We biked this very scenic paved multi-use trail that runs from Girdwood, Alaska to Bird Creek in the Church National Forest for a round trip of about 13 miles. The trail parallels the Seward Highway and Turnagain Arm. Turnagain Arm is the inlet that heads to the south of Anchorage and above the Kenai Peninsula from the Cook Inlet. The Chugach and Kenai Moutains frame the area. The trails runs through Chugach State Park and Chugach National Forest.
Spectacular views abound on the Gird to Bird
There is access to Bird Point Area from the trail through a side trail with an underpass that safely gets you to the other side of the Seward Highway. Bird Point is a popular place to watch for Beluga Whales during the high tide. The Belugas eat Hooligans (a type of smelt) and Salmon in the Turnagain Arm and can often be viewed chasing their quarry back into the area as the tide is rising.
Chugach and Kenai Mountains can be viewed from the trail
The Turnagain Arm area has very visible mud flats during low tides. Don’t wander out onto the flats however, as there are areas of quicksand. There is also one of the highest bore tides in the world. As the tide turns to incoming, the first rush of water can be a wave of up to six feet tall! People who have gotten stuck in the mud have sometimes drowned as there was not enough time to save them before the tide rushed back.
Surfers riding the bore tide in Turnagain Arm
Incoming bore tide
The area along the bike trail includes some open marsh land as well as boreal forest. The sections through the forest are quite shady. There are numerous interpretive displays along the trail about the area. There are several rest areas with benches and two pit toilets in addition to the ones at Bird Point. The views are breathtaking. We recommend checking out this trail.
View along the Gird to Bird trail
Chugach Mountains from trail
