Hiking to Eagle and Symphony Lakes, Chugach State Park, Alaska

I recently travelled to Anchorage, Alaska. I’ve spent a lot of time in and around Seattle, and as a native north-easterner with a lover of the outdoors, I’ve always appreciated the dramatic landscapes of the Pacific Northwest. I’ve also appreciated the relationship the people there often have with nature and the outdoors. This was my first trip to Alaska, and it felt like the Pacific Northwest elevated to a completely different plane.

I stayed in northeastern Anchorage. While there we hiked on the South Fork Eagle River Trail in Chugach State Park. Chugach is east of Anchorage and covers almost half a million acres of glaciered wilderness in and around the Chugach Mountains. The South Fork Eagle River Trail is eleven miles and follows the Eagle River through a glacial valley, ending at two separate glacially fed lakes, Eagle and Symphony Lakes. We were there during early summer when the sun doesn’t set until almost midnight. Taking advantage of this, we started the hike at almost 5pm and didn’t finish until after 11pm.

These images, as well as additional images, can all be found on my licensing archive.

-Matt