Kincaid Park, Single Track Trails

By Janice Tower
Singletrack Advocates

My favorite trails are the Hillside Singletrack Trails built by Singletrack Advocates in 2008. This is the first trail system designed for mountain biking in Alaska, representing a rich collaboration of federal, state and local government partnerships, private business and individual donors, youth organizations, multiple user groups, and Anchorage park and trail lovers. It is a fine example of trail lovers coming together to build a recreational resource that didn’t exist before.

My favorite memories of the Hillside Singletrack are of those riding with the Mighty Bikes squealing with joy and making airplane noises around the banked turns. I smile when I hear grown adults whooping and hollering through the forest as I know they feel like kids again playing on the swoops and bumps. The trails are incredibly popular and I feel good about how they have drawn people out to enjoy them.

In addition to being fun and flowy for mountain bikers, these trails are well loved by runners, hikers, backcountry skiers, winter bikers, and snowshoers. They are four season, multiple use trails and they are just as much fun in winter as they are in summer. There’s nothing like making first tracks with snowshoes after a foot deep snowfall on a cold winter day.

My hope is that more people will enjoy all the trail resources in our city—trails are among Anchorage’s finest assets.