Lower Winner Creek Trail

Hiking and Biking

1-3 hours

2.9 miles one-way

Less than 100 FT

Beautiful, Easy Hike

 

Lower Winner Creek trail is a local favorite and should not be missed when visiting Girdwood. The trail is an easy to moderate 3-mile hike or bike ride on a well-maintained trail. Some areas are technical for bikes but enjoyable none the less. The path travels through the lush rainforest forest, down a canyon, over a gorge, and ending at an old-fashioned hand tram! You will cross bridges, meander on multiple boardwalks and navigate switchbacks as you trek across the valley. It won’t take you long to see why this is a local favorite. 

Getting There

This trail is approximately 45 minutes from Anchorage and can be accessed from two different locations. There is an Alyeska Resort Access and a Crow Creek Road Access. Most people start their hike at Alyeska Resort, but the Crow Creek Road access is shorter to the Glacier Creek hand tram.

Alyeska Access 

Park in one of Alyeska Resort’s parking lots and walk to the tram base. Once at the tram, take a right towards the pond and head uphill to the closest chairlift (Chair 7). Opposite chair 7 base, to the left, and directly behind the tram base, is the Winner Creek Trailhead. The first ¾ mile is quite easy as you will cross a few wooden bridges and walk on wooden boardwalks as you gain elevation. This part of the trail is great for young kids as the local Trail Crew Committee has done an excellent job building the wooden path over wet areas. The next ¾ mile winds along a dirt path to a “T” intersection. The path to the right will take you to Upper Winner Creek and the trail to the left takes you down to Winner Creek Gorge.  

As you head down the Gorge, the first thing you will see is the snowcat bridge. It’s quite sturdy but still be very careful as there are open slats. Next on the list , you will see a unique, wooden bridge that crosses Winner Creek. The river runs extremely fast and fierce as it restricts into a small canyon. The wooden bridge is quite safe and sturdy and will allow you to experience the thunderous roar as the water moves under the bridge. The water is a beautiful blue color from glacial runoff. There are multiple small trails that lead to the water edge that are always fun to explore. Less than a ¼ mile further down the trail is the hand tram. Most people take the tram across Glacier Creek for the experience and then return back the way they came towards Alyeska Resort. The total roundtrip hike is 4 miles.

 

Crow Creek Access

The trailhead from the Crow Creek side is 3 miles up Crow Creek Road at the Winner Creek Gorge parking lot. Most people will hike this direction to avoid the crowds and parking at Alyeska Resort. In addition, some say that if all you want to do is see the hand tram and gorge, this access is the more direct, shorter way to experience it Like the Alyeska access route, this part of the trail is in excellent shape. You will follow the trail through the forest for 1 mile down to the river and hand tram. Most people take the hand tram across Glacier Creek and then walk another ¼ mile to the wooden bridge that spans across the gorge. The total round trip hike is approximately 2.5 miles.  

Hand Tram

The Hand Tram was built in 2001 and has become a local attraction growing in popularity every year.  The tram operates on a pulley system and spans across Glacier Creek. To use it, people load into the metal cart and pull themselves across the 200-foot span flying more than 100 feet above the creek. Unfortunately, as it grows in popularity, accidents increase, resulting in closures and an uncertain future for the popular attraction. 

The tram was originally built for the hardiest adventurer.  Prior to the tram, people would wade across the river or use cables as guides. Volunteers on the Girdwood Trail Committee took on the daunting task of building the hand tram which they completed in 2001. As the Winner Creek Trail improves, more and more people use it every year because it’s so unique and the trail is so accessible. The tram is typically only open from June-October and during the heavy tourist months, it can be quite busy with a line. One volunteer in 2017 counted 258 people using the tram in a 4-hour period!  So plan accordingly and check to make sure it’s open before starting your trip.

Tram is Closed. A bridge will be built over the next couple of years!

Winter Use

Lower Winner Creek is one of the most popular trails in the winter. The first half is pretty packed down from people walking on it. The descent to the gorge can be icy and it’s highly recommended you have ice cleats. Most people do not bike this trail in the winter.

Make your Lower Winner Creek Experience Extra Special

There are many wonderful guided tour of Lower Winner Creek. During the Winter, they have guided snowshoe and skiing trips available to supplement your winter wonderland adventure.