TONY KNOWLES COASTAL TRAIL

One of the most beautiful bike trails in the world and the reason why our rental shop exists.  The trail is 11 miles long and in 2014, completely re-paved.  From DBR, right on E, left on 2nd. At Elderberry Park, slow downhill with concrete barriers into tunnel under railroad tracks. One mile to second tunnel and Westchester Lagoon. This is mile-marker zero. Right at the fork. Wooden bridge over marsh. Third tunnel. Ocean on right rest of way. Climb hill into Earthquake Park. At top of hill, jets take off and land over your head. SLOW– 3 sharp turns. Many moose and other wildlife in woods. Between mile-marker 8 and 9 there is a steep hill to climb.  (Some people turn around at the bottom of it.)  At top of hill the trail ends and Raspberry Road begins.  This is also the heart of Kincaid Park.  If you rented a mountain bike this is where you would use it.  (Hybrid bikes and road bike must stay on pavement.)  Return downtown by retracing on Coastal Trail or via Alternate Return Route.

Click here for the city's bike map.

MOUNTAIN BIKE IN KINCAID PARK

Before choosing which route to take back downtown, if you have a mountain bike, you can go off-road in Kincaid Park. Formerly a Nike missile air defense site, Kincaid is now a 1,500 acre wooded park with more than 40 miles of rolling trails about 25 miles of which are singletrack.  Trails range from beginner to advanced.  Here's a map. 

NOTE: It is important to decide downtown when you're selecting a rental bike whether or not you want to go off-road in KIncaid Park.  We are all for mountain biking but only if you've rented a mountain bike.  When you sign the rental contract, if you rent a hybrid bike or road bike you agree to ride it only on pavement.  Renters that breach this agreement are responsible for the wheels that are destroyed from off-road use.    

RIDE BUS WITH YOUR BIKE TO SOUTH-WEST ANCHORAGE THEN CYCLE COASTAL TRAIL ONE-WAY BACK TO DOWNTOWN.

Wide novice Kincaid trail

If you want to preserve your energy for the mountain bike trails, you can cut the riding distance to Kincaid Park in half by taking the number 40 People Mover bus from the Downtown Transit Center (6th & G) for $2 to Spenard Road and Wisconsin Street.  On weekdays this bus runs every 15 minutes.  Here's the Number 40 Route Map and here's its Schedule.  From there it is about a five mile bike ride to Kincaid Park.  On weekends the number 40 bus leaves downtown every half hour.  However, so too does the Number 35.   Here is its Schedule.  It is a more direct route from downtown so if the Number 35 comes before the Number 40, just get on whichever bus comes first.  If it is the Number 35, get off at Arctic and Raspberry and ride west on Raspberry about four miles into Kincaid Park.   Taking the bus halfway to Kincaid Park is also an option for people who want to ride the entire 11-mile Coastal Trail but doubt they can do the 22-miles round-trip.

Narrow intermediate trail

Attributes & Drawbacks of ALTERNATE RETURN ROUTE OPTOIN

Attributes: Three miles longer than retracing on Coastal Trail. Nice new 3-mile paved bike path in woods buffered from park access road. This route offers places to eat including a Tastee Freeze (Jewell Lk & Raspberry).  On long summer evenings, the outdoor deck of the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel's Fancy Moose Restaurant on the east end of Lake Spenard is a great place to catch your breath and a bite to eat while watching the sun traverse across the western sky.  Next bike around world’s largest seaplane base. Alaska Aviation Museum is on southwest corner of Lake Hood.

Drawbacks: Three miles longer than retracing on Coastal Trail.  (Good/Bad often depends on perspective.) Ride on bike trails buffered from roads. One big, busy intersection. MUST carefully read and follow map and directions or you will get lost and/or caught up in midtown traffic.

Discussion/Decide

ALTERNATE RETURN ROUTE DIRECTIONS:

Directions provided at the bike rental.

Float planes lined up on Lake Hood

CONSIDER VISITING SAGAYA'S CITY MARKET Sagaya’s is an upscale neighborhood supermarket similar to Wholefoods.  It has healthy buffet-style, reasonably-priced food. It has Chinese food, sushi, an espresso bar, and a bakery. On sunny days, it's nice to eat outside on the west-facing patio.