Day 198, 7/17/2011

There are some incredibly fun and scenic trails to hike in our own backyard within the Alaska State Parks’ Chena River State Recreation Area.  Perhaps the most challenging and one of the most beloved is the Granite Tors hiking trail, a 15 mile loop that ascends to an elevation of over 3,000 feet.

At the higher spots, the path is strewn with unusual outcroppings of granite that were formed as molten rock pushed toward the earth’s surface and cooled just enough before it got there to harden into all sorts of amazing formations. As the soil around them wore away, the pinnacles were uncovered.

It’s something like a bit of Stonehenge meets Monument Valley right here in Interior Alaska. Can you imagine being the first to have stumbled on to such a place?

Now that I’ve delivered the obligatory history lesson, here’s my review. This is a must do for anyone who loves a good wilderness trek, and has the stamina for steep rocky hiking. It is highly recommended that you go with someone who knows the trail, as there are more than a couple places where a person could easily veer off course, and folks have been known to get lost. (I hooked up with a few members of the Fairbanks Area Hiking Club, a vivacious and very friendly group that will gladly let you join in with them or even arrange something you suggest if they hadn’t thought of it yet.) 

It is bear country, but as long as you are with a group, they are likely to avoid you. In fact, there are those who’ve hiked the trail for many years and have yet to spot a bear from it. We opted to get the precipitous terrain out of the way first, so tired legs wouldn’t have to deal with coming down the steep and less hospitable parts at the end of the day. It’s a good idea, but just know that coming up you will be cardio challenged, and you definitely need to watch your footing.

The views at the top are gorgeous, and this time of year we saw varied wildflowers all along the way as well as ripe blueberries and salmon berries. 

The weather was great, though we had a light drizzle toward the end of the day. (Frankly it was welcome and refreshing, because we were getting a workout in!)

Obviously this hike can be completed in a single day, but another option is to backpack it and camp somewhere along the way overnight. Either way, you’ll have a great time, see some far out stuff and make some lifelong memories if you take your time, and take it all in.