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Homer Alaska Drive
Homer Alaska Drive
Homer Alaska Drive
Top Day Tours » Alaska Highway Drives » Other Drives: To Nearby Destinations » Homer
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Just across the road, the mostly level trail contours the Drives Map Alaska Map
mountainside with spectacular views breaking through the trees.
Follow it 9.5 miles to Windy Point, or cut out after 3.5 miles at
McHugh Creek.
Bird Ridge Trail climbs 3,000 feet in a little more than a mile to
magnificent views of the fjord-like Turnagain Arm. South-facing, it is
one of the first trails to dry out in spring, even while surrounding
mountains are still shrouded in white. Hike up just a few hundred
vertical feet to look for flowers and see the views.
panoramic photos and gorgeous views. The setting is alpine and you'll see sub-alpine wildflowers as
well. Colorful Nootka lupine, western columbine, and shooting stars carpet the pass in summer.
Watch for cars pulled off and people bent over-a good sign of berry picking. Join them to gather
highbush cranberries, rose hips, raspberries, service and watermelon berries in season. Late
summer is primetime for blueberries. The road parallels the old trail used by gold rushers who
crossed Portage Glacier. You may see black bear or wolverine dart across the road, and hoary
marmots enjoy sunning on the open hilltops.
Do the forests along this stretch of the highway look healthy? These rust-red trees have been killed
by spruce bark beetles-along with 1.1 million acres of spruce forests on the Kenai Peninsula.
Sterling Highway junctions and Tern Lake (Mile 37.7 & Mile 37)
Turn on to the Sterling Highway to head toward the Kenai River, the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge,
Kenai, and Homer. At mile 37, you'll descend from the trees to Tern Lake, where Arctic terns share
the area with loons, bald eagles, beavers, and other wildlife. The best views are from the bird-
watching platform, where you'll find helpful interpretive signs.
Details
Depending on time, tackle the Skyline Trail. Right off the Sterling Highway, you'll see a sign on
the side of the road at a pullout, about 2-2.5 miles past the Skilak Loop Road turnout. Though
just two miles roundtrip, the trail's elevation gain (1,800 feet) pushes your hike to a good five
hours. Still, the views of Skilak Lake and the Kenai Mountains are spectacular.
Right past Cooper Landing, cross two bridges (the second above the Kenai River) to get to the
Resurrection Pass Trail. It's about four miles in to beautiful Juneau Falls. There's some elevation
gain in beginning, but switchbacks keep the difficulty down.
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