Kincaid Park
Kincaid Park
4.5
12:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Monday
12:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Tuesday
12:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
About
This park offers 20 miles of cross-country skiing, hiking and bike trails.
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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4.5
377 reviews
Excellent
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The_Travel_Family
Eindhoven, The Netherlands1,123 contributions
Sept 2021 • Solo
I visited here 3 times over two visits to Anchorage in the hope I would see a Moose. Thankfully on my last visit walking the coastal trail I spotted one and took some photos. Despite there size Moose are very hard to spot so take your time and listen out for them too.
Written 5 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma L
Austin, TX11 contributions
Mar 2023 • Friends
So many great, well kept trails. The park was absolutely beautiful with so much scenery to look at. It goes right up to the coast, and I had a great time hiking here and walking down on the beach.
Written 24 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ginges_revenge
Brisbane, Australia5,859 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Located on the promontory adjacent to Anchorages Ted Stevens International airport (Runway 7R), its a large area, this is a lovely large communal area for the local community.
When we visited in March, it was still covered in snow.
What I really liked was it had miles of groomed trails for Nordic skiing, not something you see in Australia. I would love to have this back home so I could try it.
There was a lot of elevation in the park and a lot of wooded areas. There was evidence of moose being in the park but we didn't see any.
It also had a lot of walking tracks and access to the beach and the coastal path.
There was a chalet in the middle of the park which was being used for a family party.
There was also a large sledding area for people to use and there was a lot of families doing this which was good to see families out enjoying nature.
Its a nice area and well worth a look at.
When we visited in March, it was still covered in snow.
What I really liked was it had miles of groomed trails for Nordic skiing, not something you see in Australia. I would love to have this back home so I could try it.
There was a lot of elevation in the park and a lot of wooded areas. There was evidence of moose being in the park but we didn't see any.
It also had a lot of walking tracks and access to the beach and the coastal path.
There was a chalet in the middle of the park which was being used for a family party.
There was also a large sledding area for people to use and there was a lot of families doing this which was good to see families out enjoying nature.
Its a nice area and well worth a look at.
Written 5 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jill
New Jersey766 contributions
Jul 2023 • Friends
This park is massive! There are so many areas to explore and walk/ride around. Supposedly, there are sometimes moose but we didn't see any. Tons of athletic facilities. You really need to know where you are going or you can easily get lost.
Written 24 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michele W
Anchorage, AK62 contributions
Jun 2019 • Friends
I've just been smiling at the average and worse reviews. If you are a hiker, soccer player, frisbee golf player, or walker, this is a gem of a park in the summer. Sledding is not bad in the winter if we have snow, and this is a world-class x-c ski area in the winter. (Don't plan to walk the hiking trails in the winter, but you can still bike the single-track trails then.)
No, the signage isn't obvious, but it's not bad. No, you aren't guaranteed to see wildlife, because wildlife doesn't want to see you. (I've seen eagles, rabbits, ptarmigan, bear, moose (with calves--it's June), and lynx in the park -- all but the lynx in the last two weeks, so they're there.) No, there is not any public transportation here. That's a huge pity, but it's not the park's fault. And budget cuts mean that access to the helpful folks in the chalet and the real bathrooms is very limited. But still! If you have kids and don't want to go far, do check out the sweet playground behind the chalet. It's all wood-colored, so it's a bit hard to notice. There's even a realistic-looking moose to ride.
There are numerous trails: some wide and obvious from ski season, some narrower and brushier in summer for walkers, and some specially for bikers. It helps to download the Kincaid App, and practice with it a bit at the start of your walk, as location can be slightly off, but once you figure it out, it's very helpful. For a short, easy walk, I suggest the Mize trail, taking the coach's cutoff. That same trail can be up to 5 K (3 miles). Go into the "stadium," and head downhill, taking the second major trail to the right. Follow the light poles and look for the wooden signs. In winter, you can ski here even when it's dark -- helpful especially when the days are only light for 5-6 hours.
For a slightly more demanding walk, try the Lekich system, to the left of the chalet, heading south back down the wide trail (not paved) away from the big soccer area. You can choose the 3K, the 5K, or the 7.5K route. It's hilly and challenging for skiers.
If you park at the Jodphur parking area (off of Kincaid drive and the far west end of Dimond Avenue), you will come to the "famous" sand dunes and motocross area. Climb up the sand dunes and head toward the edge of the bluff, and you'll find a wonderful narrow trail. It goes up and down along the ridge all the way to the beach. You have to be what a friend calls a level 3 hiker: have stamina, flexibility, and energy. A 75-year-old friend does it with just a little difficulty, but she's been hiking up our mountains for over 20 years. At the beach, you can create a circle route by going all the way back along the beach, hiking up the trail under the motocross area. It's about a four-mile trek. Take water!
A couple of safety issues: 1. you should keep a dog that is not under great voice control on a leash at Kincaid. Otherwise it might irritate moose or bring bears back to you. Do pick up and carry out dog poop.
2. Dogs and walkers are not allowed on groomed ski trails in the winter. If you do walk the coastal trail from Kincaid in the winter, please stay off the double tracks for diagonal skiers. Foot prints wreck them. All dogs should be on leash on the coastal trail so as not to injure summer/winter bikers or skiers.
3. Cow parsnip is a low, broad-leafed plant. If you get its oil on your skin and then have sun on that skin, you can get rash, welts, and/or blisters. (I got it on my arms last summer, then applied sunscreen before washing, and then sat in the sun to watch a parade...welts formed and then blisters opened all up and down my arms. OUCH.)
4. Devil's club looks very similar, except that it has thorns. Do not grab it for support on your way up or down a hill. Because of devil's club and cow parsnip, I like to wear long pants and sleeves if possible when I'm hiking anywhere in Alaska in the summer. There is a lot of both cow parsnip and devil's club on the edge of trails in Kincaid.
5. Moose can be very dangerous, especially if they have calves, but also if they've been annoyed. If you see one with ears laid down on its head, avoid! If nothing else, keep a tree between you and the moose.
6. If you see a bear, stop moving. Get big and don't run. If you have an air horn, use it if the bear is coming toward you. If you have bear spray, have it in your hand, make sure the wind is at your back toward the bear, and spray at the ground in front of the bear if it comes toward you. Read up elsewhere on what to do if the bear actually attacks.
Typically if you are hiking with another person, talking, bears will stay out of your way. When I'm hiking alone, I sing loudly and count on my dog to alert me to wildlife. I have seen bears fairly close at least 20 times, have slept in a tent where they have walked on past, and just once a bear we surprised chased my dog.
7.On the quicksand at the beach: don't go walking out, even if you have a teenage friend courageously doing the crossing to Fire Island at low tide. People have died out there in the past. But walking along the beach is fine.
Anytime you hike in Alaska, even at safe Kincaid park, it's wise to have layers: wind/rain protection, a light fleece, and a hat, as well as a water bottle and a snack.
I wish there were a messaging system here; I love to take adventurous folks out on hikes when I'm home. I'll be gone most of summer 2019, but if you can figure out a way to send me a request after August, I'll be happy to at least give you a suggestion, if not a chance to accompany my wildlife-alert sled-dog system and me on a walk.
No, the signage isn't obvious, but it's not bad. No, you aren't guaranteed to see wildlife, because wildlife doesn't want to see you. (I've seen eagles, rabbits, ptarmigan, bear, moose (with calves--it's June), and lynx in the park -- all but the lynx in the last two weeks, so they're there.) No, there is not any public transportation here. That's a huge pity, but it's not the park's fault. And budget cuts mean that access to the helpful folks in the chalet and the real bathrooms is very limited. But still! If you have kids and don't want to go far, do check out the sweet playground behind the chalet. It's all wood-colored, so it's a bit hard to notice. There's even a realistic-looking moose to ride.
There are numerous trails: some wide and obvious from ski season, some narrower and brushier in summer for walkers, and some specially for bikers. It helps to download the Kincaid App, and practice with it a bit at the start of your walk, as location can be slightly off, but once you figure it out, it's very helpful. For a short, easy walk, I suggest the Mize trail, taking the coach's cutoff. That same trail can be up to 5 K (3 miles). Go into the "stadium," and head downhill, taking the second major trail to the right. Follow the light poles and look for the wooden signs. In winter, you can ski here even when it's dark -- helpful especially when the days are only light for 5-6 hours.
For a slightly more demanding walk, try the Lekich system, to the left of the chalet, heading south back down the wide trail (not paved) away from the big soccer area. You can choose the 3K, the 5K, or the 7.5K route. It's hilly and challenging for skiers.
If you park at the Jodphur parking area (off of Kincaid drive and the far west end of Dimond Avenue), you will come to the "famous" sand dunes and motocross area. Climb up the sand dunes and head toward the edge of the bluff, and you'll find a wonderful narrow trail. It goes up and down along the ridge all the way to the beach. You have to be what a friend calls a level 3 hiker: have stamina, flexibility, and energy. A 75-year-old friend does it with just a little difficulty, but she's been hiking up our mountains for over 20 years. At the beach, you can create a circle route by going all the way back along the beach, hiking up the trail under the motocross area. It's about a four-mile trek. Take water!
A couple of safety issues: 1. you should keep a dog that is not under great voice control on a leash at Kincaid. Otherwise it might irritate moose or bring bears back to you. Do pick up and carry out dog poop.
2. Dogs and walkers are not allowed on groomed ski trails in the winter. If you do walk the coastal trail from Kincaid in the winter, please stay off the double tracks for diagonal skiers. Foot prints wreck them. All dogs should be on leash on the coastal trail so as not to injure summer/winter bikers or skiers.
3. Cow parsnip is a low, broad-leafed plant. If you get its oil on your skin and then have sun on that skin, you can get rash, welts, and/or blisters. (I got it on my arms last summer, then applied sunscreen before washing, and then sat in the sun to watch a parade...welts formed and then blisters opened all up and down my arms. OUCH.)
4. Devil's club looks very similar, except that it has thorns. Do not grab it for support on your way up or down a hill. Because of devil's club and cow parsnip, I like to wear long pants and sleeves if possible when I'm hiking anywhere in Alaska in the summer. There is a lot of both cow parsnip and devil's club on the edge of trails in Kincaid.
5. Moose can be very dangerous, especially if they have calves, but also if they've been annoyed. If you see one with ears laid down on its head, avoid! If nothing else, keep a tree between you and the moose.
6. If you see a bear, stop moving. Get big and don't run. If you have an air horn, use it if the bear is coming toward you. If you have bear spray, have it in your hand, make sure the wind is at your back toward the bear, and spray at the ground in front of the bear if it comes toward you. Read up elsewhere on what to do if the bear actually attacks.
Typically if you are hiking with another person, talking, bears will stay out of your way. When I'm hiking alone, I sing loudly and count on my dog to alert me to wildlife. I have seen bears fairly close at least 20 times, have slept in a tent where they have walked on past, and just once a bear we surprised chased my dog.
7.On the quicksand at the beach: don't go walking out, even if you have a teenage friend courageously doing the crossing to Fire Island at low tide. People have died out there in the past. But walking along the beach is fine.
Anytime you hike in Alaska, even at safe Kincaid park, it's wise to have layers: wind/rain protection, a light fleece, and a hat, as well as a water bottle and a snack.
I wish there were a messaging system here; I love to take adventurous folks out on hikes when I'm home. I'll be gone most of summer 2019, but if you can figure out a way to send me a request after August, I'll be happy to at least give you a suggestion, if not a chance to accompany my wildlife-alert sled-dog system and me on a walk.
Written 9 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SonjaB
Kiama, Australia663 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
Absolutely no public transport can get you there. What a waste! We would have loved to hike through the park but not having a car made it completely unattainable. Anchorage - have a bus that can drop hikers off so they can enjoy this wonderful green space.
Written 13 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bilberrymom
Monroeville, PA243 contributions
Jul 2020
We spent two weeks in Alaska. We were hoping to see moose while there. A little over a week into our trip we still hadn't seen any moose (other than one female moose way in the distance in Seward). We were in Anchorage, and I had read that Kincaid Park is a good place to spot moose. My husband and I went there one evening just to see moose. We had just arrived at the park and hadn't even parked the car when we spotted a female moose feeding right along the side of the road. I put the window down and took several pictures without having to leave my car! We then parked the car and started to look for the start of a trail. We hadn't walked far when my husband spotted a male moose feeding in the distance. I again took several pictures. Since we had had a long day, and had accomplished our goal, we went back to the car and returned to the hotel. I'm sure we would have enjoyed spending more time at the park, but we had already spent the day watching the bears feeding on salmon at Brooks Falls, and we were leaving the next morning to continue on to Girdwood for a helicopter/dog sled tour, so we headed back to our hotel for the evening. I'd include photos of the moose in this review, but the files are too large to upload to Tripadvisor.
Written 28 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
James Merrill
Burlington, VT2 contributions
May 2019 • Friends
After we hiked around the beach at Kincaid park my boss was telling me people sometimes get sucked in to the quicksand here. Fortunately that didnt happen to me though so it was thoroughly enjoyable.
Written 19 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joan S
Bethlehem, PA45 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
4 hours after landing from flight from PA, we went out moose "hunting". We've vacationed in New Hampshire 3x's and Maine 3's. Both states have watch out for moose signs. We NEVER saw a single moose (unless you count the backside of one as our headlights caught it zipping into the trees after crossing the road). In Alaska....we saw one just as we were entering Kincaid Park. It was grazing and didn't even mind the 200 pictures we took of it -- haha!!
Written 30 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Decemberborn
Kent, WA473 contributions
Jun 2017 • Family
We come to this park every time we are in Anchorage. Lots of trails for walking/hiking/biking. Once we even saw what appeared to be cross country skiing practice going on. There is also a disc golf course here. We like to watch the planes take off and land from the airport. There are a couple of other roads off the main road that go to another lake.
The very first time we were told to go here for moose sightings we did see a couple, the last two times we have not seen any.
Large parking lot at the end and a clubhouse which they were using for a reception of some sort.
The very first time we were told to go here for moose sightings we did see a couple, the last two times we have not seen any.
Large parking lot at the end and a clubhouse which they were using for a reception of some sort.
Written 29 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I am a photography enthusiast. I will be in Anchorage the first week of September. I was interested in photographing wildlife in or near the Anchorage area. I have seen reviews stating that they have seen bull moose in Kincaid Park. Is there a particular area or trail that the moose tend to hang out? Any other areas/suggestions for seeing bull moose?
Written 3 February 2020
Yes it is pet friendly, but keep in mind that it is shared space amongst many different outdoor activities including frisbee golf, biking, hiking and cross country skiing. Always keep dogs on leash on trails and always pick up after them.
Written 20 July 2019
Hello. Headed up there next week. Do I need to worry about bears as someone told me I did and I amgonna be hiking alone so thought would ask
Written 21 April 2019
I think you may have discovered by now, as I did, that there really wasn't any reason to freak out about the bears or moose...as long as you don't run directly into them. lol!! I didn't, close up anyhow. I decided against the bear spray ( a bit expensive if you ask me) , but i DID get a couple of bells to hang off of my backpack. Maybe that scared them off? Dunno. :)
Written 27 June 2019
Can u drive through Kincaid Park? What is the charge to enter the park?
Written 14 May 2017
You can drive on the outside edge of the park and there is a dirt road that leads to a smaller lot. There is no entry fee.
Written 22 January 2018
Can you drive your own vehicle through the park? What is the cost to enter the park?
Written 14 May 2017
My son (13) and myself are heading to Alaska for a few days from Minnesota. We are doing a ton of research on what we want to do for those days. One thing that intrigues both of us is the mountain biking in Kincaid Park. Can someone please point us in the right direction for renting bikes and what would be a good intermediate trail? Any other info we will consider a bonus! Thanks and God bless!
Written 3 January 2017
Sorry if I'm late. BUT there are several options. I've only rented a road bike and from Downtown Bicycle Rental--which IS downtown on 4th Ave. Easy to find and very helpful. I've rented twice from them. Good eqpt. There are others on the south end of town, but I haven't rented from them. There is a shuttle that Downtown can help you plan that will also take you to another ride, but you can go right to Kincaid on the Trail very near the shop. There's also another great path near Bird Point/Indian down toward Girdwood that's a bit longer.
Written 14 January 2017
rich7674
Carmel, Indiana
Do you remember which trail in Kincaid park you took when you saw Moose?
Written 31 July 2016
No; it was in a field below the field where there is a building you can get as a celebration venue. However, driving out, there was one grazing on the side of the road. I don't think it's difficult to spot moose around Anchorage.
Written 6 August 2016
We have almost a whole free day on our last day in Alaska next June. We would like to do a short easy hike in Kincaid Park. I have seen the maps, I think they are all of the cross country ski trails. Please explain where do we go after we arrive and park? Thank you
Written 12 March 2016
We are always looking for a pretty view, nature, and possible wildlife. This Kincaid day will be after several days in Seward, Whittier, Cooper's Landing, and several days in Denali National Park.
Written 12 March 2016
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