The southernmost of Anchorage’s cross-city trails, the 7.5-mile Campbell Creek Trail connects the sprawling trail systems of Far North Bicentennial Park to Campbell Lake in southwest Anchorage. It passes dense greenbelts, sprawling neighborhoods, and busy commercial areas, following the Campbell Creek watershed as the creek flows toward Cook Inlet. Watch for salmon in the stream, and moose and other wildlife along the way.

The Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail cuts a tree-lined path across Anchorage, connecting Westchester Lagoon and the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail to the west with the University of Alaska Anchorage campus to the east. The name “Chester Creek” is an anglicized version the Dena’ina Athabascan name “Chanshtnu,” meaning “Grass Creek.” Long before Anchorage ever existed, Knik Arm Dena'ina camped along Chester Creek to fish for salmon in the spring and summer, and many had cabins and houses along lower Chester Creek until the land was taken, surveyed, and sold in the years before Anchorage became a city. Today, the Chester Creek Trail is a popular city walking path, bike route, and winter ski trail, weaving through greenbelts and Anchorage neighborhoods and connecting various pocket parks, skating rinks, and other recreational facilities. It stretches 4 miles from end to end, and the flat, paved surface makes for easy walking or cycling.

Stop by Westchester Lagoon, a waterfowl sanctuary. This is a great photo spot!

Earthquake Park gives visitors insight into one of the pivotal moments in Alaska history: the 1964 Earthquake. The quake on March 27 – Good Friday – measured 9.2 in magnitude and was the largest quake ever recorded in North America. A sharp drop-off north of the park and the peculiar rippling hills in the forest below are evidence of the massive earthquake that forever altered Anchorage’s landscape.

Jutting out into Cook Inlet on the western tip of Anchorage, Kincaid Park is one of the largest in the city. This is one of the best places in the city for wildlife viewing including moose and black bears! From the top of the park, take in panoramic views of the Cook Inlet, Denali, Fire Island, and the Aleutian Mountains. The 1,500-acre park was once a Cold War military installation. Your guide will point out concert bunkers that once housed Nike Hurcles Missles. In Kincaid Park, you will have a chance to use indoor restrooms, refill water, and take a longer break to have a snack.

There’s a good reason why Anchorage was once called “Air Crossroads of the World” — when it comes to air traffic, Alaska’s largest city is at the center of it all. Alaska itself is home to more pilots and airplanes per capita than anywhere else in the country, and Anchorage is home to one of the busiest air cargo hubs on earth. We stop at Point Woronzof to experience these massive cargo jets landing or taking off right overhead!

The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail follows the shore of Cook Inlet from Downtown Anchorage to Kincaid Park. It runs along coastal marshes, over forested hills, and passes one of Anchorage's most dramatically altered landscapes. The paved path runs 11 miles and hugs the coast, with great views of Sleeping Lady or Mount Susitna. On clear days, Denali and nearby Mount Foraker loom on the horizon.