アンカレッジ自治体の天然記念物・トップ16

This hike goes between Girdwood and Eagle River. It's a beautiful hike that covers a lot of various terrain.

From the parking lot, a good path leads to the viewpoint

When the weather is clear, you have a great view of the mountains and the coast off Anchorage from up here.

Blueberry Knoll is named for the plentiful berries that populate its slopes in autumn—but this is such a popular area that they get picked out very quickly. Blink, and you'll miss them! You'll hike right past the knoll on your way up Flattop, or you can treat it as its own destination, hiking a complete loop around it to enjoy the views in all directions before you head back down.

The views from Flattop Mountain's plateau summit are spectacular. On a really clear day you can see the Alaska Range, and sometimes even Denali (tiny in the distance) from here. If you have the time and energy, you can also hike farther along the ridge to the southeast. There are two ways to hike up Flattop Mountain: From the Canyon Road AKA Rabbit Creek Trailhead, which you need a car to reach, or from the Glen Alps Trailhead, which you can reach with a car or via the Flattop Shuttle (see https://www.hike-anchorage-alaska.com/). If you're hiking from the Glen Alps Trailhead, the trail includes a bit of steep scrambling near the summit. Be careful and watch for loose rock!

One of the great trails in the Chugach Mountains, the Crow Pass follows part of the historic Iditarod Trail. The Girdwood Trailhead gives access to the south eastern end of the trail, which leads north, past Crystal Lake and eventually meets Eagle River. From here the trail continues to the opposite trail head at the Eagle River Nature Center.

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

Flattop is easily the most-climbed mountain in Anchorage — probably in the entire state of Alaska. You can reach the summit by either of two trails, but other the trail that approaches from the southeast — known as the Flattop Sunnyside Trail — is really conducive for running. It's steep, but has switchbacks and generally good footing for most of the way up. The other trail up to this broad plateau of a peak has a significant section of rock scrambling that would be impossible to run, no matter how sure-footed you may be.