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 Chugach State Park, Anchorage, Alaska
N 61° 06.175 W 149° 41.179
6V E 355206 N 6777223
With 500,000 acres, this is the third largest state park in America!
Waymark Code: WM9CGR
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 08/01/2010
Views: 16
Copied from the official website: ( visit link) "Welcome to Chugach State Park! Beyond the foothills at Anchorage's edge lies the third largest state park in America - a half-million acres of some of the most accessible hiking, skiing, camping, wildlife viewing, snowmachining, rafting, and climbing in Alaska. Those of us lucky enough to live here feel the influence of Chugach State Park almost daily. The mountainous backdrop to Anchorage reminds us that, although we live in an urban setting, we really reside in the middle of a vast wilderness. The Chugach foothills are a beacon for changing weather, and resident wildlife have been known to wander into town. Chugach is listed as one of the top ten state parks in the country by America's Best. Those of you who are visiting are able to discover Chugach State Park and take home memories of high alpine wildflowers, browsing moose, soaring eagles, roaring glacier-fed rivers, the howl of a wolf, unrivaled mountainous vistas, clearwater streams dancing through a mature spruce forest, and maybe even a glimpse of a grizzly bear. As a resident or visitor, Chugach State Park is awaiting your discovery. Whether you prefer frontcountry trails, backcountry bushwhacking, one of our three campgrounds at Eklutna Lake, Eagle River, or Bird Creek, a visit to the Eagle River Nature Center, or just to gaze upon the mountain view from town, we at Alaska State Parks are dedicated to helping you safely enjoy your visit and most importantly, to ensure you have fun."
Park Type: Full service
Activities:
Hiking, wildlife viewing, camping, nature center, backbacking, picnicing, fishing, whitewater rafting, sunsets and whale watching, Trails for hiking, ATV use, bicycle and horses, skiing, snowmachining, and climbing.
Annual passes:
Daily Parking Pass: $40
Second Daily Parking Pass*: $20
Boat Launch Pass: $75
Second Boat Launch Pass*: $40
Discount when both passes bought together: $100
(discount of $15)
Disabled Veteran's Annual Camping Pass - Free
Park Fees: Not listed
Background:
From this website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chugach_State_Park
"Chugach State Park is a 495,204-acre (2,004 km²) state park in the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located in the Chugach Mountains just east of the Anchorage Bowl, it is a very popular recreation destination. It is the third-largest state park in the United States. Chugach State Park is accessible through numerous trailheads all located along the east side of Anchorage, or the southern side of Eagle River. The Chugach State Park website lists 28 recognized trailheads. The Park has three public campgrounds, located at Eklutna Lake, Eagle River, and Bird Creek. The campgrounds are manned with a host to pay the small fee, and have amenities of fire rings, picnic tables, water, and latrines. The Park also has available, for interpretive and Alaskan information, the Eagle River Nature Center which is operated by a non-profit organization in cooperation with the State Park.
The Seward Highway, from Anchorage to Seward, follows part of the southern edge of the Park along the Turnagain Arm. This stretch of highway is listed as a National Scenic Byway and is designated as an All-American Road.
There are several viewpoints along the Seward Highway. One of the most visited is Beluga Point, Mile 110.5, named for the Beluga whales that frequent the Arm. Another popular viewpoint along the Seward Highway is Windy Corner at Mile 106. It has no facilities except parking, but Dall sheep just up the hill are worth the stop.
The Park is typically split into three different zones. The North Park This section of Chugach State Park is from Eagle River North to the Parks border at Pioneer Peak. This area includes the Eklutna lake area, as well as the Big Peters Creek Trailhead and the Ptarmigan Valley trailhead. Eklutna lake is popular with ATV's and hikers. The Eklutna lake area has the biggest mountains of the park, with Bashful peak coming in at 8,005'.
The Central Park This area of Park includes Eagle River south to the Canyon Road trailhead on the Anchorage hillside. This area of the park includes many popular trailheads including the crow creek pass trailhead in Eagle River, South Fork of Eagle River trailhead, Basher Road, Upper Huffman, Prospect Heights, Glen Alps, and Canyon Road.
The South Park This area includes all of the park which borders Turnagain arm along the Seward Highway. There is the popular Turnagain Arm trail, which runs from Potter Marsh to Windy Corner. There are also hikes in the McHugh Creek area, the Falls Creek trailhead, Bird Ridge, and the Rainbow trailhead. The southern extent of the park boundary is right before the city of Girdwood, where Chugach National Forest starts."
Link to Park: [Web Link]
Date Established?: Not listed
Additional Entrance Points: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
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