Chugach State Park

Eklutna Lake

Main article: Eklutna Lake

The Lakeside Trail travels 12.7 mi along the shores of Eklutna Lake until it reaches the mile-long Eklutna Glacier Trail that leads in short order to the moraines at the foot of the colossal blue ice of Eklutna Glacier**.** In the summer, travelers go on foot, by mountain bike, ATV or on horseback, past the lake by way of largely flat trail to the glacier. A traverse with three huts maintained by the Mountaineering Club of Alaska begins at the end of the trail and heads over the tops of the Eklutna, Whiteout, Eagle and Raven glaciers, and ends 31 mi away at Crow Pass near Girdwood on the opposite side of the park. In wintertime, trail users are able to travel the same route by snowmobile (snowmachine), snowshoes or cross-country skis as permitted by regulation and weather conditions. As most of the trail is an old roadbed, the trail is a popular winter destination for skijoring and dogsledding. There are two remote campgrounds in the area in addition to a frontcountry campground open during the summer. Two public use cabins are available for rent on the Lakeside Trail. Non-motorized boats, and boats with an electric motor, are allowed on Eklutna Lake. The tallest point in the park, Bashful Peak, towers over the lake at a height of 8,005 ft. Bush planes are able to land on the far (southern) side of Eklutna Lake at the unpaved Bold Airstrip. North of Eklutna, the southern summit of Pioneer Peak can be reached from Knik River Road via the Pioneer Ridge Trail beginning outside the park boundaries in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Visitors to Eklutna Lake have the opportunity to experience a variety of plant life at different elevations. Ferns, mushrooms, and wildflowers such as dwarf dogwood (Cornus canadensis), fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), and the parasitic northern groundcone (Boschniakia rossica) of the broomrape family cover the forest floor. At higher elevations wildflowers such as mountain avens (Dryas octopetala) and the Alaska state flower, the alpine forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris), grow in profusion. The alpine milkvetch (Astragalus alpinus), bog wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia) and wild geranium (Geranium erianthum) predominate on lower slopes, while further up the nootka lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis), coastal paintbrush (Castilleja unalaschcensis), prickly saxifrage (Saxifraga tricuspidata), the poisonous yellow anemone (Anemone richardsonii) and eventually the mosses of the tundra will reward hikers. Berry picking is popular in late summer and early fall. Highbush cranberries (Viburnum edule), lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), northern redcurrants (Ribes triste) and bog blueberries (Vaccinium uliginosum) grow along the lower trails. Dwarf blueberries (Vaccinium caepitosum), alpine bearberries (Arctostaphylos alpina) and crowberries (Empetrum nigrum) are found higher up. Correctly identifying berries before consuming them is important as some species are poisonous.

Eagle River

Main article: Eagle River (Cook Inlet)

A non-profit organization in association with the park operates the Eagle River Nature Center which exhibits interpretive information on wildlife and geological features. From the trail red salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and silver salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) can be seen as they spawn, especially in August. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos ssp.) often feed on salmon in shallow water between the beaver dams. Camping is available at the Eagle River Campground.

The Historic Iditarod Trail (or Crow Pass Trail) also passes by the nature center. Along the first view miles, hikers sometimes see hoary marmots (Marmota caligata) and Arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii), and occasionally mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) or Dall sheep (Ovis dalli). Hoary marmots live in alpine meadows, often adjacent to boulders or talus. These creatures hibernate from mid-September until April or early May. In summer, they can be heard making long whistle warning calls. Mountain goats and their kids and Dall sheep with lambs can be seen feeding on slopes above the trail during the late spring and summer.

Hillside

The Hillside Trail System lies only 20 minutes east of downtown Anchorage. A privately run shuttle - Flattop Mountain Shuttle - provides round-trip transportation between downtown and the Glen Alps Trailhead. During the winter some trails in the area are prone to avalanches. Hikers are encouraged to inquire about current conditions before beginning travel in the area. The Powerline Pass Trail is a popular location for dogsledding and skijoring.

Though moose (Alces alces gigas) may be seen along many of the park's trails, a more predictable and convenient spot is the viewing platform at Glen Alps in fall and early winter. Dozens of moose are often seen below the platform and across the Campbell Creek Valley to the east. Wolves (Canis lupus) and Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) also live in the park but are seen less frequently. The willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus), Alaska's state bird, as well as the rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) and white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura) frequent alpine tundra and subalpine shrub thickets. Meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) by contrast live underground in alpine and tundra habitats. Hikers may hear the chirps of the singing voles (Microtus miurus). During fall, these rodents construct piles of grasses and plants near their burrows.

Smaller mammals inhabiting this area include red foxes, porcupines, hares, ground squirrels, ermines, and pikas.

Turnagain Arm

Main article: Turnagain Arm

The Seward Highway follows part of the southern edge of the park along Turnagain Arm. This stretch of highway is listed as a National Scenic Byway and is designated as an All-American Road. One of the most visited is Beluga Point, at milemarker 110.5, named for the beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) that frequent the area. Another popular viewpoint along the Seward Highway is Windy Corner at milemarker 106 where Dall sheep (Ovis dalli) are often visible just up the hill. The McHugh Creek Day use area features hiking trails and picnic areas. The Bird Creek Campground is located south of Anchorage off the Seward Highway. As with all campgrounds in the park, each camping site boasts a wooded spot for recreation and relaxation, a fire ring and picnic table, with potable water and latrines nearby.

Turnagain Arm boasts the second highest tides in North America after the Bay of Fundy. These tides, which can reach 40 ft, sometimes come in so quickly that they produce a wave known as a bore tide.

Bears

As a wilderness park within easy driving distance of the largest population center in Alaska, the park has been the site of contacts between bears and humans over the years. Most of the time these encounters end peacefully, but there have been a number of maulings. In 1995 a bear was feeding on a moose kill with its cubs near the McHugh Creek trail when two hikers happened upon them. The sow killed them both. In 2007 a grizzly bear bit a woman at the Eagle River Nature Center. In 2012 a man was mauled while climbing Penguin Peak. In 2014 a brown bear mauled a runner at Bird Point. In 2017 there were two bear attacks in different areas of the park in a matter of days. A brown bear mauled three people at Eagle River and a black bear killed a teenager participating in a trail race at Bird Ridge. The black bear attack was deemed to be a predatory, rather than defensive, attack as the bear refused to leave and circled the corpse when it was located by park rangers.

Climate

|access-date = August 16, 2023

References

References

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28. [https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/chugach/mchughckpicartl.htm McHugh Creek Day Use Area] , [[Alaska Department of Natural Resources]]
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34. Boots, Michelle Theriault [https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2017/06/20/bear-attacks-are-still-rare-in-anchorage-but-the-dynamics-of-sundays-fatal-mauling-stand-out-from-history/ Bear attacks are still rare in Anchorage. But the dynamics of Sunday's fatal mauling stand out from history.] {{Webarchive. link. (June 27, 2018 [[Anchorage Daily News]], June 20, 2017)
35. Khachatoorian, Travis [http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Alaskans-on-edge-after-two-deadly-bear-attacks-in-one-week-430634843.html Alaskans on edge" after two deadly bear attacks in one week] {{Webarchive. link. (June 27, 2018 [[KTUU]] June 25, 2017)