Fall hiking.

• Author: Anderson, Tasha
• Position: EAT SHOP PLAY

The fireweed has topped out and another one of Alaska's notorious summers is winding down. The majority of our seasonal guests will have returned home by mid-month, and Friday, September 22 marks the fall equinox. For those who want to take advantage of every sun-filled, non-iced autumn day, there are trails statewide that provide stunning views of Alaska's beautiful fall foliage.

Mat-Su

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough has an online resource of trails in the Valley (matsugov.us/trails) which can be filtered by trail type or season. Many of the trails feature a link to the trail's website, if it has one, or a trail brochure PDF with a map, photos, and detailed information.

The Borough announced that one of the Valley's popular trails, West Butte, which is open year-round, has a brand new seventy-space parking lot. West Butte's trailhead is at Mothershead Lane in Butte; it's rated as easy-to-moderate, is 1.5 miles long, and hikers gain 880 feet in elevation from start to finish. According to the brochure, "If there's one hike you want to take visitors, this is it. It's a short hike, but gets your heart in the attic fast. The brief work has lasting rewards: an epic view--Knik Glacier, the face of 6398-foot Pioneer Peak, and farms of the Valley floor. Turn to the northwest and take in the Talkeetna Mountains. Turn southwest and see the silhouette of Sleeping Lady or Mount Susitna."

Also in the Mat-Su, the Alcantra Park Trail and Disc Golf Course is a paved, 1.6-mile trail that starts at the Alcantra baseball field. The trail forms two loops, is mostly flat, and features trees and baskets for Frisbee golf throughout the forest.

The Palmer-Moose Creek Railroad Trail begins at Eagle Avenue in Palmer and follows an old railroad bed along the Matanuska River between Palmer and Moose Creek. It's open year-round and is a non-motorized trail stretching 6.1 miles. This trail is mostly level, but footing can be unsure after rain, when rocks may tumble down the embankment.

Homer

The City of Homer also has an online resource for its 5,41 miles of city-maintained trails (cityofhom-er-ak.gov/recreation/trails) that features a map of Homer with its trails clearly marked.

The Homer Spit Trail is 4 miles and paved, running along the east side of the Homer spit. It can be accessed year-round by walkers, runners, bikers, and skaters.

Reber is a short trail, just 0.38 miles, that runs from the west end of Fairview Avenue to the end of Reber Road, but several...