Sunday, August 30, 2015

Biking Anchorage's Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

Anchorage, Alaska, has several dedicated bike trails as well as roadways with bike lanes. This map shows the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail following the shore of Cook Inlet and Knik Arm along the left side of this map, and the Chester Creek Trail, the greenbelt area starting at the Knowles Trail about an inch from the top of the photo and heading to the right. I was also able to ride the Gird-to-Bird Trail south of town.




This 11 mile trail is named for the former governor of Alaska and former mayor of Anchorage, Tony Knowles, who was instrumental in the creation of this trail. The downtown is seen in this photo as the trail approaches the intersection with the Chester Creek Trail, and beyond that, the end of the trail near downtown at 2nd Street.





The trail passes through many forested sections, offers occasional vantages of the water, goes uphill to follow a bluff line and across the property of Anchorage International Airport, and then ends at Kincaid Park, a cross country skiing paradise, which has a myriad of uphill/downhill trails open to mountain biking. The six foot wide paved trail in is decent shape though there are frost heaves on occasion.



It also passes through Earthquake Park which commemorates the 1964 earthquake with a sculpture and various information signs.





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