OPINION: We’re making Chugach State Park trails better. Here’s how you can help.

By Judy Caminer, Claire LeClare, John Quinley, Charlotte Levy, Haley Johnston, Walt Wrede, Kyle Shedd and Tyndall EllisTrail materials rest on the side of the trail to Little O'Malley Peak in Chugach State Park on Aug. 22, 2020.

We’ve put away our skis and snowshoes, started eyeing skinnier-tired bikes and are trying to remember where we put our hiking boots. Yes, summer is coming soon, and those longer, warmer days will bring hundreds of thousands of people to Chugach State Park. Locals and out-of-towners alike will come to enjoy some of the 280 miles of trail the park offers. Some aim for just a parking lot view of the city, or will check the box by going up Flattop. Others will ride a bike or take a longer adventure to an alpine lake in the park’s backcountry. All told, more than 1.5 million people will visit the park this year.

And, depending on our route, we’ll probably get muddy feet or have to push through alder thickets. While our park has about 280 miles of trail across nearly a half-million acres, chronic underinvestment in maintaining this public recreational and economic treasure means there are just 10 employees; two of whom focus on trail maintenance.

This summer, through foundation, corporate and individual giving, we expect to fund work by an Alaska Trails crew to fix long, muddy sections of the trail accessing Hidden Lake and Ship Lake Pass, plus brushing near the South Fork of Eagle River, drainage work on the Anchorage Hillside trails plus replacing old boardwalk.

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