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Best Riverside Hikes in Alaska

The directory currently contains 7 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Alaska. Their average mapped distance is 5.1 km and average recorded ascent is 302 m (991 ft); the longest route in the set is 12.9 km.

This subset represents 14% of the 51 quality-checked routes in Alaska. Its average distance is 5.1 km, compared with 41.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 302 m (991 ft), versus 523 m (1,716 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

These routes carry the river tag. The tag does not establish how much of the mapped line follows water or whether crossings are safe. Within this set, 2 routes (29%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 0 (0%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.5 km

Staney Creek Cabin Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Staney Creek Cabin Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Winner Creek trail
Moderate

Alaska · United States

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
360 m
Typical duration
1 hr 40 min
  • River
Mount Deception (11,826 ft.) was named in reference to the crash of a C-47 military transport plane in 1944, which killed all of those onboard. Photo shot near the top of Kesugi Ridge above Little Coal Creek. winterbear.com
Moderate

Alaska · United States

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
543 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • River
Moderate

Alaska · United States

Distance
12.9 km
/ 8.0 mi
Elevation gain
582 m
Typical duration
3 hr 34 min
  • River
Moderate

Alaska · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
607 m
Typical duration
1 hr 42 min
  • River
Moderate

Alaska · United States

Distance
6.7 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
1 hr 25 min
  • River

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Winner Creek TrailAlaska5.4 km360 m1 hr 40 minModerateApril to October
Campbell Creek Estuary TrailsAlaska1.1 km8 m14 minEasyApril to October
Little Coal Creek TrailAlaska5.2 km543 m1 hr 54 minModerateApril to October
Staney Creek Cabin TrailAlaska0.5 km0 m6 minEasyApril to October
Upper Winner Creek TrailAlaska12.9 km582 m3 hr 34 minModerateApril to October
McRoberts Creek TrailAlaska3.8 km607 m1 hr 42 minModerateApril to October
Indian River TrailAlaska6.7 km15 m1 hr 25 minModerateApril to October

Winner Creek Trail, Campbell Creek Estuary Trails, Little Coal Creek Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

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