This is one of The favorite parks in Anchorage for almost all of the outdoor enthusiasts I know in Anchorage. It’s a little more remote and wild than Kincaid Park, sitting up against the Chugach mountains and the state park lands. You can’t run into moose and bears and other wildlife, but more likely you will see other hikers, bikers, skiers, and dog walkers. From the Hillside trails you can connect to the trails of Far North Bicentennial Park, Prospect Heights, Glen Alps, and the Homestead trail. That will take you to the Campbell Creek multiuser trail, which connects to the rest of the city’s trail system. It’s a good place to start whether you are looking for a short walk or an all day adventure.

After receiving close to a foot of new snow this past week, the Hillside Park Nordic skiing trails are in great shape. We love it there. The Nordic Ski Club of Anchorage does a great job grooming the many trails.

If you find yourself in Anchorage in the winter and are looking for something to do outside for fun, you don't need to look much farther than the Hillside trail system in Anchorage. We usually access the trails from Abbott road just past Service High School, but you can also access them from Elmore Road or Campbell Airstrip Road. When there's snow on the ground, the trails are great for hiking, snow biking and cross country skiing. Just make sure you know which trails you are on so you don't get yelled at for fouling up the groomed ski trails. Most of the trails are multi-use, but in the winter some of them are groomed and they become skiers only trails, and skiers don't appreciate post-holes (deep foot prints) or dog turds on their trails. The Hillside trails vary from reasonably wide trails which are comfortable for two way traffic and multi-use, to single-track trails on which you might have to stop or get off the trail to let someone pass. Traffic on these trails is not usually much, so don't expect to be around people, and you could certainly see a moose or other wildlife if you keep your eyes peeled.

I really enjoyed walking through this park area. I was geocaching with a friend and we went places that were literally off the beaten path. Found some geocaches, had fun doing it and loved being outdoors!

LOL! Our family lived nearby in the 80's-90's and Hillside is for the rediculously rich folks, while our area near a place called The Village Inn on Dimond Blvd. was for those working class wealthy families :-).