Chugach State Park

Chugach State Park

Welcome to the fourth largest state park in the United States, the 495,000-acre park in south-central Alaska known as the Chugach State Park. This massively gorgeous wilderness area is considered to be a huge local park, containing rugged landscape, waterfalls, lakes, mountains, trails, and camping grounds. The 700 square miles of wilderness is technically considered a municipality of Anchorage, bounding the city on the north, east, and south ends. Also on the North and West end, you will see the Alaska Range, and to the East, you will see the Wrangell and Prince William Sound. Depending on where you decide to spend your time in the park you will be able to also see the Chugach Range, Turnagain Arm, and Knik Arm! Not only will you be within close range of almost every landscape and landmark imaginable in Alaska, but you will also have ample opportunity to see local wildlife up close and personal, from wolves and coyotes to moose and bear!

Landscapes of Alaska, United States

Landscapes of Alaska, United States

Your group will need about 45 minutes to an hour to fully experience Chugach State Park, especially if you want to see everything from the ocean shoreline to the rugged mountain tops. Groups typically enjoy sightseeing and photography, hiking and biking, skiing in the winter, camping during the summer, and wildlife watching in general while here. Some of the more popular trails, like the Glen Alps trailhead, provide unbeatable overlooks for all the nearby mountain ranges and lakes, making this the perfect natural sightseeing stop for your group. 

You can learn a little bit more about the area’s history as well, not only it’s geography! Learn about Captain James Cooks' part in finding Cook Inlet (1778), about the prospectors and homesteaders who have stayed here, and about how this park is so large you can contain both NYC and LA within its land borders. Learn all about how this region got its name, the word 'Chugach' from the indigenous tribe that uses to live here, as well as about the unique culture that was cultivated within the area.