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Hiking Trails Under 5 km in Alaska

The directory currently contains 20 quality-checked routes matching this guide in Alaska. Their average mapped distance is 2.5 km and average recorded ascent is 289 m (948 ft); the longest route in the set is 4.4 km.

This subset represents 39% of the 51 quality-checked routes in Alaska. Its average distance is 2.5 km, compared with 41.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 289 m (948 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 5 km or less. Time and suitability still depend on ascent, surface and conditions. Within this set, 4 routes (20%) 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

1.1 km

Campbell Creek Estuary Trails

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

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

8 m

Campbell Creek Estuary Trails

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

Alaska · United States

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

Alaska · United States

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

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
Thunderbird Falls
Moderate

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

Alaska · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
399 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
Totem Pole walk in Sitka
Easy

Alaska · United States

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

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

Alaska · United States

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

Alaska · United States

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

Alaska · United States

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

Alaska · United States

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

Alaska · United States

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

Alaska · United States

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

Alaska · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
253 m
Typical duration
35 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
Little O'Malley Peak TrailAlaska3.8 km342 m1 hr 19 minModerateApril 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
McHugh Peak Trail NorthAlaska4.4 km657 m1 hr 54 minModerateApril to October
Campbell Creek Estuary TrailsAlaska1.1 km8 m14 minEasyApril to October
Thunderbird Falls TrailAlaska1.1 km56 m19 minModerateApril to October
Flattop TrailAlaska2.4 km399 m1 hr 6 minModerateApril to October
Totem Park TrailAlaska2.6 km19 m34 minEasyApril to October
Mount Verstovia TrailAlaska3.9 km101 m58 minModerateApril to October
Rendezvous Peak from HilandAlaska3.5 km698 m1 hr 47 minModerateApril to October

Little O'Malley Peak Trail, Fort Ambercrombie Cliffs Loop, Rendezvous Peak from Arctic Valley 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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