Eagle River Nature Center: Hiker's delight for all ages and abilities

For accessible hikes more leisurely than lung-busting or quad-quivering, the trails at the Eagle River Nature Center are tough to top.

Surrounded by boreal forest resplendent with towering cottonwoods and spruce, and hard by roaring Eagle River, which plows through the valley, the well-maintained and well-marked trails snaking from the end of Eagle River Road are gems.

And because most of this trail system rates from easy to moderate, the terrain is good ground for hikers of all ages and abilities. That's particularly the case with the .75-mile Rodak Trail, accessible to strollers and wheelchairs, with a beaver-viewing deck and salmon-viewing deck.

The starting point for myriad hikes is the non-profit Eagle River Nature Center,  a log cabin visitor's center where maps, advice and snacks are available. A whiteboard in front of the cabin notes current trail conditions and recent wildlife sightings in the area. On a visit in early June, the board reported mostly dry trails with little mud — and bear sightings two days earlier.

The Eagle River Nature Center also offers daily guided nature walks and educational programs, many of which are geared to children as part of its Junior Naturalist Program. Along the trails are public-use facilities available to rent — three yurts, one cabin and camping at Rapids Camp. In winter, some trails are groomed for nordic skiing; others are nice for snowshoeing.

Locals and tourists have noticed. About 85,000 people visited the trails in 2015, according to the Eagle River Nature Center newsletter, and about 3,200 students came on field trips.

The trails draw ample visitors even on summer days when the Nature Center is closed. The center is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., through September.

Even on a day when the Nature Center was closed — a recent Tuesday — people were about. A local came across at least 25 people within a mile of the trailhead — that included  a couple visiting from Louisiana and another from Colorado — and another six or seven folks farther along the trail.

Attached to the back of the log cabin is a deck with bench- and chair-seating, an informational kiosk and an area that features six picnic tables, which afford views to the west of the Chugach Range. This is a prime spot for a post-hike picnic or a zen moment of soaking up some sun. First, though, earn your eats with some time on your feet.

All trails begin at the back of the Nature Center on the historic Iditarod Trail, commonly called the Crow Pass Trail. Several trails — the Rodak Trail, the three-mile Albert Loop Trail and six-mile Dew Mound trail — branch off the Crow Pass Trail. Ditto for connecting trails like Four Corners, Mountain Meadow and Rapid Camp Trail.

The Rodak Trail and Albert Loop Trail take hikers to views of Eagle River, and the Rodak Trail includes interpretive signs.

The Crow Pass Trail, which travels about 23 miles to the opposite trailhead near Girdwood and includes a fording of glacially-fed Eagle River, is particularly alluring for long hikes or runs, and overnight hiking.

As of Monday morning, however, a 1.5-mile section of the Crow Pass Trail on the Girdwood side of the Eagle River ford site, was closed indefinitely because of a bear cache-moose kill. (Check the Crow Pass Trail Facebook page or call Chugach State Park at 345-5014 for updates.)

For more practical purposes — namely day-hiking or running — take the Crow Pass Trail three miles to Echo Bend, which swings close to the river or another mile farther to The Perch, which overlooks the river and is a sweet spot for a break.

The terrain in that stretch is moderate — just a few gentle climbs — and the atmosphere tranquil. You can go long stretches hearing only your footsteps, birds chirping, breezes sweeping through the trees and, occasionally, the rush of the river.

About 1.5 miles from the Nature Center, the Crow Pass Trail gets trickier for anyone moving faster than a walk. Raised rocks and tree roots require attention, and nimble feet. Still, the majority of the trail to Echo Bend — and a shout really does echo magnificently there — is wide enough for side-by-side hiking. The stretch from Echo Bend to The Perch is where the trail becomes largely single-track.

It's not uncommon on the four miles between the Nature Center and The Perch to come across runners training for the annual Crow Pass Crossing, a backcountry marathon from near Girdwood to the Nature Center.

For a side adventure, check out the Dew Mound Trail, where the climbs are slightly more rugged but still not overly taxing, and moss-covered boulders abound.

All trails in the area are well marked, and given their location between mountains and the river, getting lost isn't a worry.

As always, be bear aware, and as you get farther from the Nature Center make occasional noise to announce your presence to any animals nearby.

Otherwise, savor the near-silence in the summer, save for the sounds of birds, breezes and a rushing river.

IF YOU GO

Length: Varies. Rodak Trail, .75 miles; Albert Loop Trails, 3 miles; Dew Mound Trail, 6 miles; for super-ambitious types, the Crow Pass Trail, 23 miles, ends near Girdwood.

Directions: From Anchorage, take Glenn Highway north. Exit on Hiland Road and follow 2.5 miles to Eagle River Road. Turn right, 11 miles to Eagle River Nature Center.

Parking: $5 daily fee. $10 for overnight hikers leaving vehicle for 2-3 days. Yearly memberships range from $30-65 and include parking decal(s). Alaska State Park stickers not valid.

Info: Eagle River Nature Center open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., through September. Check ernc.org or call 694-2108 for information or cabin and yurt rentals, and for parking and membership fees.