Alaska Backpacking Without the Float Plane
Most serious Alaska backcountry trips involve a float plane, a bush pilot, and a budget above $2,000 per person. The Resurrection Pass Trail is the exception: 38 miles of established, well-maintained trail from the historic gold rush town of Hope to the fishing village of Cooper Landing on the Kenai River, with six reservation-only backcountry cabins available through recreation.gov and tent sites throughout.
The trail follows the route of the original Resurrection Creek gold mining ditch (1890s) through the Chugach National Forest, crossing the Resurrection Pass at 2,600 feet through open alpine tundra before descending into the Juneau Lake basin. Moose are virtually guaranteed; grizzly bears are present (food storage required at all sites).
Trip Overview
- Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
- Total distance: 38 miles one-way (requires shuttle)
- Direction: Hope → Cooper Landing (most common — downhill trend)
- Difficulty: Moderate — no technical sections, well-maintained trail, 2,600 ft high point
- Start: Hope, AK (87 miles from Anchorage via Turnagain Arm)
- End: Cooper Landing, AK (100 miles from Anchorage via Seward Highway)
- Cabins: 6 USFS backcountry cabins on trail, $45–65/night, reservable at recreation.gov up to 6 months out
- Permit: No permit required for tent camping; cabin reservations recommended
- Best months: June–September (July–August for salmon runs in Resurrection Creek)
Day 1 — Hope to Caribou Creek Cabin (8 miles)
The trailhead sits above the town of Hope at the end of Resurrection Creek Road — a historic mining town with a café, small store, and a good breakfast spot (The Discovery Café). The first miles climb through birch and spruce forest alongside Resurrection Creek, which in late July and August runs silver with sockeye salmon pushing upstream. Bears fishing the shallows here are a regular early-morning sighting; make noise and don't surprise them.
The trail gains elevation steadily through spruce forest to Caribou Creek Cabin (Mile 8, 1,500 ft elevation) — a classic 8-bunk USFS cabin with a wood stove, bunk beds, outhouse, and creek water nearby. If you booked the cabin, you'll have the shelter regardless of weather. Tent campers have designated sites 100 yards from the cabin.
Day 2 — Caribou Creek to Fox Creek Cabin or Summit Lake (9 miles)
The trail climbs out of the forest into open subalpine terrain. By Mile 12 you're in tundra — low willow and blueberry above the tree line with expansive views of the Kenai Mountains. The Resurrection Pass summit (2,600 ft) at Mile 16 is the high point: a broad alpine saddle with 360-degree views. This is prime moose country; the boggy meadows on either side of the pass hold animals most mornings.
Descend to Fox Creek Cabin (Mile 17) or continue to Summit Lake Cabin (Mile 19). Summit Lake is the most scenic cabin on the trail — a teal alpine lake at 1,900 feet with the Kenai Mountains reflecting in the still water at dawn.
AllTrails: 4.8★ (1,247 reviews) — search "Resurrection Pass Trail"
r/alaska▲ 2.1k upvotes"Resurrection Pass is the best established backpacking trail in Alaska accessible by car. No bushwhacking, cabins available, and the wildlife is legitimately world-class."
Days 3–4 — Summit Lake to Juneau Lake Basin (10 miles)
The trail descends through more varied terrain into the Juneau Lake Basin — a network of alpine lakes at 1,500–1,700 feet connected by short portage trails. Juneau Lake Cabin and Romig Cabin both sit on lake shores with views of the surrounding mountains and excellent rainbow trout fishing. Otters frequently patrol the lake outlets in the evenings.
Day 4 is the quietest miles of the trail — fewer hikers reach this deep into the system, and the lake basin provides an excellent wildlife watching base. Bring binoculars.
Day 5 — Juneau Lake to Cooper Landing (11 miles)
The final day descends continuously on a well-graded trail to the Kenai River at Cooper Landing. The Kenai River here is one of the most famous sport fishing rivers in the world — when the king salmon run (June–July), combat fishing at the Kenai River confluence is a spectacle in itself. Cooper Landing has a small store and the Gwin's Lodge restaurant for the post-hike meal.
Gear Notes
- Bear canister or hard-sided container — grizzly bears are present throughout; required at all trail campsites
- Bear spray — carry accessible on hip; not optional in Alaska
- Rain gear — Kenai Peninsula averages significant summer precipitation
- Bug protection — July mosquito density can be intense; head net and DEET required
- Rubber boots or waterproof footwear — multiple creek crossings, wet tundra sections
