ALASKA HIKING & NORTHERN LIGHTS VIEWING ITINERARY

I recently got back from Alaska. I am convinced there is nothing better than summer and fall there! My heart calls me back every year and it is a trip I cannot resist. The past two summers I was fortunate enough to spend a month in this beautiful state while my most recent trip was seven days. I visited slightly later in the year than I normally do so I had fall conditions and it was wild berry season! I was able to pack a lot in so I’m going to talk about my itinerary here.

Palmer, Alaska

I typically base camp out of Palmer, a city about an hour northeast of Anchorage, which is where my uncle lives. Palmer is home to Hatcher’s Pass which is an incredible area for hiking so I make these mountains my first stop. My favorite trails in Hatcher’s Pass are April Bowl (2.2 miles, 850 ft gain), Reed Lakes (8.7 miles, 2250 ft. gain), Marmot Mountain (2.6 miles, 1950 ft. gain), Skyscraper Mountain (1.9 miles, 2000 ft. gain) and Gold Cord Lake aka Uncle Dale’s Favorite trail! (1.5 miles, 472 ft. gain). Hatcher’s Pass has some of the best hiking in Alaska and you typically don’t have to worry about seeing bears as there’s not a ton of brush. I’ve never seen one in that area but I still carry my bear spray to be safe. This is also an area where I feel very safe solo hiking.

End of August through September is wild berry season in Alaska! There were wild blueberries all over Hatcher’s Pass during my most recent trip that I picked after I hiked. They are small and delicious so if you’re in Alaska in September, look for wild blueberries on and around the trails. They turn sweet after the first frost!

Seward, Alaska

After I visited and hiked in the beloved Hatcher’s Pass area, I took a trip to Seward. The drive to Seward from Palmer or Anchorage is one of the most beautiful drives you may ever do in your life (in my opinion!). There are a ton of places where you can stop to enjoy the views and I’d recommend taking advantage of them. I also always stop in Girdwood and Alyeska on my way to Seward. It’s the perfect place for lunch or a quick hike. Check out this post for trail recommendations in Girdwood.

For the last couple of years, I have been wanting to hike up to Harding Icefield (9 miles, 3200 ft gain) located in Kenai Fjords National Park. There is a mama bear and cubs that hang around this trail and with the many miles of trees and brush you hike through I was always nervous to do this by myself. I finally got the courage to do it during this past trip. It was an incredible hike and there were enough people on the trail that made me less nervous about bears. I did see the mama bear and her two cubs from a safe distance and it was the cherry on top of a beautiful day. If you have time and energy this trail is an absolute must do! I think in total the hike ended up being closer to 9.5 miles and 3600 ft. gain according to my watch. I did continue on a bit past where the trail ended to get closer to the icefield.

I tried out a new coffee shop in Seward called Resurrect Art. It is a coffee house and art gallery and is located in a really cool converted church. I loved it! My favorite dinner spot in Seward is The Cookery which has incredible seafood. My favorite lunch spot is The Lone Chicharron for their tacos.

Lake Louise, Alaska

After Seward I would typically go to Homer, Alaska which is one of my favorite cities in the state. Homer is the perfect coastal town with incredible hiking, eats, fishing and community. It has it all and if you have time, I would point you there next. Check out this post for a travel itinerary for Homer. Since I’ve spent a good amount of time in Homer, I headed back to Palmer for a night before heading to Lake Louise. Lake Louise is a very large lake with off grid cabins surrounding it. With little to no light pollution, Lake Louise is an awesome area to see the northern lights which I was lucky enough to catch. There is also fishing, hiking, and hunting in and around Lake Louise. I spent time with my family, fished, relaxed and watched the northern lights on a dark and clear night in a cabin. Another option would be to stay at Lake Louise Lodge which is beautiful and has running water, a restaurant, electricity and flush toilets. Lake Louise is an amazing area to check out if you’re looking for a retreat to enjoy the northern lights and find peace in nature.

After Lake Louise, I spent another night in Palmer and hiked in Hatcher’s Pass one more time before I flew back to Denver. It was another incredible trip and, as always, I left already dreaming about the next time I’ll be back.

Until the next tale… Happy trails.

-Hannah