One of the myriad virtues of the popular Turnagain Arm Trail is that it's an equal-opportunity track that accommodates ambitions modest, bold or in-between.
Plus, it's quickly accessible, located just south of Anchorage along the Seward Highway, which makes it ideal for an after-work jaunt or a weekend journey that's not a time-suck.
Wildlife is abundant — moose, bears, sheep, porcupines, squirrels and birds — on this trail that stretches 9 miles from Potter to Windy Corner and was known as the Old Johnson Trail back in the day.
The surrounding forest varies from relatively open to lush and canopied. Occasional creeks complement nature's soundtrack.
Several spots along the trail furnish lovely Turnagain Arm lookouts and are ideal for rest and a quick snack — or even a picnic, perhaps a proposal.
Four parking options — Potter Marsh, McHugh Creek, Rainbow, and a tiny pullout at Windy Corner — prove convenient if you just want to knock off a portion of the trail with an out-and-back hike.
And because the Turnagain Arm Trail is south-facing and occasionally wind-swept, its well-trod track always delivers one of the first dry trails in the area each spring.
All those virtues explain why, on a bluebird Sunday afternoon in late April, the parking lot at Rainbow was stuffed, with two vehicles idling between rows, waiting for spots to open (parking spots at Potter, in particular, and McHugh, are more plentiful).
Those virtues also make for a trail suited for all ages and fitness levels. The climbs and descents are only as hard as you want to make them, rolling terrain is frequent and, if you want to take a rest, beauty abounds around you.
The shortest section of the trail, and also the easiest, is the 2 miles between Rainbow and Windy Corner. A signpost at the bottom of the ridge behind the parking lot at Rainbow points the way.
The section of about 3.3 miles between Potter and McHugh is generously wide, and other than the short climb out of Potter, is relatively gentle.
My favorite section is the 4 miles between Rainbow and McHugh. The trail that begins at the end of the parking lot is obvious. It starts with a stout, but not brutal, climb of perhaps 35 minutes at moderate hiking speed, ascending to a lookout my bride and I call Proposal Point (obviously, she said yes; inexplicably, she still does).
From there, the trail juts mostly downhill for a long stretch through spectacular forest before traversing along cliffs and plunging down to McHugh. This stretch from Proposal Point — look, let's just all call it that, cool? — to McHugh includes no shortage of raised roots and rocks and requires some nimble footwork if you're running.
Rainbow to McHugh is a section where critters roam. I once ceded the trail here to a wide-bodied porcupine that was either very well-fed or quite big-boned. Another time, I came around a corner and startled a moose, which shot down the trail and was out of sight in a hiking heartbeat. And I once spotted a black bear grazing perhaps 30 yards below the trail and got past without the animal, apparently, tuning in.
Those encounters were chill. The one that still resonates was the time an unleashed black Lab came loping my way around a corner. That was a "maybe the wetness in my shorts isn't sweat'' moment.
Still, beware bears, because they definitely frequent the trail. A round-trip hike-run between Rainbow and McHugh in the second week of May turned up nine piles of bear scat — about one every half-mile. So, consider carrying bear spray, and definitely make noise along the trail — I employ my friend Evan's singsong "Hey, bear! Hey, bear!'' every minute or two, especially in thickly forested sections.
This Rainbow-to-McHugh section is also a gateway to longer, more demanding hikes. At Proposal Point, for instance, look for a slide of small rocks that intersects the trail — that's the way up to Rainbow Peak. And McHugh also furnishes a trail up and over to the cathedral that is Rabbit Lake and the Suicide Peaks.
Still, in the early season, hikers who aren't quite up to the fitness level of those cyborgs who compete in local mountain running races, can find plenty of enjoyment, and beauty, on the Turnagain Arm Trail.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr.
IF YOU GO
• Length: Total mileage is 9.4. Potter to McHugh, 3.3 miles. McHugh to Rainbow, 4.2 miles. Rainbow to Windy, 1.9 miles.
• Directions: Just south of Anchorage. Potter parking lot, near Mile 115 Seward Highway. McHugh, near Mile 112. Rainbow, Mile 108. Windy Corner, near Mile 106.
• Parking fee: Chugach State Park sticker, or $5 daily fee, at Potter and McHugh. No charge at Rainbow or Windy Corner.