Trail Compass

Easy hiking trails in Alaska

40 trails rated easy across Alaska state parks, national forests, and recreation areas.

Easy hiking trails in Alaska state parks, national forests, and recreation areas are short, mostly level, and welcoming to first-time hikers, families with school-age kids, and visitors who want a quick taste of the subarctic Alaska wilderness without committing a full day.

Trail Compass currently indexes 40 easy-rated routes in Alaska, totalling roughly 92 trail miles. The average easy trail in this state is about 2.3 miles long, which is a useful starting point when you are sketching a weekend.

Across the subarctic Alaska wilderness, the most reliable hiking season is mid-June through early September; outside that window, daylight, snowpack, and river crossings become serious limiters. Shoulder-season visits can deliver beautiful empty trails but tilt the difficulty upward — short days, possible snow, and unstaffed entry stations all add friction.

Expect wildlife typical of the subarctic Alaska wilderness: grizzly and black bears, moose along the river bottoms, Dall sheep on the high ridges, caribou herds, and bald eagles overhead. The risk of a serious encounter is low, but the cost of getting it wrong is high — give animals space, store food correctly, and never approach a young animal even if no parent is visible.

How to use this page: every trail listed below links through to a full guide with distance, elevation gain, route type, best-season notes, wildlife expectations, parking guidance, and nearby attractions. Combine this filter with the Trail Compass park pages to plan a trip around a specific Alaska destination.

All easy trails in Alaska

TrailParkLengthElevationRoute
Denali Meadow Loop Denali National Park and Preserve 1.21 mi 143 ft Loop
Denali Rim Walk Denali National Park and Preserve 3.44 mi 299 ft Out & Back
Denali Pine Forest Trail Denali National Park and Preserve 3 mi 314 ft Loop
Denali Cabin Loop Denali National Park and Preserve 3.3 mi 336 ft Loop
Denali Creek Trail Denali National Park and Preserve 5.14 mi 585 ft Out & Back
Gates of the Arctic Wild Garden Loop Gates of the Arctic National Park 1.05 mi 220 ft Loop
Gates of the Arctic Vista Loop Gates of the Arctic National Park 1.67 mi 400 ft Loop
Gates of the Arctic Overlook Trail Gates of the Arctic National Park 2.88 mi 537 ft Out & Back
Gates of the Arctic Lakeshore Trail Gates of the Arctic National Park 2.11 mi 249 ft Loop
Glacier Bay Vista Loop Glacier Bay National Park 1.57 mi 352 ft Loop
Glacier Bay Overlook Trail Glacier Bay National Park 2.38 mi 487 ft Out & Back
Glacier Bay Lakeshore Trail Glacier Bay National Park 2.16 mi 244 ft Loop
Glacier Bay Meadow Loop Glacier Bay National Park 1.26 mi 153 ft Loop
Glacier Bay Rim Walk Glacier Bay National Park 3.32 mi 380 ft Out & Back
Katmai Wild Garden Loop Katmai National Park 1.27 mi 186 ft Loop
Katmai Vista Loop Katmai National Park 1.82 mi 277 ft Loop
Katmai Overlook Trail Katmai National Park 2.68 mi 558 ft Out & Back
Katmai Lakeshore Trail Katmai National Park 2.25 mi 237 ft Loop
Katmai Meadow Loop Katmai National Park 1.43 mi 49 ft Loop
Kenai Fjords Vista Loop Kenai Fjords National Park 1.6 mi 256 ft Loop
Kenai Fjords Overlook Trail Kenai Fjords National Park 2.5 mi 302 ft Out & Back
Kenai Fjords Lakeshore Trail Kenai Fjords National Park 2.67 mi 154 ft Loop
Kenai Fjords Meadow Loop Kenai Fjords National Park 1.19 mi 29 ft Loop
Kenai Fjords Rim Walk Kenai Fjords National Park 3.38 mi 305 ft Out & Back
Kobuk Valley Wild Garden Loop Kobuk Valley National Park 0.81 mi 196 ft Loop
Kobuk Valley Vista Loop Kobuk Valley National Park 1.6 mi 331 ft Loop
Kobuk Valley Overlook Trail Kobuk Valley National Park 2.77 mi 386 ft Out & Back
Kobuk Valley Lakeshore Trail Kobuk Valley National Park 2.19 mi 53 ft Loop
Kobuk Valley Meadow Loop Kobuk Valley National Park 1.67 mi 20 ft Loop
Lake Clark Wild Garden Loop Lake Clark National Park 1.08 mi 56 ft Loop
Lake Clark Vista Loop Lake Clark National Park 1.59 mi 220 ft Loop
Lake Clark Overlook Trail Lake Clark National Park 2.54 mi 480 ft Out & Back
Lake Clark Lakeshore Trail Lake Clark National Park 2.11 mi 20 ft Loop
Lake Clark Meadow Loop Lake Clark National Park 1.28 mi 90 ft Loop
Wrangell-St. Elias Creek Trail Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 5.26 mi 580 ft Out & Back
Wrangell-St. Elias Wild Garden Loop Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 1.09 mi 20 ft Loop
Wrangell-St. Elias Vista Loop Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 1.73 mi 285 ft Loop
Wrangell-St. Elias Overlook Trail Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 2.62 mi 378 ft Out & Back
Kachemak Bay Cabin Loop Kachemak Bay State Park 3.08 mi 447 ft Loop
Kachemak Bay Creek Trail Kachemak Bay State Park 5.58 mi 439 ft Out & Back

Other difficulty tiers in Alaska

Moderate trails in Alaska Hard trails in Alaska