Skip to content

Hiking Trails Under 10 km in Alaska

The directory currently contains 35 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Alaska. Their average mapped distance is 4.4 km and average recorded ascent is 415 m (1,362 ft); the longest route in the set is 9.1 km.

This subset represents 69% of the 51 quality-checked routes in Alaska. Its average distance is 4.4 km, compared with 41.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 415 m (1,362 ft), versus 523 m (1,716 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set has a mapped distance of 10 km or less; no fixed completion time is implied. Within this set, 6 routes (17%) are rated easy, 4 (11%) 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

3.0 km

Rendezvous Peak from Arctic Valley

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

163 m

Fort Ambercrombie Cliffs Loop

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

Moderate

Little O'Malley Peak Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
342 m
Typical duration
1 hr 19 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Hard

Matanuska Peak Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
8.9 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,746 m
Typical duration
4 hr 28 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Fort Ambercrombie Cliffs Loop

Alaska · United States

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
163 m
Typical duration
55 min
  • Coastal
  • Castle and ruins
Winner Creek trail
Moderate

Winner Creek Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
5.4 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
360 m
Typical duration
1 hr 40 min
  • River
Hard

McHugh Peak Trail South

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
Alpenglow light on North Suicide Peak, a 5,065-foot summit in Chugach State Park, just to the East of Anchorage, Alaska. Photo taken from the NW ridge of McHugh Peak. winterbear.com
Moderate

McHugh Peak Trail North

Alaska · United States

Distance
4.4 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
657 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 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

Wolverine Peak via Basher

Alaska · United States

Distance
6.4 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,076 m
Typical duration
2 hr 57 min
  • Mountain
Thunderbird Falls
Moderate

Thunderbird Falls Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
56 m
Typical duration
19 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
Ptarmigan Peak brilliantly illuminated by the setting sun. Photographed from the summit of Flattop. The summit of Peak Two appears in the foreground.
Moderate

Flattop Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
399 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
Moderate

Cross Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
8.1 km
/ 5.0 mi
Elevation gain
315 m
Typical duration
2 hr 9 min
Totem Pole walk in Sitka
Easy

Totem Park Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
19 m
Typical duration
34 min
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

Little Coal Creek Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
543 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • River
Old Womens Mountain Trail, Kodiak, Alaska.
Moderate

Old Womens Mountain Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
5.8 km
/ 3.6 mi
Elevation gain
335 m
Typical duration
1 hr 43 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Bold Ridge Overlook Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
6.5 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
8 m
Typical duration
1 hr 22 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Moderate

Mount Verstovia Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
3.9 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
101 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • Mountain
Byron Glacier near Portage Lake, Alaska. 2 pass, 8 exposure panorama.
Easy

Byron Glacier Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • Glacier
Moderate

Rabbit Lake Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
6.6 km
/ 4.1 mi
Elevation gain
393 m
Typical duration
1 hr 58 min
  • Lake
Moderate

Harp Mountain Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
755 m
Typical duration
1 hr 38 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Mount Gordon Lyon Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
427 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
Moderate

Ermine Hill Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
5.8 km
/ 3.6 mi
Elevation gain
484 m
Typical duration
1 hr 57 min
Moderate

South Fork Falls Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Waterfall
Moderate

West Butte Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
225 m
Typical duration
43 min
Moderate

McRoberts Creek Trail

Alaska · United States

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

Trail of Blue Ice

Alaska · United States

Distance
6.0 km
/ 3.7 mi
Elevation gain
110 m
Typical duration
1 hr 25 min
Moderate

Indian River Trail

Alaska · United States

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

Twin Peaks Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
23 m
Typical duration
54 min
A picture of Kaden Lake, a popular summer time hiking destination in Thompson Pass.
Moderate

Thompson Pass Pack Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
526 m
Typical duration
1 hr 26 min
Moderate

Lionshead Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
253 m
Typical duration
35 min
Cantata Peak is one of the tallest peaks at the head of South Fork Eagle River, in the Chugach Mountains of Alaska. winterbear.com
Moderate

South Fork Valley Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
8.8 km
/ 5.5 mi
Elevation gain
322 m
Typical duration
2 hr 19 min
Easy

Middle Dangerous Trail

Alaska · United States

Distance
6.7 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
34 m
Typical duration
1 hr 27 min
  • Forest

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
Little O'Malley Peak TrailAlaska3.8 km342 m1 hr 19 minModerateApril to October
Matanuska Peak TrailAlaska8.9 km1,746 m4 hr 28 minHardJune to October
Fort Ambercrombie Cliffs LoopAlaska3.2 km163 m55 minModerateApril to October
Rendezvous Peak from Arctic ValleyAlaska3.0 km445 m1 hr 18 minModerateApril to October
Winner Creek TrailAlaska5.4 km360 m1 hr 40 minModerateApril to October
McHugh Peak Trail SouthAlaska6.3 km1,230 m3 hr 9 minHardApril to October
McHugh Peak Trail NorthAlaska4.4 km657 m1 hr 54 minModerateApril to October
Wolverine Peak via BasherAlaska6.4 km1,076 m2 hr 57 minHardApril to October
Campbell Creek Estuary TrailsAlaska1.1 km8 m14 minEasyApril to October
Thunderbird Falls TrailAlaska1.1 km56 m19 minModerateApril to October

Little O'Malley Peak Trail, Matanuska Peak Trail, Fort Ambercrombie Cliffs Loop 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.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for