Trail to Point Campbell
Wildlife Viewing

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Many Anchorage trails are excellent for cross-country skiing in winter.
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Bank swallows use their tiny bills and feet to dig nesting burrows in sandy banks. (Jim Williams)

The trail from Kincaid Park to Point Campbell is a great hour-long hike complete with ocean panoramas, views of Mount Susitna, and wildlife. The trail begins near the main parking lot just behind the park chalet to the southwest, winds through wooded habitat, and meanders along the coastline.

Look for moose munching on foliage in open areas along the trail or in thick brush.

After about a mile, the trail reaches the bluff with a cut-off heading to the left. The trail here is unpaved and leads through dense brush. Take a moment to listen for songbirds or ocean sounds from below the bluff. Boreal birds, like the northern goshawk, three-toed woodpecker, boreal chickadee, and common redpoll, are likely present throughout the year.

Several yards down this narrow trail is an opening that leads to a sharp but short decline to the beach below. The path may be slippery and wet but it has its rewards. The wetlands area and open expanse of beach is a perfect place to watch for bald eagles soaring high among the trees. In spring, sandhill cranes forage in the mudflats and marshy areas between the beach and the bluff.

The sandy beach, unusual for Anchorage, narrows further north as it transitions into marshy wetlands.

Look high against the bluff for swallow homes - small round holes that look like they have been drilled into the packed glacial silt.

Viewing and Safety Tips

Be careful and watch for bikers and wildlife around blind corners!

Bald eagles are seen in a variety of habitats, including spruce forests, cliffs, rocky shores, mudflats, salt marshes, freshwater riparian areas, and over marine waters.

Directions

Kincaid Park is located in West Anchorage at the very end of Raspberry Road. Take Minnesota Drive to the Raspberry Exit and head west. The road ends at the main parking lot and chalet. The trailhead begins as a paved bike trail behind the chalet to the southwest.

Resources

Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau