ALASKA

 

Southeast Alaska
Southeast Alaska

Alaska has a number of trails with minimal obstacles.  Some are very easy and others are wheelchair accessible.  Here are just a few of them.
Most of the links given were found through Internet search. Some places I have been able to visit and a few have been recommended to me by other people who have been there. With your help, we can share our knowledge with disabled people everywhere and also increase awareness of the need for more accessibility. Please e-mail me with your suggestions using the form in the sidebar.

Federal
State
Local
Private
Miscellaneous

Federal

  • Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Reserve
    Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Reserve is a  birding area near Fairbanks with some easy walking trails.  It covers 1800 acres of wetland, forest, ponds, and open fields.
    HikerwithcaneThere are three nature trails, described as “flat and easy” by visitors.     Here are some reviews from Trip Advisor.   To avoid disappointment, it would be wise to call to learn the best times to coincide with the birds’ migration and to check trail conditions.  Laurie Boeck, Refuge Manager, wrote me that “Creamer’s does have an handicapped accessible loop in a typical year, but this year has been an exception with the persistent flooding events (we flooded again on Monday [9/1/14]).  The boreal forest trail is also a relatively easy walking, and while it is not up to ADA standards, it is a flat trail with frequently placed benches for people to rest as they traverse the trail. ”  Call 907-459-7307 for more information.    Here is the website.         Thanks to Ontario artist Terry Best for telling me about it.

  • Katmai National Park – Accessible trails
    “Katmai National Monument was established in 1918 to protect the volcanically devastated region surrounding Mount Katmai and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes….  It is still an active volcanic area, but also preserves 9000 years of human history.”  Katmai spans over four million acres of remote, wild, and spectacular country.  There are “vast multi–lake watersheds with hundreds of miles of wild, untamed rivers and streams.”  It is important habitat for salmon and thousands of brown bears.
    Wheelchair AccessibleAll bear viewing platforms are accessible. “The trails to the Brooks Falls and Riffles platforms are accessible. However, the narrow paths at Brooks Camp are rough and can become very muddy. ”  Also be aware you might have to move off a trail to make way for a passing bear.
    Accessibility  907-246-3305  Here is their website. 

    Know more about Katmai National Park ?
    Have you visited this location and know of more accessible or easy trails?  Is any of the information given here incorrect?  If so, please contact me using the form to the left and let me know what should be changed or added so I can update this post.

  • Tongass National Forest
    Tongass National Forest has accessible and easy trails.  It is the nation’s largest national forest.  It covers most of Southeast Alaska, including the Inside Passage, Mendenhall Glacier, Bear Creek, and Admiralty Island.  This national forest “is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world, and is home to a majestic array of islands, mountains, forests, glaciers, salmon streams, fjords and bays.”  From TravelAlaska.com
    Wheelchair AccessibleWard Creek Trail    1.4 miles gravel surfaced in rolling terrain.

    Wheelchair AccessiblePipeline Trail 3.1 miles  gravel surface in rolling terrain.

    Wheelchair AccessibleMosquito Cove Trail  1.5 mile loop through hemlock/spruce forest.  The first 1000′ is ADA complaint.
    Wheelchair AccessibleEagle’s Nest Campground Interpretive Trail  0.5 mile through spruce trees, along Control Creek where salmon spawn.
    Wheelchair AccessibleWukuklook Beach Trail   0.5 mile boardwalk to Wukuklook Beach.

    Crystal Lake Trail  0.8 mile on natural glacier gravel deposits.  This trail is rated “easy”, but may not be easy enough.  Call the Forest to learn more.
    Lake Florence Trail  1.4 miles “The trail gradually climbs from saltwater on Chatham Strait through a spruce/hemlock forest and ends at Lake Florence.”  Rated easy, but check first.
    Tongas National Forest Headquarters 907-225-3101 website    Map

    The Forest Service has produced this guide to Trails outside Ketchikan.  It includes trails within the Forest and some administered by the City of Ketchikan.  A number of these sound pretty easy, although not wheelchair accessible. Call the Ranger District to learn more. 907-225-2148

    Know more about  Tongas National Forest ?
    Have you visited this location and know of more accessible or easy trails?  Is any of the information given here incorrect?  If so, please contact me using the form to the left and let me know what should be changed or added so I can update this post.

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State

  • Alaska State Parks
    Alaska’s “…diversity of landscapes is reflected in the parks, historic sites, recreation areas, trails, preserves, and special areas of the State Park System — a collection of 123 units ranging in size from the half-acre Potter Section House State Historic site to the 1.6 million-acre Wood-Tikchik State Park.”
    Brochure     Accessible Facilities
    DNR Public Information Centers phones:  Anchorage 907-269-8400, Fairbanks 907-451-2705

  • Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve 
    The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve was created by the state in 1982.  The preserve protects the world’s largest concentration of Bald Eagles and their habitat.  There are accessible paths and boardwalks.   The preserve also protects the natural salmon runs in 48,000 acres of river bottom land of the Chilkat, Kleheni, and Tsirku Rivers. 
    Wheelchair Accessible    1.75 miles of pavement and boardwalk for viewing eagles along the Chilkat river.
    Map  Haines Ranger Station phone 907-766-2292  Preserve’s website

  • Chugach State Park
    This large Southcentral Alaska park has several accessible trails.  The landscape includes “….diverse land forms and rugged topography, bounded on the north and west by the Alaska Range, and on the east by the Chugach and Wrangell Mountains and Prince William Sound. The region contains extensive ocean shoreline, abundant lakes, massive glaciers and ice fields. The park’s westernmost boundary lies in the western foothills of the Chugach Mountain Range and is a mere seven miles to the east of downtown Anchorage. ”  Here is their website.   Phone 907-345-5014
    Wheelchair AccessibleAnchorage Overlook trail 0.25 mile paved and gravel trail view of Anchorage, Alaska Range and Cook Inlet.  Anchorage Hillside Trail System Guide    Map    Chugach Hillside Brochure and Map
    Wheelchair AccessibleBird Creek to Indian Bike Trail  c 3 miles paved along Turnagain Arm to Bird Creek Campground
    Wheelchair AccessibleBird Point to Girdwood Bike Path 6 miles paved

    Wheelchair AccessibleBird Ridge Trailhead. 0.3 mile with viewing areas at either end. paved

    Eagle River Nature Center  Trail System  There are 3 easy trails and one rated easy to moderate.  The trails are hard-pack gravel, so some wheelchair users may find them accessible.
    Wheelchair AccessiblePotter Creek Interpretive Trail 0.46 miles, 220 feet paved.

    Trail Descriptions

    Know more about Chugach State Park?
    Have you visited this location and know of more accessible or easy trails?  Is any of the information given here incorrect?  If so, please contact me using the form to the left and let me know what should be changed or added so I can update this post.

     

  • Denali State Park
    Th 325,240 acre Denali State Park provides a great variety of recreational opportunities, ranging from roadside camping to wilderness exploration.  Lying between the Talkeetna Mountains to the east and the Alaska Range to the west, the landscape varies from meandering lowland streams, to montane forest, to alpine tundra. 
    Wheelchair Accessible    Denali View North has about 1200′ of paved trail with interpretive signs.
    Here is their website.   Brochure & Map   Phone 907-745-3975

    Know more about Denali State Park?
    Have you visited this location and know of more accessible or easy trails?  Is any of the information given here incorrect?  If so, please contact me using the form to the left and let me know what should be changed or added so I can update this post.

  • Lake Louise State Recreation Area
    This 500 acre area “…provides opportunities for “camping, fishing, boating, bird watching, hiking, biking, berry picking, snow machining, skiing, skating, hunting, and Northern Lights viewing. Lake Louise offers great year round fishing and sports four species of fish…”  There is a great variety of wildlife including moose, bear, wolves, fox, sheep, lynx and caribou.  You may see loons and trumpeter swans.   Here is their website.
    Wheelchair AccessibleThere is a “hard-pack gravel” interpretive trail.  Length not given.
    Map   Campground phone 907-441-7575

    Know more about Lake Louise?
    Have you visited this location and know of more accessible or easy trails?  Is any of the information given here incorrect?  If so, please contact me using the form to the left and let me know what should be changed or added so I can update this post.

  • Matanuska Lakes State Recreation Area
    Matanuska Lakes State Recreation Area used to be known as Kepler-Bradley.  It  lies northeast of Homer, west of Palmer.  The trails around the lake are accessible.  Visitors come for fishing, hiking, camping and biking.  The area includes several lakes stocked with trout and grayling.   Here is their website.
    Wheelchair AccessibleTrails around Matanuska Lake are hard-pack gravel  Map
    Phone DPOR  907-269-

    Know more about Matanuska Lakes SRA?
    Have you visited this location and know of more accessible or easy trails?  Is any of the information given here incorrect?  If so, please contact me using the form to the left and let me know what should be changed or added so I can update this post.

  • Mendenhall Wetlands – State Game Refuge easy, accessible trails
    Mendenhall Wetlands State Game Refuge at Juneau, Alaska has some accessible trails.  The refuge is a saltwater wetlands which provides a vital feeding and resting area for both resident birds and migrants traveling to and from their Arctic breeding grounds. The 4,000-acre wildlife refuge stretches nine miles along the shores of Gastineau Channel  and is enjoyed for waterfowl hunting, hiking, wildlife viewing and photography, boating, fishing, and scientific and educational studies.  Here is their website.  Phone 907-465-4266  A fuller description of these trails is found on Alaska.org’s  Juneau Hiking Trails.
    Wheelchair Accessible    Airport Dike Trail   1.2 miles paved.  Elevation gain 3′.   “It has many opportunities for waterfowl and bird watching.”
    Mendenhall Wetlands Trail  1 mile “…runs through the wetlands between the mainland and Douglas Island. It’s a great walk for families, birdwatchers, and exercisers. There are interpretive signs along the trail, with information about the birds, animals, and the wetlands ecosystems. “

  • Old Sitka State Historical Park
    A settlement here along Starrigavan Bay was built by Russians in the early 1800s. This site has been designated as a National Historic Landmark and there are interpretive panels with information about the history here. The park is 7 miles north of downtown Sitka.  Here is their website.
    Wheelchair AccessibleForest and Muskegs Trail 1.25 self-guided mile “…hard-pack gravel, with sections of boardwalk. Approximately 100 feet of trail has a 14% gradient. The rest of the trail has a gradient of 12% or less.”

    Interpretive Panels   Map  Phone 907-269-8400

  • Point Bridget State Park
    The 2,850 acre Point Bridget State Park is forty miles north of Juneau and has muskeg, meadows, cliffs,  salmon spawning streams, and rocky beaches on the sea. Point Bridget Trail is said to be easy.
    Point Bridget Trail  3.5 miles one way.  Description from Alaska.org:  The trail “meanders through muskeg, mature forest, and grassland until it reaches a beaver dam and views of the Lynn Canal. Bears often visit the meadow, but leave it to fish the stream. In spring, thousands of white-winged and surf scooters swim wing to wing in one giant raft. It is quite a sight to behold. Sea lions and harbor seals are often seen near shore and every once-in-awhile a humpback whale is offshore.”
    At 7 miles round trip with an elevation gain of over 400′ this trail is likely to be too long and have too much elevation gain for you to do the entire trail, although it is described as suitable for all skill levels and “kid friendly”.   The wildflowers and scenery may make it worthwhile walking part way.  Here is the park website    and a description of  Trails in Point Bridget State Park     Park Map  Park Guide
    Phone 907-465-4563

  • Settlers Cove State Recreation Site
    Settlers Cove is a quiet spot on the Clover Passage in the Ketchikan Region of Southeast Alaska.  Red Cedar, Western Hemlock and Sitka Spruce grow here in the temperate rainforest.  There is a sandy beach and a series of trails.  Their website. Phone 907-465-4563
    Wheelchair AccessibleHollow Cedar Beach Access Trail  200 yds to Lunch Creek Bridge

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Local

  • City of Homer
    Here is Homer’s website.
    Wheelchair AccessibleSpit Trail   4 miles, paved
    Thank you Cherry Jones, for letting me know about The Spit Trail.  The trail goes form the base of Homer Spit to the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon.

  • City of Juneau – accessible, easy trails
    The Juneau area does have a few easy accessible trails, in spite of the vertical nature of its setting.  Parks and Recreation’s phone number is 907-459-1070.  Here is their website.   Alaska.org’s Juneau Hiking Trails has good descriptions of the nearby trails.
    Wheelchair AccessibleMendenhall River Trail  2 miles, paved.  The trail follows the Mendenhall River greenbelt area, starting at Brotherhood Bridge.  “In mid-summer, over a flat field of iris and fireweed, the Mendenhall rises between McGinnis Mountain and the Sawtooth Peaks.”
    Wheelchair AccessibleRainforest Trail  0.5 mile trail leading out to the north end of Douglas Island.  There is a small beach there with beautiful views.

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Private

  • Accessible Alaska Cruises organize wheelchair accessible cruises to most tourist ports in Alaska.

  •   Alaska Small Boat Tours
    If your only disability is stamina and you are still capable of climbing ladders and in and out of bunks,  I strongly recommend a trip on one of the small cruising boats in Alaskan waters.   I spent a week on the M/V Catalyst and had a fabulous time.

    Sea lions
    Sea Lions on Brothers Islands, Southeast Alaska
    Spouting whales
    Spouting whales, Southeast Alaska
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Miscellaneous

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