Steamboat Hills

This is a delightful backpacking trip through a magical, almost pastoral landscape. You will pass through rolling hills sprinkled with tiny lakes that sparkle like freshly cut emeralds nestled among velvety green pillows. At the periphery of the central hill country is a ragged ridge line of rugged crags and peaks that form a dramatic backdrop to the gentler terrain of our route.

The route begins on the eastern edge of a high plateau with commanding views of the surrounding area including a view into the expansive Chitina River valley to the north. We will work our way slowly across this undulating plateau taking time to explore the many lakes that are hidden behind gentle ridges or tucked away in dramatic cirques at the feet of jagged peaks.

One of the highlights of this route is the opportunity for viewing the many Dall sheep that inhabit the area. The wide open terrain makes them easy to spot from afar. But bring your telephoto lens if you want to get up close and personal with these elusive animals.

The Steamboat Hills trip is an excellent introduction to backpacking and hiking in the Alaskan backcountry and a great choice for family trips. This route can also be done as a base camp trip.

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Streams: This route involves very little in the way of hazards, only very minor stream crossings.

Here are some other trips of similar difficulty.