Flattop Mountain Trail, AK

Wanted a day hike in the area of Anchorage and found this one. Has a very busy parking area like a city hike but lots of the people only go for the view and do a short hike. This has one of the best easy to get to views of the surrounding area of Anchorage and the Turnagain arm. Affords 360 degree views of the Alaska Range, Chugach Range, Cook Inlet, and Anchorage.

Since this is part of the state park area you have 30 minutes grace period for the permit if you want to just do a quick hike to the overlook.

Hike: The trail is steep and is well maintained for the first mile and half. There are wooden stairs that take a bit of work to hike up. There are three parts to the trail. The first part goes up to another trail junction which you can take back for an easy hike. The next part is a lot steeper and has the steps in it... You get up to another sign that says that children and pets not recommended past this point. And then the top is basically rock scrambling. Here the trail is hard to pick out and it seems like everyone just spreads out across the face picking the best spot to climb up. There are lots of loose rocks so pick your route carefully. You can see there is a route with hot pink spots painted on the rocks this is supposed to be the trail. (I followed it back down the hill). When you get to the top it has the most awesome views of the area. A complete view of all around. If you are lucky like we were you can see all it was a clear day for us. It can be cold and windy up here so be prepared. There was even a group that was going up to camp at the top. Another good thing to have in the summer is your bug spray. Mosquitoes are the state bird of Alaska. You then turn around and go back the way you came. You can even get a shuttle from downtown Anchorage for a fee.

Check out the Official Route and Triplogs.

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2013-07-01 Dschur