How serious is bear country?

Bears are the headline but moose injure more people. Make noise; carry bear spray; never get between a cow moose and her calf.

Catastrophic in June–July in the interior. Permethrin-treated shirts + a head net are the only thing that works.

Can I bushwhack solo?

You can. We don't recommend it without a satellite communicator and a hard turnaround time. Cell coverage is essentially zero outside towns.

Narrow trail winding through golden autumn grasses and spruce trees toward snow-capped mountains under a sunlit sky.

Best Hiking Trails in Alaska

The lower 48 has nothing like this. Our team's Alaska picks — Denali, Wrangell-St Elias, Kenai Fjords — plus the brutally honest planning notes nobody puts on Instagram.

Alaska is in a different category. Rae did a 14-day Wrangell-St Elias trip in July 2023 and came back saying it was the hardest, most extraordinary backcountry trip of her life. Jake flew into Denali for the West Buttress climb in 2022. The team consensus: Alaska rewards the prepared and is unforgiving to anyone underprepared. There is no warm-up version.

Most of the famous hiking is in three places: Denali (one trail, otherwise off-trail), Wrangell-St Elias (the largest park in the country, mostly trailless), and Kenai Fjords (coastal, accessible from Seward). Pick one and commit; don't try to do all three in a week.

By region

Denali NP

There is no trail system. Visitors hike off-trail with map + compass or take the bus to specific drop-offs. Savage River Loop and Mount Healy Overlook are the marked exceptions.

Wrangell-St Elias

The largest national park in the US — bigger than Yellowstone + Yosemite + Switzerland combined. Bagley Icefield, Bonanza Mine, and pure off-trail wilderness.

Kenai Fjords + Seward

Harding Icefield Trail is the marquee — 13km out-and-back with 1,000m of gain to a sea of ice.

Chugach (Anchorage)

Day-hike country accessible from town. Flattop, Wolverine Peak, the Crow Pass Trail.

When to go

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Plan a hike in Alaska

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More hikes in Alaska

Harding Icefield Trail
hard · 13.00km · 7.0h

Common questions

How serious is bear country?: Bears are the headline but moose injure more people. Make noise; carry bear spray; never get between a cow moose and her calf.
Mosquitos?: Catastrophic in June–July in the interior. Permethrin-treated shirts + a head net are the only thing that works.
Can I bushwhack solo?: You can. We don't recommend it without a satellite communicator and a hard turnaround time. Cell coverage is essentially zero outside towns.