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Turnagain Arm Trail, Northern Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 34 Google reviews · Running trail in Anchorage, Alaska · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
We have not been able to confirm the surface, distance or shape of Turnagain Arm Trail, Northern Trailhead yet from its own listing, the park's website or runner reviews — so those cells stay blank rather than guess. What is below comes straight from the listing and from reviewers' own words. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Turnagain Arm Trail, Northern Trailhead
“I could spend all every May taking pictures of this wonderful and beautiful state.”
This is a great nearby to Anchorage trail with numerous access points. However, my reason for doing a review is to raise awareness of the safety issue when turning left into the parking areas when traveling south on the Seward Highway. There are no left turn lanes into the parking areas.
If you like amazing views of mountains and the ocean, this could be a nice hike for you. Very accessible and only lightly challenging elevation.
Moderate 6 mile there & back hike. Close to the parking lot there are bathrooms then the trail climbs gradually & leaves behind the traffic noise. I heard lots of different birds and saw a Spruce Grouse. On this weekday, I saw a half dozen other hikers.
I went for a XC running practice, the trail was nice and smooth some up, some down. There were tons of wild raspberries all along the trail (along with watermelon berries and high bush cranberries), though there were also lots of poisonous berries so make sure you know your berries.
Trail conditions & character
“If you like amazing views of mountains and the ocean, this could be a nice hike for you.”
“However, my reason for doing a review is to raise awareness of the safety issue when turning left into the parking areas when traveling south on the Seward Highway.”
“There is a bathroom, but you have to walk about two hundred feet up the trail to find it, as it's at the first turn.”
Plan your run at Turnagain Arm Trail, Northern Trailhead
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Phone(907) 345-5014
Running trails near Anchorage
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Glen Alps / Flattop Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,072 reviews
Walking route past blueberry bushes & hemlock trees, with panoramic views of Anchorage & Cook Inlet.
Prospect Heights Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 95 reviews
Popular hiking area with trails toward Wolverine Peak, featuring scenic vistas of the Chugach.