Winter Valley & Forest Hike

Location:** Chugach State Park - Eagle River Nature Center and Barbara Falls

Dates:** November 1st, 2024 - April 30th, 2025

Tour Time:** 10 am - 3 pm

Travel Time:** 1 Hour (30 minutes one-way)

Hiking Time:** 4 Hours

Distance & Elevation Gain:** 4 miles and 500 feet (or 50 flights of stairs)

Difficulty:** ★★★☆☆ "Easy for some & moderate for most"

Age Recommendations:** 8 & up

• Hike along the Chugach State Park's glamorous Eagle River and see ice-covered Barbara Falls! 🧊

• Perfect for solo travelers, couples, and families with older children. 👩👨

• Enjoy breathtaking views of towering vistas. Amazing landscapes await your camera! 📷

• Learn about glaciated valleys and boreal forests from a skilled naturalist. 🌳

• Opportunity for wildlife sightings, including moose, hare, voles, and porcupine! 🦊

• Provisions include a prepacked snack and micro-spikes for icy terrain. 🍽

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**Description**

If you have never been on a hike during the winter, you simply need to. Winter hiking is a blast! Plus, it's great for both mind and body wellness, and helps to combat the long periods of dark and cold we experience during the season. This tour consists of ***two portions*** and is approximately 4 miles in length. The hiking isn't too strenuous, so most people can participate. However, please note the experience suggestions before signing up!

The ***first portion*** takes you to the network of forested trails found at the Eagle River Nature Center, nestled deep along the north fork of the Chugach State Park's massive Eagle River. **FUN FACT!** Our hike features a portion of the historic Iditarod dogsledding trail no longer in use. So, there won't be any dogs giving us a ride on this adventure, just our own two feet! Onward, we'll go through snow covered spruces while keeping an eye out for wildlife. We may see the "American Dipper" swimming in an unfrozen tributary warmed by geothermal heat. Or, we could see moose and small mammals like the snowshoe hare or red fox. Perhaps, even a porcupine! We also have the opportunity of hiking on top of Eagle River if it's frozen, which is quite an experience!

For the ***second portion***, we'll take a short ride to the Chugach State Park's best waterfall, Barbara Falls. What a sight to behold! This section is a short half mile walk that features incredible ice dams, shimmering snow crystals, and point-and-shoot photo opportunities around every corner. It's super rewarding and a great way to conclude our tour. Need we say more? Join today!

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**Experience Suggestions**

No experience required, but you should be able to walk at least 6 miles on flat pavement, or 5 miles of uneven rolling terrain over the course of 4 hours. You should also be able to balance well and feel comfortable walking in slippery conditions with the assistance of micro spikes. Some parts of the trail are steep and hilly, placing additional stress on areas of the body not impacted by level terrain. Not recommended for those with cardiac or respiratory issues/illness. May be difficult for those with joint issues.

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**Rates**

Non-Private Rate Per Person:** $159

Solo travelers are welcome to book, however please note that we have a 2 person minimum requirement for the tour to operate. In the event you are the only person on the hike, we will contact you within 24 hours prior to your tour, and provide you with the following options:

1. Move to another time & date.

2. Upgrade to a private hike for 1 ($318).

3. Cancel your booking for a full refund.

Private Party Rates:

Private rates start at $318 and are provided during booking.

You get the whole tour to yourself or your group, as well as hotel/AirBnb pick up.

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**Transportation**

Non-Private Bookings: Pick-up is at the Egan Center on 5th Ave in Downtown Anchorage.

Private Parties: We will pick you up from where ever you are staying, as long as it is in Anchorage.

You are also welcome to meet us at the trailhead! Just let us know when checking out.

Are you ready to Explore Your Wild and experience the Alaskan wilderness? Reserve your spot now, and we guarantee you'll have a blast!

Participation Agreement

All participants are required to complete their own individual participation agreement. Your Participation Agreement should be **filled out and submitted online before your hike**. This includes a waiver for minors signed by a parent or guardian. For example, if there are 4 people in your booking, we need 4 separate waivers submitted. Thank you!

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Transportation & Meetup

Non-private bookings

If you selected “Yes” to transportation, we will meetup, depart, and return **in front** of the **Dena'ina Center at 600 W 7th Ave** in downtown Anchorage. Click here to see map of the location, as well as local parking garages in the area for you to use. If you are staying at a hotel in downtown Anchorage, you are most likely within a short walking distance!

Private bookings

We provide hotel/AirBnb pick up for our private booking guests if you are within the Anchorage area. If you didn’t provide where you are staying during checkout, we’ll be in contact with you to get that information. You can also email your pick up address to [email protected], or call or text (907) 444-9008 with your hotel information. Additionally, **we have WhatsApp for our international guests**!

If you choose to ride with us, please anticipate being in close proximity to one another. We ask that you kindly please sanitize your hands before entering the vehicle. We'll have a sanitizer available for all guests.

If you selected no, you are choosing to provide your own transportation, which you are more than welcome to do! We will coordinate the location prior to your tour by phone or email.

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What to Expect

As a reminder, **all hikes are rain or shine**. Alaska has many unique features, including a 1000-mile coastal temperate rainforest! Anchorage and the Chugach State Park are located on the Northwest perimeter of the rainforest, and it can be wet during our summer and fall seasons. We ***highly*** recommend bringing a rain jacket, pants, and boots that you don’t mind getting wet or muddy.

You can find more in-depth information about packing for your hike, as well as most other questions you may have in the following links.

Please visit What to Expect for questions regarding: transportation, weather, and wild animals.

Please visit What to Bring for questions regarding: gear & supplies, food & water, proper clothing & footwear, firearms, pets, and drones.

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Tipping

Should you tip a guide? How much are you supposed to tip? These are questions guests often wonder at the end of their experience since most are unsure about guide tipping etiquette. Tipping is of course not required, but it is greatly appreciated by our guides if you had a great experience. The general industry rule is 10%-15% of your booking total. Again, it is not required, but our guides work hard to provide a memorable experience and it is greatly appreciated!

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Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Go Hike Alaska

+1 907-444-9008

[email protected]