The Stunning Trail Along Alaska’s Cook Inlet Is The Perfect Destination For A Family Day Trip

Alaska has some of the most amazing hiking trails in the country, if not world. Alaska offers a wide array of skill levels of trails from paved short walks, to scaling Denali, the largest mountain in North America. Gull Rock Trail in Hope, Alaska is the perfect moderate trail for a family day outing.

Gull Rock Trail is a very popular trail that begins in Hope, Alaska.

It's located in the Chugach National Forest, and it parallels the Cook Inlet. It's a moderately difficult trail, with a total elevation gain of 2,500 feet.

The trail is maintained by the US Forest Service.

It's an excellent condition, with bridges over rivers, and downed trees and debris regularly removed from the trail. The elevation gain is mostly gradual, with a couple of steep sections you'll have to navigate through.

The trail is 5.7 miles from the trailhead, one way.

It runs from the Hope Highway all the way to a beautiful, rocky peninsula. The trail follows along the south shore of Turnagain Arm.

The trail has many breaks in the birch trees for incredible views of the mountains across the inlet.

You can expect most of the snow to have melted off by mid-May. It's best season is June through October, but with the right gear, you can easily extend the dates either way.

The boardwalks are stunning and allow you to stay a little drier on the trail.

The majority of the trail are gradual, up and down sections. This makes it the perfect starter trail for a family hike. It is long, but can be cut short to accommodate smaller legs!

Keep your eyes peeled, many hikers report gorgeous wildflowers along the trail.

The trail will definitely be busiest during the summer months. It shouldn't be too crowded, however. And there's even an outhouse at the beginning of the trail!

The entrance to this awesome trail is in the Porcupine Campground.

This is a recently renovated National Forest campground, and you can also spend the night before or after your hike here!

Address: Mile 18 Hope Highway, Hope, AK 99605

If you'd like to learn more, check out the Chugach National Forest trail update here.

Have you had a chance to hike this cool trail? What did you think? Is it one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below!

Looking for a place to stay while you're in Hope? You’ll Never Want To Leave These Dreamy Cabins In This Quaint Alaskan Mining Town.