Anchorage Trails
by Steve Amstrup
Polar Bear Biologist
My favorite parks in Anchorage are three trail systems; the Chester Creek trail, the Coastal Trail and the trail at Hillside Park. These trails are great for skiing, biking, and just relaxing. The trails are also very accessible, which is a major plus.
I feel that we are very fortunate to have such a great trail system here in Anchorage. It creates open space for us, letting us to take a break from civilization, and get back to nature. Also, the green spaces around the trails offer the wild animals of our city very important living space. It is very special that we have so much wildlife living around us in this city.
One of my favorite memories of recreating here in Anchorage is from a couple of years ago when I was skiing. I saw a lynx from only about ten feet away. I just stood there and stared for several minutes. Having an opportunity to see wildlife like that is something you can almost never get in another city of this size.
Interviewed by Patrick Johnson