OPINION: A new name and strong progress for the Alaska Long Trail

By now, you have likely heard of the Alaska Long Trail — a 500-mile conceptual trail connecting Seward to Fairbanks. Alaska Trails, a statewide nonprofit, is coordinating this ambitious project, working with a wide coalition of partners including representatives from each region along the route. Since the coalition began working on this trail concept in 2021, the name “Alaska Long Trail” has served as a placeholder. During the past year, Alaska Trails gathered ideas and feedback to select a new name, and finally, this month, the trail became the Alaska Traverse (AKT). Work will begin soon on a trail logo and signage.

Apart from the new name, there are other exciting Alaska Traverse developments to share.

For two years in a row, the Alaska Legislature and Gov. Mike Dunleavy have supported Alaska Traverse projects. During the most recent session, the Legislature funded three Alaska Traverse projects in Chugach State Park for $1.4 million. These funds will rebuild the Indian Valley Trail along a more sustainable route, repair damaged motorized and non-motorized sections of the Eklutna Lakeside Trail, and support feasibility and alignment research for reestablishing public access to Ram Valley. Much gratitude goes to Sen. Bill Wielechowski for championing this project and Gov. Dunleavy for retaining these worthy projects through the veto process. Support from Sen. Kelly Merrick and Rep. Dan Saddler was also instrumental in keeping the two Eagle River-area projects in the budget.

In the Mat-Su, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources recently issued a preliminary approval for a Mat-Su Borough application for a trail connecting Government Peak Recreation Area (GPRA) to Skeetawk and 16 Mile. This segment, the GPRA Traverse, will create 12 miles of new trail in Alaska’s second-most-visited state park and connect the large parking lots at GPRA and Skeetawk to the main Hatcher Pass trail network. Fundraising for this project is currently underway, and this long-awaited decision by DNR is an important step toward connecting the Alaska Traverse to the Mat-Su Borough.

On the federal funding side, Alaska Traverse capital projects in Chugach National Forest and Denali Borough have received over $10.3 million in federal appropriations since 2021. With these funds, Chugach National Forest will construct several missing segments of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and install necessary bridges to complete that section of the Alaska Traverse. Denali Borough, with the help of the Alaska Dept. of Transportation, is completing design and engineering for a section of separated pedestrian pathways along Parks Hwy. Much gratitude is due to Sen. Lisa Murkowski for championing the Alaska Traverse project and helping to secure the necessary funding through federal appropriations.

Thus far, much of the funding that Alaska Trails and other partners have secured has focused on closing small gaps between existing trails, rerouting unsustainable trail segments and repairing damaged sections of trails. This approach has helped to both advance the Alaska Traverse project and reduce the backlog of maintenance on our state and federal lands.

Clearly, momentum is building for the Alaska Traverse. Alaska Trails is grateful to the legislators, funders, donors and volunteers that have helped move this project forward. Together we are improving the existing trails and outdoor recreation infrastructure along the Alaska Traverse and building new trails to create a continuous 500-mile adventure! Learn more at the project website: https://www.alaska-trails.org/alaska-traverse.

Mariyam Medovaya is the Alaska Long Trail (now Alaska Traverse) Project Manager at Alaska Trails.

Sam Dinges is the Alaska Long Trail (now Alaska Traverse) Mat-Su Coordinator at Alaska Trails.

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