Chugach: How To Visit This State Park in 1 Day
This realistic Chugach State Park Day Guide helps you plan your next day trip adventure in this park.
Chugach State Park is a large state park in Anchorage. The park spreads for miles between the Knik and Turnagain Arms.
This post includes affiliate links that will earn us commission if you make a purchase via these links.
Sights & Places of Interest
Chugach State Park is a massive park. The residential areas border Chugach from both west and north. Turnagain Arm marks the south border. And Chugach National Forest is its neighbor to the east.
Chugach State Park
Chugach State Park has a lot of trailheads and overlooks.
- Northwest Area: Thunderbird Falls, Ektlutna Lake, Peters Creek Valley, Ptarmigan Valley
- Eagle River Area: Eagle River Nature Center, Mt. Baldy, North Fork, South Fork, Arctic Valley
- Residential Area: Upper Huffman, Basher Drive, Upper O’Malley, Prospect Heights
- Turnagain Arm Area: Potter Creek, McHugh Creek, Beluga Point, Rainbow, Falls Creek, Bird Creek, Bird Point, California Creek
Some of the trails involve tens of miles and thousands of feet in elevation gain. These trails are great if you live in the area.
But it is impossible to visit them all in one day. You have to prioritize what sights to visit.
This Chugach State Park Day Guide covers the most scenic sights for a day trip to the park.
Thunderbird Falls
Thunderbird Falls is the best first stop if you approach the park from the north. If you travel from Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, Matanuska, Valdez, or Fairbanks, make sure to stop at this trailhead. It is just a short drive from the Glenn Highway.
You would need to hike an easy trail to the falls viewpoint. The trail is a 2-mi (3.2-km) round trip hike. The falls are most powerful in the spring during the snowmelt.
North Fork
The next stop requires a much longer detour. The Eagle River Nature Center is much deeper into the park than most overlooks and trailheads.
It takes about 30 minutes to get to this area from the Thunderbird Falls Trailhead. But you can stop at the North Fork Eagle River Trailhead to enjoy this beautiful river.
Eagle River Nature Center
The Eagle River Nature Center has some of the best views in the park. If you have little time to explore the park, you can just enjoy the views from the Rodak Nature Loop. This trail has accessible boardwalks.
If time is not an issue, you can take the longer Albert Loop Trail. This trail has two viewpoints. You can get amazing views of the Eagle River, its valley, and surrounding mountains.
The Eagle River is quite shallow upstream. You can capture beautiful mountain reflection in the water on a sunny day.
If you have a few hours in the Eagle River area, you can take the longer trails.
Look into the Dew Mound and Crow Pass trails. The latter is one of the longest trails in the park. It brings you almost to the other side of the Chugach State Park. It is a great through hike if someone can pick up from Alyeska.
Prospect Heights
If you do not have much time, you should skip the Chugach trails next to the Hillside East neighborhood. Almost all of these trails cover 5+ miles with sizable elevation gain.
McHugh Creek
You could instead prioritize viewpoints and short hikes along Turnagain Arm. The McHugh Creek is a great next stop.
It takes about 50 minutes to reach this trailhead from the Eagle River Nature Center. The drive will bring you through Anchorage. It could be a good idea to get a bite to eat.
The McHugh Creek has a waterfall at the creek’s mouth. If time permits, you can hike along the creek. This strenuous hike can bring you all the way to the Rabbit Lake.
Beluga Point
There are several trailheads along Turnagain Arm. But most of them involve a lengthy hike to a viewpoint in the mountains.
This leaves the Beluga Point as one of the more accessible overlooks. As the name suggests, it is sometimes possible to spot belugas at this overlook.
The viewpoint offers scenic views of Turnagain Arm even if you spot no wildlife. The water level in the Arm fluctuates with the time. Grey sand, waters, and clouds often create optical illusions like this fake wave.
The viewpoint’s location is the only downside. It is between the Seward Highway and the railway. The railway is in use. Only two passenger trains pass this point a day. But it is still safest to be on the lookout for the incoming trains.
Other viewpoints in this section appeared a bit underwhelming. But if you could continue on the Seward Highway, you are in for more fantastic views.
This section of the Chugach State Park Day Guide will documents the sights in Chugach National Forest.
Chugach National Forest
Chugach National Forest starts soon after Chugach State Park’s boundary in Girdwood. It spans from Kenai Peninsula almost to Valdez.
Matanuska Glacier is partially inside this national forest. Chugach continues all the way to Seward in the southwest. It makes Chugach the second largest national forest in the United States.
Turnagain Pass
The forest has snowcapped mountains and beautiful valleys. You would want to stop at the Turnagain Pass Rest Area to capture these views.
East Fork Sixmile Creek
The forest has a few scenic viewpoints along the Seward Highway. The overlooks and trailheads become more plentiful near the intersection with the Hope Highway.
The East Fork Sixmile Creek and Canyon Creek are great stops to enjoy the forest’s beauty. Both flow through scenic valleys.
You can see both the evergreen pines and light-green deciduous trees if you visit Chugach during late spring.
Continue with our Chugach State Park Day Guide to learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.
Getting to Chugach
Chugach is almost entirely within Anchorage City Limits. You can drive to most viewpoints within 30 minutes from the city center.
It makes Chugach one of the most easily accessible state parks in the United States. But you cannot get to the trailheads on public transport.
Where to Stay near Chugach
Finding lodging is easy when visiting Chugach. Anchorage is the no-brainer location for places to stay. The state’s largest city gives you plenty of choices.
If you would like to be even closer to the park, you can look into places to stay in Aleyska.
Entrance Requirements & Passes
All trailheads and viewpoints in Chugach State Park charge a $5 parking fee. It is unclear if you need to pay the fee at every spot if you visit them in one day. But this is likely the case.
It is best to buy a Daily Parking Annual Pass. It is a decal that you place on the windshield. The State Park pass costs $60. The pass would pay for itself if you stop at most Chugach viewpoints.
The Eagle River Nature Center does not accept the annual passes. This viewpoint will cost $5 out of pocket.
Chugach National Forest does not charge fees for viewpoints and trails.
Takeaways: Chugach State Park Day Trip
Chugach State Park is a solid day trip destination from Anchorage. The park has lots of viewpoints, trailheads, and sites.
You can start hiking in the park from some residential neighborhoods. In this regard, Chugach is most similar to Forest Park in Portland, OR.
There are a few downsides of Chugach State Park.
- Every single trailhead charges an additional $5 fee.
- The Eagle River Nature Center does not honor the State Annual Pass.
- The entrance fees add up quickly if you visit several sights in a day.
All in all, Chugach State Park and National Forest are worth a visit if you take the Seward Highway.
Take a look at our Chugach State Park Day Video Guide. And visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chugach State Park is a massive park. It has a lot of viewpoints and trails. If your goal is to see a variety of Chugach sights, you need to pick shorter hikes and viewpoints. This way, you could make the most from your day visit.
The following trails are best if you have a day in Chugach State Park.
– Thunderbird Falls
– Albert Loop Trail in Eagle River Nature Center area
– McHugh Creek and Rabbit Lake
Individual trailheads and viewpoints charge parking fees. Each fee is $5 per vehicle. The State Annual Pass covers these parking fees.
The Eagle River Nature Center is the only exception. You would need to pay $5 out of pocket.
Chugach State Park has a lot of options to choose from.
– Hike the Thunderbird Falls
– Enjoy mountain reflections in the Eagle River
– Visit the McHugh Creek waterfall
– Spot wildlife at the Beluga Point
– Hike longer trails, like Dew Mound, Rabbit Lake, or Flattop Mountain.
Chugach has a lot of great hikes of different difficulty.
– Flattop Mountain: strenuous
– Rabbit Lake: moderate
– Thunderbird Falls: easy
– Mount Baldy: moderate
A car is the best option to reach Chugach.
You could get a ride share into the park. But it will be expensive. And you will have difficulty getting a ride back.
Public transport will not get you to this state park.
Safe realist travels!
