Nome Parks & Trails

Getting out on the tundra, along the creeks, along the beach, or up on mountain ridges around Nome is a satisfying way to experience the beauty of the dramatic landscape, as well as to observe wildlife in its natural habitat.

There aren’t a lot of maintained trails around Nome, but there are a few popular hikes and then plenty of backcountry adventuring for experienced and knowledgeable adventurers.

The best way to plan your course is to stop first at the Nome Visitors Center. They have maps, info on the most common hikes, and can advise you based on time of year, current weather conditions and your own specifics (Large group? Children? Solo traveler?). The National Park Service also has information on day hikes and longer explores into the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve.

There is some public land around Nome, but much is privately-owned by Native corporations. There are also active mining operations that you should avoid. The Visitors Center has land-ownership information and can provide advice on whether you would need a permit to venture into a certain area.

Before you go

  • Get advice from the Nome Visitors Center.
  • Tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.
  • Be prepared for wildlife encounters; know how to deal with both grizzlies and muskoxen. Avoid hiking through tall brush; if you’re well out on open tundra, you have fewer odds of surprising a bear
  • Gear up accordingly. Dress in layers, even if the day seems gorgeous. Weather can change quickly here, so be prepared for wind and rain.

Show Map

Parks & Trails

Difficulty: Easy

Take the hike up Anvil Moun­tain for incred­i­ble views of the city of Nome and the Bering Sea beyond. Run­ning up and down the moun­tain can be done in 22 min­utes, as proven by the local cross-coun­try team. You’ll prob­a­bly want to take it a lit­tle slow­er, to enjoy the tun­dra flow­ers, wildlife and view from the top.

King Moun­tain is just a lit­tle north­east of Nome, pro­vid­ing easy access for day hike up the peak for incred­i­ble views of the Kiglu­aik Moun­tains or the Bering Sea.

Head­ing north, there are two turn-offs for tun­dra ridge hik­ing with great views of the sur­round­ing area

Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 4 miles Elevation Gain: 700 feet

Spend a mag­i­cal after­noon hik­ing to Dorothy Falls, which pro­vides just enough vari­ety to feel like a real Alaskan adven­tur­er: a riv­er cross­ing, ascent to a ridge­line, steep descent to the falls and a walk along Dorothy Creek!

Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 2 miles Elevation Gain: 1099 feet

In the 1940s, sol­diers sta­tioned in Nome enjoyed a rope tow up New­ton Peak for ski­ing and ski-jump­ing. The tow line is gone, but this is still a win­ter hot spot for ski­ing and snow­board­ing, and is great for a sum­mer­time hike.

Anvil Rock perch­es above Nome, an ear­ly land­mark for gold min­ers and an easy hike for those who want to take in spec­tac­u­lar views of Nome, the Bering Sea, and the Kiglu­aik Moun­tains. Its resem­blance to a blacksmith’s anvil gen­er­at­ed names for many near­by land­scape fea­tures, includ­ing Anvil Moun­tain and Anvil Creek. The hike also promis­es a good chance to see musk oxen, birds, and maybe even rein­deer or red fox.  ...more

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