Morgan Horse Trail Points

Only a few miles out­side of Palmer, this pop­u­lar win­ter recre­ation area fea­tures groomed cross-coun­try ski­ing trails that are also open to snow­shoe­ing and ski­jor­ing. The upper trails are designed for novices, while the low­er trails are meant for experts. If you real­ly want to go big — and have good weath­er — access the Lazy Moun­tain Trail and climb high into the alpine, with views of the Matanus­ka and Knik Riv­er val­leys. (Note: To avoid a…  ...more

No offi­cial trail in South­cen­tral Alas­ka climbs as high as Matanus­ka Peak Trail. Begin­ning in a sub­di­vi­sion across the Matanus­ka Riv­er from Palmer, this near­ly 6‑mile-long trail runs up some 5,700 ver­ti­cal feet. Your des­ti­na­tion is the 6,119-foot sum­mit of Matanus­ka Peak, the very promi­nent rock spire that fills the sky just east of Palmer. But despite the impos­ing appear­ance of this moun­tain, the trail to its sum­mit requires no extensive  ...more

How to get ThereThe Plum­ley-Maud Trail can be accessed from the end of Maud Road, or from the cor­ner on Plum­ley Road near Caudill Road. 1) Access from Maud Road: From Palmer go south east 3 ¹⁄₂ miles on the Old Glenn High­way, take a left on Maud Road, fol­low Maud Road for 1 ¹⁄₂ miles. There is a small turn around and lim­it­ed park­ing before the creek direct­ly east of the road. Please be care­ful not to block the entrance to the trail or the…  ...more