Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Alaska / Chugach Mountains

Eklutna Lakeside Trail

Chugach State Park, Alaska State Parks (Eklutna Lake, northeast of Anchorage)

Above Eklutna Lake in winter, Chugach State Park
“Above Eklutna Lake in winter, Chugach State Park” by U.S. Geological Survey , Public domain · Source

The Eklutna Lakeside Trail follows the shore of Eklutna Lake, a long glacial lake in Chugach State Park, then continues past the head of the lake toward Eklutna Glacier. It’s mostly flat and wide, with backcountry campgrounds, rentable cabins, and one of Alaska’s largest huts along the way. The Dyrt describes the lake’s water as glacier-fed and extremely cold year-round.

ALASKA.ORG says most of the route is flat and easily biked. The catch: on some summer days you’ll share the trail with ATVs.

The hike

The trail starts at Eklutna Lake Campground. ALASKA.ORG says to exit the Glenn Highway at mile 26 and drive about 10 miles up Eklutna Lake Road into the mountains. It says the campground has 50 campsites plus overflow sites along the 7-mile-long lake.

onX describes the early miles as several access points to the lake with views of Bold and Bashful Peaks. The route bounces between singletrack and the ATV trail until about mile 7, where the ATV road carries you the rest of the way. It warns the ATV sections are quite rocky.

onX lists the landmarks by mile: Yuditnu Cabin at mile 3, the Bold Ridge Trail at mile 5, the Bold Airstrip and campground at 8.7, Eklutna Alex Campground at 9, the East Fork Trail at 10.7, Kanchee Campground at 11, Serenity Falls Cabin at 12, and a short spur to the Serenity Falls viewpoint at about 12.7. ALASKA.ORG says Eklutna Alex, at mile 8.8, has bathrooms, a picnic table, and a fire ring. The Yuditna Creek Cabin, ALASKA.ORG says, is one of the most versatile backcountry cabins in the state thanks to its easy three-mile access along the mostly flat lakeside trail.

Beyond the head of the lake, ALASKA.ORG says, the route passes through a massive burn and an avalanche runout off Bold Peak, past the turnoff to the Bold Airstrip and Kanchee Campground, before reaching a bridge over the Eklutna River. Serenity Falls Hut sits a few hundred yards up the hill from there.

ALASKA.ORG describes Serenity Falls Hut as one of Alaska’s largest huts, with a huge bank of windows facing the falls and a mountain so high it nearly blocks the sky. It says the 12 miles in take about 5 hours on foot or 2 hours by bike, and the round trip is 24 miles, so evaluate your abilities against conditions. The trail is wide enough to pull a bike trailer. A Komoot cycling guide notes that much of the trail is really a dirt road and rides well in dry conditions, as long as your bike doesn’t have skinny road tires.

The ATV schedule matters. ALASKA.ORG says that in summer, ATVs can use the trail Sunday through Wednesday, while non-motorized visitors hike, bike, and ride horses. The Dyrt describes the trail as shared by pedestrians, bikers, and, on certain days, four-wheelers.

Chugach State Park is enormous. The Dyrt describes it as about 495,000 acres and one of the four largest state parks in the country. From Eklutna, other trails branch into the backcountry, including the Bold Ridge and East Fork trails.

For a very different Chugach State Park trip, see the Crow Pass Trail or Williwaw Lakes.

Tips

Camping

Outdoorsy says the backcountry campsites around Eklutna Lake include the Bold Airstrip, Eklutna Alex, and Kanchee, and describes them as Leave No Trace sites. ALASKA.ORG says Eklutna Alex has bathrooms, a picnic table, and a fire ring. Yuditna Creek Cabin, the Kokanee Cabin on the western shore, and Serenity Falls Hut are rentable. We couldn’t confirm the current backcountry camping rules on an Alaska State Parks page, so check with Chugach State Park before you go.

Inside Intel: For a first backcountry night, ALASKA.ORG singles out the Yuditna Creek Cabin, just three mostly flat miles in, as easy enough for families and a good base for day trips. For a campsite with a few comforts, Eklutna Alex at about mile 9 has a toilet, picnic table, and fire ring. One Dyrt reviewer who biked to Serenity Falls noted the 12-mile shared trail, so if you want quiet, time your trip for non-ATV days.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

A night at Serenity Falls:

Whether you book the hut or pitch a tent by the lake, a good pad makes the long lakeshore miles worth it. See which pads testers recommend.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.