Many tourists spend limited time in Anchorage either at the beginning or end of their Alaska trip. If your schedule permits, there are plenty of activities to fill a long weekend including the Flattop Mountain hike we recently wrote about and the 11 mile Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which is a paved bike and walking path hugging the coast between downtown Anchorage and the woodsy Kincaid Park. Be warned that given that Anchorage tides often reach 30 feet, the coast is really a broad, and dangerous, mudflat where the mud can act as quicksand and visitors are warned to look but not touch.
Anchorage Coastal Trail mud flats
Our teens and their tween cousins took a couple of hours to ride about 17 miles, roundtrip, on the trail starting at 5th and L Streets where competing bicycle rental businesses occupy two of the street corners. We rented from Lifetime Adventures mostly because we had a discount coupon from our Northern Lights book, but, we had a totally fabulous lunch of buffalo hot dogs and smoked salmon quesadillas from Pablo’s Bicycle Rentals located across the street. Even if we were not biking we’d make a point to hit Pablo’s! Both companies have helmets, kids bikes and tag alongs. Other bike rental options are available at different locations.
Bikes and gourmet food on 5th and L Streets in Anchorage
Parts of the path can be pretty busy, particularly on the 4th of July which was the day we stopped by. Some areas of the trail have limited views due to trees and bushes growing along the edge of the mudflats, but there are many open vistas, benches and places to catch a view of the Cook Inlet and the mountains beyond.
View from the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
Good stopping points include Westchester Lagoon, a popular location where the Chester Creek dam creates a picture perfect lagoon that is popular with birds and local kayakers. We saw salmon swim upstream from the Cook Inlet to spawn in the lagoon. Further ahead on the trail the teens found Earthquake Park which commemorates the neighborhood that slid into the ocean during the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. They also saw planes flying low on their approaches to and takeoffs from the Anchorage airport.
Planes fly low over the Tony Knowles Coast Trail
As the trail leaves downtown it gets hillier and more woodsy – so much so that the teens were not surpised to come across a mother moose and her calf – it is Alaska afterall!
Moose calf along the trail
The ride back flew by as the gentle climb on the way out allowed for speedy going on the downhill return! If you have ridden on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail please tell us about your day in the comments section.
