Alaska Road Trip: Hatcher Pass
The unpaved road up to Hatcher Pass usually doesn’t open until July, but it’s worth the wait. Hatcher Pass is not a community, but rather exactly what the name suggests: a pass, or low point, that allows easy passage between two mountain peaks, and one of very few places in Alaska where you can get sweeping views over tundra-clad peaks— seemingly to infinity—while standing right beside your car. Part of the road to the pass is unpaved, with switchbacks, occasional potholes, and no guardrail.
Sights
Along the way to the pass you’ll drive by the Independence Mine State Historical Park (23264 Gold Cord Rd.; 10am-6pm daily mid-June-early Sept. as weather allows; $5 day-use parking fee), where you can wander a winding footpath amid the historical mining camp. If you’re a fan of mining history, this is well worth a stop—it was being mined more than a decade before the Klondike Gold Rush. Guided tours are sometimes available; inquire in the visitor center or book via Salmon Berry Travel & Tours (907/278-3572). This mine produced almost $6 million worth of gold in early 1900s dollars—which would be more than quadruple that today—before gold mining was halted by World War II.
Hiking
Gold Cord Lake
While driving toward Hatcher Pass (that is, the actual mountain pass), you’ll go by the trailheads for several excellent hikes, including the charming and family-friendly 2-mi (3.2-km) round-trip trek to Gold Cord Lake, where you might see marmots, ground squirrels, and other wildlife, including bears. This trail starts just across the road from the parking area for the Independence Mine visitor center.
Reed Lakes
You’ll also pass the turnoff to Reed Lakes, an 11-mi (18-km) round-trip hike that rewards those willing to hop car-size boulders with pristine blue-green lakes set against glacier-sculpted granite peaks. Both Gold Cord Lake and Reed Lakes are some of the most heavily traveled hikes in this area, but they offer phenomenal return on the effort to get there.
April Bowl
This moderately challenging, 2.5-mi (4-km) round-trip hiking trail starts right at the summit of Hatcher Pass. This trail takes you up a series of switchbacks to the bowl itself, which sports a set of small alpine lakes. If you’re comfortable hiking on loose rock you can continue via a short ridge walk to the top of Hatch Peak, overlooking the bowl, which only magnifies the lovely views.
Summit Lake
There’s an even easier walk around a lake at the next parking pullout, just down the gravel road going over the pass and on toward Willow (away from Wasilla and Palmer). This blue-green jewel set in the tundra is Summit Lake. The walk around it is a mostly level stroll, but it’s not wheelchair accessible; you’ll need to navigate a narrow footpath and step across at least one small creek, then manage a bit of rocky footing to complete the 0.5-mi (0.8-km) loop around the lake.
Accommodations
Also obvious from the road will be the A-frame cabins of Hatcher Pass Lodge (907/745-1200; from $185). The cabins are very quaint, but adequate for enjoying the spectacular—and perhaps more to the point, spectacularly quiet and remote-feeling—surroundings.
Transportation
To get to Hatcher Pass, take Fishhook Road out of either Palmer or Wasilla (the pass lies between them), or take Trunk Road north from the Parks Highway (before you reach Wasilla) and then follow signs onto Fishhook Road from there. There’s limited but adequate parking at the summit, with sweeping views out over Palmer behind you. The pass is a little more than 20 mi (32 km) from either Palmer or Wasilla—about a 45-minute drive.
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