Chugach State Park
[2] Established by legislation signed into law on August 6, 1970, by Alaska Governor Keith Miller, this state park was created to provide recreational opportunities, protect the scenic value of the Chugach Mountains and other geographic features, and ensure the safety of the water supply for Anchorage.
[4] Though primarily in the Municipality of Anchorage, a small portion of the park north of the Eklutna Lake area in the vicinity of Pioneer Peak lies within the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
[8] In the summer, travelers go on foot, by mountain bike, ATV or on horseback, past the lake by way of largely flat trail to the glacier.
[8] In wintertime, trail users are able to travel the same route by snowmobile (snowmachine), snowshoes or cross-country skis as permitted by regulation and weather conditions.
[8] Dense forests, characteristically of white spruce (Picea glauca), paper birch (Betula papyrifera) and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), dominate the lower elevations.
[8][14] Ferns, mushrooms, and wildflowers such as dwarf dogwood (Cornus canadensis), fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), and the parasitic northern groundcone (Boschniakia rossica) of the broomrape family cover the forest floor.
[8][14] At higher elevations wildflowers such as mountain avens (Dryas octopetala) and the Alaska state flower, the alpine forget-me-not (Myosotis alpestris), grow in profusion.
[8][14] The alpine milkvetch (Astragalus alpinus), bog wintergreen (Pyrola asarifolia) and wild geranium (Geranium erianthum) predominate on lower slopes, while further up the nootka lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis), coastal paintbrush (Castilleja unalaschcensis), prickly saxifrage (Saxifraga tricuspidata), the poisonous yellow anemone (Anemone richardsonii) and eventually the mosses of the tundra will reward hikers.
[8][14] Dwarf blueberries (Vaccinium caepitosum), alpine bearberries (Arctostaphylos alpina) and crowberries (Empetrum nigrum) are found higher up.
[8] A non-profit organization in association with the park operates the Eagle River Nature Center which exhibits interpretive information on wildlife and geological features.
[1][16] At those times in the fall when the park's ursine residents are using the area for their fishing purposes, the trail is closed so as to lessen bear-human interactions.
[17] Visitors can rent yurts and cabins along the Eagle River in order to spend time out exploring the scenery and wildlife in the area.
[16] This popular trail travels 28 miles (45 kilometers) through the park connecting Eagle River and Girdwood as it traverses the Chugach Mountains.
[19] Even along the first view miles, hikers often see hoary marmots (Marmota caligata) and Arctic ground squirrels (Urocitellus parryii), and occasionally mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) or Dall sheep (Ovis dalli).
[25] Along Seward Highway is park headquarters located at the Potter Section House State Historic Site which once served as an important worker camp for the Alaska Railroad.
[27] Another popular viewpoint along the Seward Highway is Windy Corner at milemarker 106 where Dall sheep (Ovis dalli) are often visible just up the hill.
[29] As with all campgrounds in the park, each camping site boasts a wooded spot for recreation and relaxation, a fire ring and picnic table, with potable water and latrines nearby.
[29] Though dirt bikes are prohibited, the Bird Valley Trail System is the only location in the park open to ATVs all year round.
