FATMAP by Strava

Campbell Tract Gravel Ride

A gorgeous gravel ride right on the outskirts of Anchorage.

Gravel Biking Easy

Distance
17 km
Ascent
448 m
Descent
448 m
Duration
1-2 hrs
Low Point
47 m
High Point
162 m
Gradient
Campbell Tract Gravel Ride Map

The Campbell Tract is conveniently located in Anchorage, making it a popular spot for locals to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and immerse themselves in nature. While this area is more popular in the winter when the boggy, marshy areas freeze solid, in the summer, there are still some well-maintained gravel trails running through the area that provide fantastic gravel biking opportunities. But be warned: if you head off the gravel paths onto the narrow trails, you can expect to run into endless mud and muck.

Description

While a few of the singletrack trails do form logical loop connections, the route shown here avoids the singletrack entirely and sticks to either raised gravel paths, gravel roads, or paved bike paths. This mixed-surface lollipop loop is a great option for stretching the legs without dealing with vehicle traffic.

The marked trailhead is, unfortunately, at the top of the route, but since all of the hills are fairly mellow, the final climb is manageable. From the marked trailhead, the ride descends a mellow dirt road before peeling off onto beautiful gravel paths that wind through the heart of the Campbell Tract. As you pedal through the Campbell Tract, you'll enjoy towering trees and brilliant green undergrowth, and you'll even get to pedal along the banks of a rushing stream in places.

In the midst of the Tract, there are a few splits and optional routes, and if you're looking for more miles, you can wind back and forth, doing a few short loops here. That makes the navigation quite a bit more difficult, and thus this route only shows one path through the heart of the loop.

The westernmost stretch of the loop is connected via a paved bike path. While this does detract from the natural appeal of the ride, the path is thankfully separated from traffic the entire time (aside from some intersections). At the park, the route crosses the main road and resumes the gravel riding to return to the trailhead near Hillside.

To eliminate the pavement, you could simply choose to ride an out-and-back through the Tract to maximize your time in the trees and away from traffic. The choice is yours.

Difficulty

Easy

Remoteness

1 out of 4

Close to help in case of emergency.

Best time to visit

between June and October