The Coastal Trail of Anchorage -- officially known as the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail -- is a ~10 mile long, relatively flat paved path along the water. The trail starts close to downtown Anchorage in the north and ends in the wonderful Kincaid Park in the south, with many fun sections in the middle. The path is really a choose-your-own-adventure trail, as you can complete any and all sections and pick your activity of choice (walking, running, biking, watching wildlife or planes). During our summer in Alaska, it was one of our favorites for a short activity on a busy work day. Even though the trail leaves from the city, parts of the Coastal Trail are very wild and home to all kinds of animals. Dan encountered a beautiful mama bear and two cubs in early September while biking on the path and we've seen countless moose in Kincaid park. Always be bear- and other-animal-aware and carry bear spray! 

The northern section of the trail begins in Downtown Anchorage south of the Port of Anchorage. (There is street parking by the start of the trail, e.g., on H Street.) This section has great views of the Knik Arm as well as opportunities to walk out closer to the water from the path. Keep watching the water: we've seen belugas here twice during our summer stay! The Westchester Lagoon and nearby areas are great for bird watching. This section of the trail close to populated areas is very popular for running, walking, and biking.

The trail turns slightly more forested on both sides as it approaches Earthquake Park. Here, you can see striking evidence of how the destructive 1964 Good Friday earthquake (9.2 magnitude) altered Anchorage's landscape. There are displays in the main loop of the park if you would like to learn more about this important event in the city's history.

Soon after Earthquake Park, the Coastal Trail approaches the airport. Point Woronzof Overlook is a super fun spot where you can see all planes arriving to the airport approach the landing strip up close. Ted Stevens International is a busy cargo airport (Anchorage is equidistant from Tokyo and NYC) so you can watch the giant 747s land in this spot.

After passing the airport area, the Coastal Trail enters Kincaid Park. The path becomes forested and surrounded by beautiful trees and the omnipresent Devil's Club. It's common to see moose in this area. This is one of our favorite sections of the path since we love how wild and cool it feels in the summer. Towards the end of the 10 mile path, before it climbs up some hills in Kincaid Park, make sure to check out the beach on the western tip of Kincaid Park. You can get to the beach by walking a couple of minutes on a small path off the main trail (enter here). You can walk on the stones of the beach for many minutes in either direction from the beach access trail. The beach -- one of our favorite spots in Anchorage -- offers beautiful views of the Kenai mountains, tidal areas, Fire Island, and on a rare super clear day: Denali and Foraker.

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