Are you planning a mountain biking trip to Alaska but don’t know where to start? At Alaska Trail Guides, we know the MTB trails in and around Anchorage better than anyone.
Using decades of experience, we have carefully curated mountain biking tours in Anchorage and Alaska for cyclists of every kind.
Whether you’re still pretty green in the MTB world or you’re an avid enthusiast with years of riding behind you, we can show you the perfect trail!
For more information about our tours, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
For now, though, let’s start our introductory guide to mountain biking around Anchorage, Alaska.
Let’s start with the all-important question! The answer here is a resounding yes!
Alaska may not spring to mind when you think of traditional US mountain biking destinations. However, the MTB scene here has blown up in recent years.
New bike-specific routes have popped up in the hills and forests around Anchorage. Some of the best trail builders from the city, Fairbanks, Seward, Girdwood, and beyond have created incredible flow trails.
Combine these with the abundance of amazing alpine and cross-country routes already established, and Alaska quickly becomes a must-visit MTB destination.
But we haven’t even touched on the best part yet: being in Alaska. For many people, there’s a desire to see and experience the “real” Alaska.
Think trails winding through towering mountains, thundering waterfalls, awe-inspiring wildlife, fresh seafood meals, and endless jaw-dropping vistas.
Our pre-planned and custom mountain bike tours in Anchorage make it impossible to miss the “real” Alaska!
Home to 17 miles of fun and flowy singletrack nestled in the spruce and birch forest west of Anchorage, Kincaid Park offers some of Alaska’s best trails.
You can find intermittent views of the imposing Denali and Anchorage’s hillsides as you ride. But the best vistas are reserved for the Cook Inlet as it branches into the Turnagain and Knik Arms.
There are two distinct trail networks in Kincaid Park, both of which run from the same parking area.
South of Raspberry Road are the phase 1 trails. These flowy routes stretch for 9 miles through the woods including Bowling Alley, Toilet Bowl and C$ Express.
The phase 2 trails lie to the north of Raspberry Road. These include Middle Earth, Hanging Chad, Evolution, Candy Mountain, Second Breakfast, and Northwest Passage.
The trails in Kincaid Park are rated from intermediate to expert.
If you’re visiting us in winter, Alaska Trail Guides offers unforgettable fat bike tours in Anchorage too.
Over to the east of Anchorage is Hillside Park, a network of fun, playful singletrack trails.
The paths here have ample opportunities for descending and climbing, so it’s equally an aerobic challenge as well as technical.
The Anchorage Hillside is also home to Chugach State Park and some of the most spectacular views you can find while mountain biking in Alaska.
With vistas of Denali, the Alaska Range, Cook Inlet, Aleutian Volcanoes, and Anchorage itself, riding here is a genuine pleasure.
The flagship trails in Hillside Park are the following downhill runs, each of which offers around 500 vertical feet of flowy fun:
The trails in Hillside Park are rated as intermediate to difficult.
The full length of this high-speed gravel doubletrack runs from the Glen Alps parking lot, also known as the Flattop Trailhead, to Indian, Alaska.
However, most riders on the Powerline Pass reach the highest elevation point before turning around and cycling downhill back again.
This is primarily because the downhill section of the trail through to Indian is particularly steep and overgrown. So much so, in fact, that even experienced riders don’t consider it worthwhile.
The Powerline Pass is rated as beginner to intermediate.
Are you looking for an easy introduction to Anchorage mountain biking? Then Campbell Tract is exactly what you’re looking for!
This trail is a mix of singletrack and doubletrack with relatively flat terrain, making it a great ride for beginners and families.
Various trails here form logical loops over a range of distances. For a touch of excitement, be sure to include Birch Meadow on your ride.
This part of the trail contours up and down with the natural terrain, offering a nice change from the flatter paths elsewhere.
The singletrack Lynx is another fun segment and a great way to finish a ride.
If you are an MTB novice, we offer mountain biking clinics and lessons in Anchorage to help you become the rider you want to be.
For an easy-to-intermediate ride, you can also hit the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail.
This breathtaking multi-use coastal path is more than a match for any rivals when it comes to the most scenic biking trails in the US.
Starting in downtown Anchorage, this paved path skirts the shoreline for a little under 11 miles. It finishes at the chalet in Kincaid Park.
From cruising through scented forests looking out for moose to visiting the Earthquake Park, lasting evidence of the 1964 earthquake, the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is a true gem on the Anchorage cycling scene.
A selection of the best individual trails you can access in and around Anchorage include:
We hope this blog has whetted your appetite for an MTB adventure in Alaska. The best way to find the ideal trails for your ability level, preferences, and interests is with Alaska Trail Guides.
From Anchorage City Bike Tours to Mountain Biking Tours in and around Anchorage, our team has over 30 years of guiding experience.
Our all-inclusive, high-quality, small-group cycling tours are the perfect way to make memories in The Last Frontier.
Are you ready to take the first step toward an exciting mountain biking trip in Anchorage, Alaska? Please feel free to contact us with any questions or to start talking over your options.
