The best traffic-free bike rides in Anchorage Municipality

Significant non-motorized trail improvements have been made this summer (no more washed-out segments). Lakeside path is open to just beyond 5 miles as crews continue trail work as of 8/29/24)

The paved trail makes a sharp bend here, offering some views toward the marshland at the bottom of the bluff. There's also a small, unpaved spur trail near here that leads to a sand beach that isn't rideable, but you can always walk your bike or lock it to a nearby bench.

This powerline maintenance road is hugely popular and leads to some great side hikes. It's best-suited for mountain bikes, but as long as you're not on skinny road tires the biking is surprisingly decent. Once you get a few miles down the valley, the trail does start to narrow and get rockier, so let your comfort level be the guide for how far you bike. Please also be aware of how to handle encounters with wildlife like bears and moose, as they're pretty commonly seen in this valley.

This bowl contains the first of two trailside lakes, and it's a really pleasant destination for camping or a picnic. The trail continues on to the pass but at this point is getting really narrow and rocky compared to the way it started out; there may be some little creeks running across the trail, too. So if you're not on a mountain bike, the ride probably won't be much fun from this point onward (and honestly, you might even want to turn around sooner).

This is a super-popular place to watch for moose, which tend to congregate in the valley during the fall rut. Bring binoculars to help you tell what you're looking at; I've spent long minutes staring at what turned out to be somewhat moosey-looking bushes. You may see people looking for moose here during spring and summer, too; they're just harder to spot.

This trail is actually a dirt road, and as long as conditions are dry it's surprisingly decent biking as long as you don't have skinny road tires. The trail actually continues to some primitive campgrounds past the far end of the lake and is great for bikepacking, but if you're not on a mountain bike you might want to leave yourself an out to turn around not along after crossing Bold Creek (on a bridge). Watch out for ATV traffic that is allowed on the road/trail Sunday through Wednesday. There are a series of foot- and bike-traffic-only detours from the road that help separate you from the motorized traffic on those days, but those side trails are sometimes washed out, so you if you go that way there could be stretches where you have to dismount your bike and push it.

This is the gravel shore of Eklutna Lake, which is absolutely lousy for riding on most bikes but wonderful for a pre- or post-ride picnic and marveling at the lake, which really is a gem of the greater Anchorage area. Interestingly, it's also the drinking water reservoir for Anchorage.

Taku Lake is a favorite feature along the Campbell Creek multi-use trail. People come here to kayak, canoe and fish during the summer. A parking lot nearby offers easy access for anyone who wants to start, or finish, a bike/inline skate/walk/run/ski here.