The best gravel rides in the Kenai Mountains

The Glen Alps Trailhead is the starting place for a number of great hikes near Anchorage, including Flattop, Hidden Lake, Little O'Malley Peak, Powerline Pass, and Middle Fork Loop. There's also a very short overlook trail, just north of the parking lot, that gives you great views out over Anchorage with relatively little effort. Parking costs $5, and there is a machine near the upper parking lot that accepts credit cards.

You won't find any big terrain features here. Instead, this is a broad multi-use trail that connects the trail system around Service High School with the Campbell Tract trails, and further beyond into Anchorage. It's also part of the route known as the "Tour of Anchorage." Technically the Tour is an annual ski marathon, but its route is very popular for year-round recreation, and if you don't mind pedaling on snow there is even a fat-tire bike section in the race.

This packed-gravel doubletrack isn't just part of the trail network here in Campbell Tract. It's also an important part of the route known as the Tour of Anchorage. Technically the Tour of Anchorage is a ski marathon, but there is a bike division and the overall route is very popular for recreation all year 'round. The north end of this trail is very close to another trail known as Rover's Run, which is closed every year to reduce the risk of dangerous (and sometimes fatal) bear encounters. Please respect the warning signs and trail closure, for your safety.

This dirt/gravel singletrack trail is fun to ride, but it's not the sort of fast, swooping trail you'll find elsewhere. It's also very popular with runners and walkers and once you're past the first, deceptively wide and easy-looking portion, there really isn't room to pass on this narrow track. If you want to beat the (relative) crowds, you can always ride the nearby road to the other end of the trail. Wildlife sightings are very common here, especially when fish are running in the nearby creek.

The Gasline Trail is a straight, wide connector that gives you a chance to warm up, give your legs an easy spin, or just link up trails in the area. Please remember that wildlife sightings are very common in this area, and when the fish are running bear encounters are particularly likely near the creek that runs across the north end of this trail.

Traffic runs both ways on this intermediate singletrack trail, so keep a sharp eye out! Walkers and runners sometimes wander onto the trail too, especially since it intersects the multi-use Gasline Trail.

Because the Prospect Heights Trailhead is only a few miles from the Glen Alps Trailhead and they're both connected by bikeable trails, they make good alternatives to each other. If one is full, you might as well head to the other. With that said, Prospect Heights tends to be a bit less crowded than Glen Alps.

This park has open sports fields, a picnic pavilion that is free for use if not reserved by another party (fee applies), and some playground equipment. It's also a great place to access the unpaved, but still pretty easy to ride, network of multi-use trails on this side of town.