Downtown Bicycle RENTAL, Sales and Repair

November/Winter Hours: Open: 10 am - Close: 6 pm. Open Every Day

Downtown Bicycle Rental, Inc.



Rentals/Sales/Repair

Winter Hours: 11 am - 6 pm.

333 W. 4th Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501

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Summer Hours: 8 am - 11 pm.

Tony Knowles Coastal Trail

TONY KNOWLES COASTAL TRAIL

The best way to experience the Coastal Trail is on a bicycle.  Seasoned cyclists that rent bikes from us frequently say this trail is one of the world's best.  It is a two lane, two-way paved trail and 11 miles long.  At a liesurly pace it takes 2.5 hours round-trip to bike it and about 3 hours if you come back on the Alternate Return Route.
 
The Coastal Trail starts in downtown Anchorage on 2nd Avenue just 5 blocks from our store.  Downtown Bicycle Rental has the cloesest and safest access to the start of the trail.  The trail parallels an arm of Cook Inlet (Knik Arm) through Earthquake Park around the airport to Kincaid Park.  About one mile from its start the trail intersects the Lanie Fleisher Chester Creek greenbelt bike path at Westchester Lagoon.  After taking a right here there is a tunnel under the railroad tracks and the ocean is on your right the rest of the way.  There is no way to get lost.  No guide is needed.  Bike the trail at your own pace whenever you want.

People that rent bikes from us for just $20 (3 hours) have told us they saw more wildlife on the Coastal Trail than they did spending thousands in Denali.  Moose encounters are most likely between Point Woronzof (mile marker 5.5) and Kincaid Park where the trail ends.  Moose are concentrated in this area because it is in the woods in-between the airport's fenced runways and the ocean. You might also see bald eagle, owl, porcupine, or black bear.  In August beluga whales can be spotted.
 
Cook Inlet has the third highest tidal change in the world reaching up to 46.9 feet.  When the tide retreats mud flats appear; they have a unique texture especially at dusk and are most pronounced at Fish Creek (about mile marker 2.5) where rivulets cut meandering 10 foot deep canyons through the mud.  Birdwatchers flock (ha, ha) to this area to spot Sandhill Cranes.   

On sunny days the trail is very popular and even crowded closer to town especially between 5 and 7 after people get off from work.  There are mile markers with locater numbers every half mile.  Also, there are "Fix-It Stations" with hex keys, tire irons and air pump at Westchester Lagoon, Earthquake Park, and Kincaid Park.  The Coastal Trail is used year round by runners, cyclists, and cross country skiers.

Wildlife on the Coastal Trail







Moose and cyclists at mile 7.
No guide is needed to cycle the Coastal Trail.  Keep the ocean on your right on the way out, and on your left on the way back.  However, for the return you have the option of doing the "Alternate Return Route" (ARR) and riding around the world's largest seaplane base.  On the ARR there is also the option of punctuating your ride with a meal.

Here is a link to the Anchorage Bike Map.
 
Between Earthquake Park and Lynn Arey Park. 


Chester Creek Trail near intersection of Coastal Trail.


Lynn Ary Park access to Coastal Trail. 

 

FAQ: Who is Tony Knowles?  Tony Knowles was Anchorage mayor fronm 1982 - 1987 and pushed for construction of the tail along Cook Inlet during his two terms.  A democrat, he later served as Alaska's governor for two terms from 1994 - 2002.  In 2004 he challenged Lisa Murkowski for the United States senate but lost.  Two years later he ran for governor again against you know who and lost.
 
Bike trail in Anchorage

Inbound Coastal Trail rider near Earthquake Park.


 

Anchorage airport is world's 3rd busiest for air cargo.  Five miles out on the Coastal Trail watch a parade of aircraft (frequently 747s) take off and land.

TESTIMONIALS

 
Evening is a great time to ride

Outbound Coastal Trail rider.

Yield to aircraft when riding around seaplane base on Alternate Return Route.

 

Alternate Return Route

Alternate Return Route.

There are attributes and drawbacks to the inland route.  It is three miles longer than retracing on the Coastal Trail which could be good or bad depending on your point of view.  There is a very pleasant 1.5 mile paved bike path in woods through Kincaid then it is about 1.5 miles on a bike path buffered from the road to the intersection of Jewell Lake and Raspberry where on warm days it's nice to stop for an ice cream or lunch at the Tastee Freeze.  Left on Jewell Lake, cross International Airport Road. Next up is the world largest seaplane base but first perhaps eat on the deck of the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel. If you're riding during the day, perhaps visit the Alaska Aviation Museum which is open from 10 am to 5 pm.  After riding around the seaplane base the ARR reconnects with the Coastal Trail at Earthquake Park.

 
Lakefront Anchorage Hotel deck is on the Alternate Return Route.

Deck faces Lake Spenard Float Plane base.
A nice place to punctuate your ride with a meal on long summer evenings 


Coastal Trail at Fish Creek 2.5 miles from start.
At the end of the Coastal Trail is Kincaid Park which has many miles of singletrack trails. Click here for a map of Kincaid's singletrack trails.

Another website with a slideshow of photos every half mile of the trail is "Trails of Anchorage."  The site also has a photo slideshow of Anchorage's other three greenbelt bike trails.