Lower Winner Creek Trail
- Easily accessible behind the Alyeska Tram building or up Crow Creek Road just below the Crow Creek Mine
- *Hand Tram is currently out of commission as of 04/21/22, hopefully this changes
Go across Glacier Creek via The Hand Tram Note: The hand Tram is removed each the winter. - Great trail for families
- Hike or Bike
- 3 miles each way – Easy to Moderate
Locals Tip: This is a multi-use trail. Keep your eye out! Walkers, runners, families & bikers all enjoy this trail.
Hiking in Girdwood – Winner Creek Trail
EASY TO MODERATE | FAMILY-FRIENDLY | MULTI USE
Park your car at Alyeska Resort and head in the direction of the Tram, but continue just past it to find the trailhead for Lower Winner Creek Trail. Enjoy a 2-mile walk along a beautiful lush rainforest over a few boardwalks, up some stairs, and across a bridge for until you reach the hand tram.
* During peak hours, there may be a wait to use the hand tram. Peak hours typically are weekends in the summer or any holiday. The hand tram is the only way across the roaring Glacier Creek.
Once you cross the hand tram, you’ll wind through the forest for another mile until you reach the trailhead parking lot located on the Crow Creek Road just below the Crow Creek Mine.
You can start at either location – Alyeska Resort Tram or the Crow Creek Trailhead to enjoy Winner Creek Trail.
Locals Tip in the Summer:
If you find yourself tired or out of time, check the Glacier Valley Transit’s bus schedule to see if you can take advantage of their free services to get back where you started! Their bus route includes Crow Creek Mine (which is just above the Crow Creek Road – Winner Creek Trailhead) and the hand tram at Alyeska Resort.
Biking in Girdwood – Winner Creek Trail
MODERATE | HARD TAIL | FULL-SUSPENSION | FAT TIRE | MULTI-USE
Looking for a fun mountain biking loop in Girdwood? Check out Winner Creek Trail. This is a multi-use trail so keep that in mind. If you come on the weekend to bike, you’ll likely run into a lot of families enjoying the trail also. The entire loop is 9 miles.
You can take this loop in any direction, but my personal favorite goes as followed. To start you warm up with a nice gradual climb up the Crow Creek Road. If leaving from the Park and Ride, you’ll travel 3.5 miles uphill for 702 feet of elevation gain. You can also easily start at the Hotel Alyeska or anywhere in Girdwood.
Crow Creek Road is a dirt gravel road that may or may not be full of potholes you need to strategically avoid. Keep to the side of the road, because of there is some traffic here with an off the grid subdivision located at the end of the road.
Once you get to the Winner Creek Trailhead it’s a mix of ups and downs (but mostly downhill) which is a ton fun. Bike the first mile on a pretty well-established trail with a few switchbacks. Be aware of roots though! To cross the river, you’ll need to load your bike on the hand tram (there are side hooks for your frame or tire) and pull yourself across! Super fun. The next two miles include some boardwalks and a stair section that leads you straight back to Alyeska hotel. Follow the paved Girdwood Bike path for 3 miles back to the Park in Ride in Downtown Girdwood.