Summit Creek Trail – Alaska Hiking Trip

Summit Creek Trail is a beautiful moderate hike near Cooper Landing, Alaska. This scenic climb casually gains 3,277 feet of elevation over the course of 6 miles. Here’s a complete guide based on my backpacking trip.

If you’re traveling from Anchorage, expect an 84-mile drive. As soon as you pass Summit Lake on your left-hand side, be looking for a small pullout on the right-hand side. Lock your car and look for the sign across the road to start the hike.

What I love about Summit Creek Trail is the first half-mile quickly brings you up to the tree line. You can see so many gorgeous views right from the start. The trail is very gradual and keeps you on a westerly trajectory heading up into the mountains. In August and September, keep a lookout for raspberries and salmonberries alongside the trail. And once you trek past the timberline, be ready to find some serious blueberry patches!

I’ve done this hike many times training for cross-country running and skiing in high school. We’d always run 3.5 miles to the saddle (Total Elevation Gain of 2,031 ft) that provides a scenic view of the valley below. No time to stop and enjoy the views then—to keep our heart rate up, we’d turn around and run back to the car.

However, on this backpacking trip, I was able to stop and enjoy the views. This is a great turnaround point if you want to do this as a day hike. A 7-mile round-trip hike is generally a good day’s hike. But for you extreme hikers out there, I have some more options to share.

Setting Up Camp at Ohio Lake

We set up camp near a lake located about .7 miles past the saddle, right near Ohio Creek. I couldn’t find the official name of the lake online, but Ohio Creek flows from it, so we call it Ohio Lake. We found plenty of flat ground, we had a freshwater source, and the mountain beside us partially protected us from the wind. We had found a great spot to tent!

Tip: Keep in mind that there is beaver activity in the area and plenty of other rodents to be cautious of, so bring a water filtration system with you. The one I bring on these types of trips is Sawyer’s Squeeze Water Filtration System.

Snow Glissading Down the Mountain

After pitching the tent and waiting out a small rain spell, we decided to ascend the mountain closest to us. We climbed approximately another 1,000 feet in elevation to the summit. From here, we could see the valley where the Resurrection Pass Trail lies.

Now here is where we had a crazy idea that totally made the trip: we decided to snow glissade down a steep snow chute. At first, the steepness concerned me. I thought once I picked up speed on the snow, I’d have a hard time slowing back down, which was a crucial concern because of all the rocks at the bottom. However, after doing some testing, I found the conditions perfect. The snow was soft enough to control my speed, yet hard enough to support my weight. I was able to stand upright and ski the whole way down completely under control. I can’t explain just how much fun we had!

A few tips for snow glissading: It’s not always steep enough to stand, so bring a garbage sack or raincoat to sit on—it reduces friction so you can slide down on your butt just as fast. Having gloves along is also helpful for steering and protecting your hands from raw snow crystals.

Midnight Sun & Drone Flights

We wound down from our adrenaline rush back in the tent over a warm bowl of noodles. After some card games, I really wanted to get my drone in the air to capture these awesome activities we had just participated in. I convinced John-Mark to tag along so I could film him from the drone as he slid down a snow patch right behind Ohio Lake.

After climbing up and down the hill multiple times, we were exhausted. The sun was finally setting at 11:41 PM—that’s what I love about summers in Alaska! You can be out enjoying the wilderness in the middle of the night with plenty of light. We made our way back to the tent and slept soundly all night. The next morning, we packed up and headed the 4.2 miles back to the car.

I hope this story inspires you to break away from the busyness of life, get outside, and enjoy the beautiful Alaskan wilderness!