Trail Conditions for: Monday, 8/10/2026

Trails are always open.  Fee machine and trail maps to the left of the front door.  Bathrooms/latrines located BEFORE the parking lot (brown building).

Rodak Trail:  Great condition for hiking. Please be aware of an active wasp nest on the desk and thanks for your patience as we work to mitigate it.

Albert Loop Trail:  CLOSED as of 8/10/2026 until further notice.  This is a seasonal Alaska State Parks closure due to the salmon run and bear activity.  Closure is strictly enforced. All other trails are open.  Trail typically reopens in early November. 

Historic Iditarod Trail/Crow Pass Trail (Nature Center Trailhead to Echo Bend only):  Great hiking.  Recent rain, so some puddles and mud. Once you pass the Yukla Yurt trail, the trail gets skinnier, rootier and rockier.
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Dew Mound Trail:  Good hiking.  Recent rain, so some puddles and mud. Watch for orange trail markers on the trees to follow the trail. Dew Mound Trail is skinnier, rootier, and rockier than our other trails.

Rapids Cutoff Trail: Good condition for hiking.  Recent rain, so some puddles and mud. 

Mountain Meadow Cutoff Trail:  Good condition for hiking. Recent rain, so some puddles and mud.

Fat Tire Bike Eagle River Corridor Access: CLOSED for the season.  Biking IS NOT PERMITTED on any ERNC trails during the summer months.

Dog owners: Please remember to keep your dog(s) on a leash on the Rodak Trail, Albert Loop Trail and the first mile of the Dew Mound Trail and Iditarod Trail. Please be responsible trail users and pickup after your dogs. Bags are available at the trail head sign at the ERNC.

Crow Pass Trail

7/30/2026 Trail Update (thanks Nathaniel): "Came through the pass Thursday through Saturday (Aug 5-9)! Hike up to and through the pass was great, trail is clear and easy to navigate. On the backside of the pass there are a couple of good size snow fields, spikes would be helpful but not necessary. Descent into raven valley has high brush that was wet with dew/rain. Camped at raven gorge; trail to the river side is decent to follow but pretty overgrown. Crossing was thigh high on three guys 5'10" or taller. There's 3 braids of the river that require crossing before you can switch shoes again. Thunder gorge is similar depth but only for a few feet. Camped at twin falls. Icicle creek requires a log crossing to stay dry, the creek has meandered away from the bridge. Be prepared for mud between icicle and echo bend due to newer beaver activity. 

The biggest surprise was the new trail rerouting just upstream of Echo bend. This adds ~500ft of climbing and an extra mile or two, but the views are gorgeous. Definitely was an unexpected part of the trail that took a little wind out of our party. Be prepared for flies to be bad throughout the trail, a smoky campfire in legal areas helped immensely. Lots of downed wood to choose from to build fires. Please pack out all of your trash! We picked up nearly a gallon ziplock full of garbage throughout the 25 miles."

Gus and Pete from the Nature Center flagged a route through Yakety Yak to help hikers navigate the flooded area.  Look for orange and pink flags.

You can monitor the NOAA river gauge on Eagle River here:

https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/erba2

But please note: This gauge is located at the bridge over the Glenn Highway, many miles downstream from the trail ford. It can provide a general indication of river levels, but it does not represent the actual conditions at the ford or other stream crossings on the trail.

These are reports from trail users. We cannot and do not guarantee trail conditions on any given day/time. Trail conditions change daily, especially the river depth at the ford site. Be prepared for anything from knee to waist deep. If you are not comfortable crossing, turn around and go back the way you came. You should be prepared for any kind of weather (rain, snow, sun, fog) and wildlife (bears/moose). Always carry a map for navigation, the trail is not marked. Trail condition contacts: Eagle River Nature Center 907-694-2108, Chugach National Forest 907-783-3242, or Chugach State Park 907-345-5014. Please check out the Crow Pass Trail Facebook page for more information and hiker posts:  Crow Pass Trail Facebook Page