Summer has arrived and it’s time to go hiking. During winter it’s difficult to hit the trail without a hassle; crampons, snowshoes, headlamps, snow gear and avalanche beacons. Now, during the season of the midnight sun, hiking fanatics can enjoy a romp on thousands of trails during most hours of the day or night.
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To celebrate the season, the May issue of Alaska magazine features 30 great hikes in Southcentral, Interior, Southwest, Southeast and Arctic/Northwest Alaska. After reading the list, I was surprised, and humbled. I’d only hiked three of the trails listed!
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To add insult to injury, many of these great hikes are within driving distance of my house, boasting glacier and inlet views, historic wreckage, bear viewing, and beautiful vistas.
Fifty miles north is the Reed Lakes Trail, featuring two glacial lakes nestled in the Talkeetna Mountains where hikers can see the wreckage of a B-29 bomber and an abandoned mine. One hundred and fifty miles south is the Harding Icefield Trail that meanders through wildflower meadows and overlooks the icefield. This summer, I’m definitely going to expand my horizons and tread on some new trails, instead of my old favorites.
Hiking is a great way to see Alaska. On trails ranging from easy to difficult, visitors and residents alike can gain a more intimate connection with the state that they love by doing the most primal of outdoor activities—walking.
I know I’ll be crossing off trails from the May issue this summer, and I hope to see fellow readers along the way.
Serine Halverson is associate editor of Alaska magazine.