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This forest is home to Chugach, Ahtna, Eyak, Dena’ina, and other Native peoples of Alaska. This national forest is spread across 5.4 million acres.
It has three distinct landscapes: Prince William Sound, Eastern Kenai Peninsula, And Copper River Delta. You’ll find 500+ miles of trails, sixteen campgrounds, and forty cabins, providing you plenty of opportunities to explore away from the hustle-bustle of city life.
Where is Chugach National Forest
Chugach National Forest, the most northerly and westerly forest in the National Forest System, is located in the heart of southcentral Alaska. It’ll take an hour’s drive from Anchorage to visit the forest.
Places to Visit Near Chugach National Forest
- Prince William Sound’s 3,500 miles shoreline
- Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area (glacier studded place)
- Iditarod National Historic Trail-Southern Trek of 175 miles in the Kenai Peninsula
- Copper River Delta (largest contiguous wetlands complex on the Pacific Coast of America, which is a popular place to visit by millions of shorebirds during spring migration)
Things to Do in Chugach National Forest
Chugach National Forest is an exciting place for travellers. It offers them all levels of activities. You can enjoy:
- Visit the Begich, Boggs Visitor Centre, & Portage Valley (which is an hour’s drive south of Anchorage)
- Flightseeing at Prince William Sound to experience the vast bounty, view breathtaking scenery and see magnificent glaciers.
- Eyak River Trail at Copper River Delta
- Resurrection Pass Trail in Kenai Peninsula
- Kayak trip in Prince William Sound
- Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival
- Cordova Salmon Jam
- Fungus Festival
- Glacier Discovery Train
Chugach National Forest Hiking
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Hike the Eyak River Trail
This 2.9-mile trail starts along the Eyak River, providing you with a wide variety of incredible forest landscapes.
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Hike the Resurrection Pass Trail
This 38-mile trail is a National Recreation Trail that provides you with a wide variety of terrain, right from alpine meadows to thick forest. Along the route, there are eight rental cabins/camping spots.
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Hope Point Trail
This adventurous trail will give you great views of the Chugach Mountains, Fire Island, Cook Inlet, Turnagain Arm, and Resurrection Creek Valley.
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Heney Ridge Trail
Just 6-miles from Cordova town, this is a favourite among the locals. You’ve to make way through an old-growth forest with massive Sitka Spruce covered with moss.
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Trail Of Blue Ice
The whole family can enjoy this fun-filled trail in the woods of Portage Valley. You can hike or bike around. The major stopover in the 3-mile loop is Williwaw Fish Viewing Platform, Moose Flats, Portage Lake, and many more.
All Hiking Trails of Chugach National Forest are :
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Kenai Peninsula Trails
- Carter Lake
- Crescent Creek
- Crescent Lake Trail
- Devil’s Creek
- Falls Creek
- Grayling Lake Trail
- Gull Rock
- Bear Lake – INHT
- Meridian Lakes – INHT
- Johnson Pass – INHT
- Lost Lake – INHT
- Primrose – INHT
- Ptarmigan Creek – INHT
- Ptarmigan Lake
- Rainbow Lake
- Resurrection Pass
- Resurrection River
- Russian Lakes
- Victor Creek – INHT
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Whistle Stop Trails
- Grandview Vista
- Spencer Viewpoint
- Spencer Glacier
- Spencer Bench Cabin
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Girdwood/Portage Trails
- Byron Glacier
- Crow Pass – INHT
- Gary Williams Moraine
- Portage Pass – INHT
- Trail of Blue Ice – INHT
- Upper Winner Creek – INHT
- Williwaw Nature
- Winner Creek – INHT
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Copper River Delta Trails
- Alaganik Boardwalk
- Alaganik Slough
- Alice Smith Intertie
- Copper River
- Crater Lake
- Eyak River
- Haystack
- Heney Ridge
- Lake Elsner
- McKinley Lake
- Muskeg Meander
- Pipeline Lakes
- Power Creek
- Saddlebag Glacier
- Sheridan Mountain
Chugach National Forest Facts
- The Chugach National Forest is spread across 6,908,540 acres (10,794.6 sq mi or 27,958 sq km).
- It was established on July 23, 1907, and governed by the US Forest Service.
- You’ll find 200+ colonies of seabirds and 3,000-5,000 bald eagles in the Kenai Peninsula section of the forest.
- Copper River Delta, the most significant contiguous part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, is “one of the essential shorebird habitats in the world”. It provides habitat to more than 20 million birds every year. Around a quarter of the world’s trumpeter swans and dusky Canada geese are in Chugach National Forest.
- You will find a wide array of wildlife, including timber wolf, coyote, mountain goat, Sitka black-tailed deer, marten, caribou, moose, grizzly bears, black bears, etc.
Best Time To Visit Chugach National Forest
Mid-May to mid-September is the best time to visit this forest.
Visiting Hours of Chugach National Forest
The Begich, Boggs Visitor Centre remains open from 9 am to 5 pm.
Chugach National Forest Tickets
- Interagency Annual Pass costs US$80 per year.
- Interagency Senior Pass costs:
- US$80 Lifetime Senior Pass
- US$20 Annual Senior Pass
- Interagency Military Pass, Interagency Volunteer Pass, and Interagency Access Pass are available free of charge.