Description
Chugach State Park is located in Southcentral Alaska mostly within the Municipality of Anchorage. The park contains approximately 495,000 acres of land and is one of the four largest state parks in the United States. The parks westernmost boundary lies in the western foothills of the Chugach Mountain Range and is a mere seven miles to the east of downtown Anchorage. The park is further defined by the Knik Arm on the north, Turnagain Arm on the south, and Upper and Lower Lake George and Chugach National Forest on the east. Although vast portions of the Southcentral Alaska region are sparsely populated, almost half of the State's population resides in or near Anchorage. Within minutes of the park are also the communities of Palmer, Eagle River, Chugiak, Indian, Bird, Girdwood, the village of Eklutna, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Geography:
Chugach State Park occupies much of the west end of the Chugach Mountain Range. Within the park, rugged peaks rise from sea level to over 8,000 feet with local relief frequently varying in excess of 5,000 feet. The landscape within the park is a conspicuous result of glacial action, although undoubtedly the action of glaciers only remodeled previously existing stream valleys and mountain slopes. At higher elevations in the park, ice fields and glaciers remain, many of which are large and vigorous. Most of the remaining major glaciers, Eklutna, Whiteout, and Eagle are restricted to the eastern portion of the park and are currently receding. Chugach State Park is drained primarily by two major rivers, Eklutna and Eagle rivers, and by several streams of smaller proportion. The principal streams in the park are Bird, Indian, Campbell, Ship, Peters, Thunder Bird and Goat creeks. Most stream valleys are the classic U-shape formed by valley glaciations. The streams are characteristically shallow, fast flowing braided streams and are still in the youthful cycle of stream erosion. A significant portion of the southeastern portion of the park is covered by glaciers and ice fields. The rivers and streams draining this area constitute a significant portion of the total runoff from the area. Eklutna Lake, at nearly 7 miles long and 1 mile wide, is the largest lake within the park boundary.
Recreation:
Alaskans place a high value on the availability and quality of outdoor recreation opportunities. For many, the availability of recreation opportunities is a strong reason for their residence in Anchorage. Major activities occurring within Chugach State Park are camping, picnicking, berry picking, photography, wildlife viewing, backpacking, hiking, summer and winter biking, nature study, sightseeing, rock and ice climbing, hang gliding, boating, ATVing, fishing, hunting, cross-country skiing, and snowmachining. One of the purposes for establishing Chugach State Park was to provide areas for the public display of local wildlife. Chugach State Park is home to a variety of wildlife, including large mammals like moose and black and brown bears, Dall sheep, mountain goats and smaller mammals such as beaver, lynx, wolverines, and wolves, as well as spawning salmon and numerous birds all of which park visitors have the potential of encountering. Negative encounters with wildlife are rare and most are the result of people getting too close to a wild animal. Additionally, the Eagle River Nature Center and its associated trail system is a main attraction to school groups and residents of the municipality. The facility is open year-round and provides visitor information, outdoor and interpretive programs, viewing decks, and public-use overnight facilities. The Crow Pass Trail (a segment of the Iditarod National Historic Trail) is accessed via the Nature Center.
Chugach State Park boasts over 280 miles of trails.
Facilities:
There are three main campgrounds, an air strip and several back country campsites within the 773 square mile Chugach State Park.
