Anchorage Leisure

Anchorage is a great outdoors city, with some delightful hiking and walking trails to be explored in the summer months. In the winter, the hiking gives way to cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and other winter sports. Year round, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved with popular sports such as volleyball and basketball.

Hiking and biking

With over 120 miles of paved trails and 85 miles of non-paved trails, Anchorage has some excellent opportunities for hiking and cycling. The most famous route is the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, named after a former state governor. The trail is 11 miles in length and it offers some spectacular views of Knik Arm and Cook Inlet as well as plenty of Alaskan flora and fauna.

For those who don’t want to walk the entire trail, it is easy and convenient to simply walk a small section. In the winter, cross-country skiing is possible on this trail. The two other major trails here are the Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail and the Campbell Creek Greenway Trail.

Winter sports

With plenty of winter snowfall in Anchorage and the surrounding area, there are lots of opportunities for skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports in Anchorage. One of the most popular activities is to ski the Middle Fork Loop, a cross-country ski trail that passes through wooded areas and around Campbell Creek. The trip is nine miles of glorious scenery, with a good variety of climbs and descents. Chugach State Park has some designated snowmobiling areas, with snowmobiling being a very popular activity here.