This trail does get easier the farther up it you go. I give it a fairly high technical rating due mainly to some rough/rocky sections, sections with lots of roots, some sections with both, that and 1800 ft of climbing in 6 miles is not really a beginner type ride.
Immediately upon starting up the trail take a right and follow this route for the first mile, the two join back up at that point. Shortly after that you come to another Y dividing the summer & winter routes, stay left. The trail climbs steadily through densely forested canyons hugging hillsides and crossing a couple small streams. At 2 miles and about 1000 ft you will have just about reached treeline and the forest gives way to thick alder, tall grass and raspberry bushes. The first 3 miles are definitely the roughest and the trail flattens out and gets considerably smoother at 3.5 miles, here there is a Y and the upper end of the 'winter route', stay left. The thick alder have given way to classic tundra and a few scattered stands of spruce trees here & there. Although still a healthy climb the smoother trail conditions make the next 2.5 miles to the summit go much easier, make sure to look over your shoulder now & then at the views of the Kenai Range to the W, Resurrection Bay and Seward to the S and the many glaciers of the Harding Icefield to the E. The sound of a hundred waterfalls in the distance has been your soundtrack for the last few miles. At 6 miles you reach the summit of the trail and can see Lost Lake sitting in a mountain bowl another mile down the trail and a couple hundred ft lower.
The trip back down the mountain can of course be a blast, although the roughness on the lower half can really work out any suspension.
*** This is bear country! Please ride with a group and make noise or use a 'bear bell', most bears will avoid human confrontation as long as they hear you coming.***
Beautiful in/out trail. Going in is all uphill which offers a fantastic chance to work on cardio. Outstanding views along the way and toward the top. Still has snow so didn't actually make it to the lake. Good as leaves me something to look forward to next time. Take time at the top to relax and enjoy the beauty. Ride down is quite fast. If you enjoy a work out definitely recommend this trail.
| ThankMatt Hunter's take on the trail nails it:
| Thankhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHebsE-eE04
4 stars because of the lack of flow, unless you consider 6 miles up and 1 mile down flow and then 1 mile up and 6 miles down. Definitely 5 star scenery. Loved starting at the bottom in the mossy trees, then the blueberry brush and finally tundra and the lake. Trails is definitely laid out by hikers but the trail surface is conducive to biking. Worth it if you're in the area. Seward bike shop has decent rentals for a good price and let us return them after hours.
| ThankI am still new to the mountain bike world, I really have only ridden a dozen trails, but this is the best one I have ridden so far. It is a tough climb in the begginning but just as mentioned in Dans comments it is easier as you get higher, I would say about 3.5-4miles up it starts to really lighten up and level out. I rode the trail in early June and there was still a good amount snow about 5 miles up. The ride down was so much fun really got into the flow, so much in fact I didnt realize how fast I was going and bunny hoped right off the side of the trail and slid about 20 feet down the hill side. I will be returning. I included a picture of a cabin I stayed at right by the trail head called Lost Lake Lodge, really cool little cabin I reccommend staying their, it is right next to the Lost Lake Trail Head. Make sure you visit Ron in the bike shop. Coolest bike shop I have ever seen, it is inside an old train car, Ron is super nice and knowledgable and actually ran into him on the lost lake trail twice.
| ThankGreat trail. Steep on the way up, but once you reach the peak its all down hill from there. The views are crazy and i'm so glad i took the trip out there.
| ThankI will be in Alaska for the summer, but am not from the area originally. Are there any bike rentals or shops you would recommend to get a hold of a rig while I am there? This trail looks like a must.
| ThankIf Lost Lake isn't an epic ride, I'm not sure what is. The scenery includes everything from temperate rain forest to glaciers to meadows chock full of wildflowers mid-summer (think Sound of Music). It's mind-blowing.
The upper portion of this trail is home to some of the flowiest single track I've ever ridden and the many obstacles along the way are scattered enough that you can easily recover between challenging stretches.
I used to work in Seward during the summer months while going to school and this trail never disappointed me one bit. While there might be better rides in AK (not sure), I haven't ridden one trail in the lower 48 that even comes close.
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