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Hard Hiking Trails near Anchorage

The directory currently contains 5 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Anchorage. Their average mapped distance is 18.3 km and average recorded ascent is 878 m (2,881 ft); the longest route in the set is 36.3 km.

This subset represents 26% of the 19 quality-checked routes near Anchorage. Its average distance is 18.3 km, compared with 8.1 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 878 m (2,881 ft), versus 476 m (1,562 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

This set contains routes rated hard or expert from their available distance and elevation measurements. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 5 (100%) 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 5 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

6.3 km

McHugh Peak Trail South

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

208 m

Eklutna Lakeside Trail

5 of 5 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

Hard

Alaska · United States

Distance
22.1 km
/ 13.8 mi
Elevation gain
853 m
Typical duration
6 hr 6 min
  • Mountain
Expert

Alaska · United States

Distance
36.3 km
/ 22.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,022 m
Typical duration
9 hr 43 min
  • Mountain
Hard

Alaska · United States

Distance
6.3 km
/ 3.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,230 m
Typical duration
3 hr 9 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
February camping on Wolverine Peak. This wouldn't be an ideal spot in summer because there is so much traffic on Wolverine (the trail connects with the center rige just a few hundred feet behind the tent), but there was plenty of winter sol
Hard

Alaska · United States

Distance
6.4 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,076 m
Typical duration
2 hr 57 min
  • Mountain
Lakeside Trail along Eklutna Lake in Chugach State Park, Alaska, November 2012
Hard

Alaska · United States

Distance
20.6 km
/ 12.8 mi
Elevation gain
208 m
Typical duration
4 hr 46 min

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
Powerline PassAlaska22.1 km853 m6 hr 6 minHardApril to October
Crow Pass TrailAlaska36.3 km1,022 m9 hr 43 minExpertApril to October
McHugh Peak Trail SouthAlaska6.3 km1,230 m3 hr 9 minHardApril to October
Wolverine Peak via BasherAlaska6.4 km1,076 m2 hr 57 minHardApril to October
Eklutna Lakeside TrailAlaska20.6 km208 m4 hr 46 minHardApril to October

Powerline Pass, Crow Pass Trail, McHugh Peak Trail South 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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