Forty miles southeast of Anchorage, on the Seward Highway, lies the small town of Girdwood, Alaska. Full of character and outdoor enthusiasts, this seemingly sleepy town has some of the best access to adventures big and small. With the Chugach Mountains as a backyard and the Turnagain Arm as the front yard, the options for adventure are endless, so you just have to decide what you want to do. Which can be hard. So, I tried to make it easy for you and created this of the best adventurous things to do near Girdwood, Alaska.
Girdwood, Alaska is an adult playground waiting to be explored, so here are some of my favorite adventures:
Hike Chutes and Ladders
Birdwatch at the Mudflats of Turnagain Arm
Surf the Bore Tide
Rock Climb Sunshine Ridge
Bike the Bird Point to Girdwood Path
Hike Byron Glacier Ice Caves
Kayak on Portage Lake
Read on to discover little bit about all these adventures, how to access them, additional resources, and so much more!
Kristin enjoying the sunset after climbing Sunshine Ridge near Girdwood, Alaska. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Bike the Bird Point to Girdwood Path
The “Bird to Gird Challenge”, as the locals call it, is a 24 mile round trip along a paved path which overlooks the Turnagain Arm the entire time. This path stretches from Bird Point to Girdwood and is often biked, or run, as a way to get out into nature without taking to much risk. The path is very nice and you will surely see lots of wildlife along the way. On the path you could see eagles, moose (though very rare), beluga whale, and many other common animals.
Some say the Bird to Gird path is the most beautiful bike path in all of Southcentral Alaska!
Hike Chutes and Ladders
There are waterfall hikes and then there is the Chutes and Ladders waterfall hike. Just outside of Girdwood, AK is a technical hike that requires the use of five rope ladders, one wooden ladder, and some good shoes (the ground is wet and slippery). The rope and wooden ladders remain in place year round, but please make sure to inspect them out before use, I am not sure how often they are replaced. Chutes and Ladders is a short hike to a powerful waterfall, but hikers often spend a couple hours enjoying the view and process getting to the waterfall.
Before moving on, are you interested in doing this awesome hike in Girdwood? If so, I wrote a full article with everything you need to know to hike Chutes and Ladders safely, click here to read.
Birdwatch at the MudFlats of Turnagain Arm
When you driving along the Seward Highway towards the Kenai Peninsula keep an eye over your shoulder at the Turnagain arm, you might be in for a treat! During low tide, the Turnagain arm turns into a mudflat that attracts a lot of wildlife, especially birds. As the tide rolls out to sea fish get trapped in small pools of water, which becomes the perfect snack for birds soaring high in the sky. If you are lucky you will get to watch an eagle swoop down and pick up dinner from the trapped fish in the shallow waters of the mudflats.
Please, be careful when exploring the mudflats as there have been some recent fatalities from individuals getting get stuck in the mud as the tide rises.
Surf the Bore Tide
Along the Seward Highway, just south of Anchorage, Alaska, there is a surfable wave created by the Bore Tide in the Turnagain Arm. Surfing the bore tide takes a mix of skill, luck, and local knowledge but this friendly wave is accessible to all. This wave is created by the changing of the tide and can be ridden one time a day.
Surfing the bore tide takes practice, however there is only one wave a day, so practice is few and far between. However, if you know how to surf, riding this wave won’t be an issue for you. The bore tide is an average size wave that requires local knowledge of where and when the wave will break. So, to surf the bore tide, you need a little luck on your side and local knowledge.
Do you want to try to surf the bore tide yourself? I wrote a helpful article explaining how to ride this crazy wave that will help you not make the same mistake that I did, read it by clicking here.
Hike Byron Glacier Ice Caves
Hiking Byron Glacier during the summer is a treat. From the trailhead, the cool breeze from the glacier and the rushing river sounds draw you into a mystical mindset as you approach the ice cave. After hiking for a .08 miles, you reach the entrance to the cave. Looking dark and daunting, as you enter, your eyes quickly adjust and reveal the magic that is the Byron Glacier Ice Cave hike.
Hiking to the ice cave of Byron Glacier will take 20-30 minutes along a flat, dirt trail for 0.8 of a mile. This short hike has a subtle uphill grade that most will not notice. Once your reach the vista point for Byron Glacier, you will start hiking on an well worn, but non-maintained trail to the mouth of the ice caves. In total, your trip to Byron Glacier could be as short as 45-60 minutes round trip. However, several people take 2-3 hours as they explore deep into the ice cave at Bryon Glacier.
Are you interested in exploring the Byron Glacier Ice Caves? I wrote a full article on the best times and season to explore these caves, check out the article by clicking here.
Kayak on Portage Lake
Kayaking to Portage Glacier is one of the most memorable adventures I have ever been on. Why? Well, this challenging kayak trip takes a full day as you are often paddling into a headwind, in both directions, you get to kayak among icebergs, and you can reach the glacier all in your kayak. This trip is not for the faint of heart, nor a person who has never kayaked before!
To begin this kayaking trip, you will start at the visitors center. From here the paddle is roughly 4 miles, one way. Along the way you will want to stop often for waterfalls and icebergs. The iceberg ice is very tasty! As you paddle your way towards the glacier, the chilly wind will pick up, so make sure to bring a jacket. For myself, rounding the corner and seeing the Portage Glacier from the water for the first time was a moment that will be with me forever. I was awe-struck.
Are you interested in kayaking to Portage Glacier? I wrote a full article on how to safely kayak across Portage Lake while you are exploring the Kenai Peninsula.
Rock Climb Sunshine Ridge
Sunshine Ridge is a four pitch mixed (meaning traditional climbing and sport climbing) rock route that takes you to the top of a prominent prow along the Seward Highway. This route is rated 5.7, however most would claim it is something more like 5.5. Without getting into the weeds about grades, the route is fun and has quality rock, which is a surprise for the area. If you are an avid rock climb and are itching to get out, this is a wonderful rock climb to get you outside and moving on rocks.
The pitch descriptions goes as such:
Pitch 1: 5.5, from some boulders about 50ft up the scree slab, climb past a few bolts (button head) and up onto the ridge. After about 60-70ft from the deck there is small ledge to belay off of with some gear. You can also keep climbing to one bolt one chain anchor above that. 150ft.
Pitch 2: 5.7 From the anchor climb up and to the left and climb a small bulge with some bolts. Climb up past bolts to a large boulder on a ledge. Belay from here. 120ft.
Pitch 3: 5.6 From the boulder climb up the face with some bolts. Climb the 5.6 moves to more easy climbing. There is a two bolt anchor above this. 100ft.
Pitch 4: 5.6 Climb up and left from the anchor to a left to a leftwards leaning crack, climb this and cut back right past a bolt to a two bolt anchor on a small ledge. There are also opportunities to belay from gear above the anchor. 100ft
Note: this rock climb suggest bringing cams and nuts, however I did not place any and only used quickdraws. I think there has been some retro-bolting in recent years.
Kayaking to Portage Glacier near Girdwood, Alaska. Photograph by Dalton Johnson
Now that you have discovered little bit about all these adventures, how to access them, and where to find additional resources for each adventure in Girdwood, Alaska, which one are you going to start with? Let me know in the comments below which adventure caught your eye. Also, if you have any other recommendations for others, please share those for the community in the comments below.
