Campbell Creek Trail, Anchorage

This past summer I came across a trail map for the Anchorage area and saw a long paved path I'd never known about before. I was up in Anchorage this past weekend to watch swimming/diving state competition and volleyball regionals with my husband I was determined to find a parking trailhead to the Campbell Creek trail. Turns out all these years we've been driving right by it as one of the trailheads is one block down across the street from the Dimond Costco, which if you are a regular blog reader, you know is a standard stopping place for us every time we go to Anchorage. To top it off, the trailhead even has two tennis courts! This is our sort of place!

At that trailhead if we'd gone to the left on the trail, it would have been 2 miles to the start of the path. We opted to go right, by Taku Lake (which some crazy biker was biking on the thin ice), which if we'd followed it far enough would have taken us all the way across town to the Alaska Native Hospital and near the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. I think I read the path is 7 miles long. 

It generally follows Campbell Creek, but the creek is very twisty so that's why I say "generally."  There were lots of bridges over the creek (see some in my photos below). In some areas the path is right in folks' back yards, while in other places it feels like country and in still other places it abuts industrial areas. We were out there on a "gorgeous" November day, which is to say it was about 40 degrees and slightly sunny in that low winter light. There were plenty of lycra-clad fat-tire bikers, spandex-clothed runners, dog walkers (7 dogs for 2 people was the record), and families with strollers and joggers toting little ones, along with all the other folks who were just walking. When there is snow this path is a groomed cross-country ski trail!

Now that we know about it, this is going to be a regular stop for us on our Anchorage trips! So convenient! One more awesome thing about this town. I will say I am quite jealous of the Anchorage trail system!

Here are a few views of the river and trail along the section we walked: