calve (break off) chunks of ice into the water. If you're in the right place at the right time you might see and hear this happen, and sometimes the resulting icebergs even make it close to shore. If you see a small cruise ship on the water that is the M/V Ptarmigan, which cruises from the visitor center on the far side of the lake to within good views of the face of Portage Glacier; more information here: https://www.graylinealaska.com/portage-glacier-cruises/ Finally, some hikers do choose to continue hiking left (south) from here, in hopes of getting closer to the face of the glacier itself. Be warned, there is a not-insignificant stream crossing in the way, and it's very dangerous to walk on, underneath, or in front of the glacier itself, as chunks of ice can and do break off of it at random intervals.

The Crescent Creek Trailhead sits at the end of a rather rough access road, but it's worth the drive. The trail in front of you is a pleasant, swooping singletrack through light forest, eventually descending to a tiny gravel beach on the shores of aptly named Crescent Lake. If you look at it on a map, you'll see that it is shaped like a crescent-shaped smile.

There is public access to the shore of Upper Russian Lake, but if you want to stay in the Upper Russian Lake public use cabin, it must be reserved in advance for a fee: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/233006