Flora and Fauna Nature Walk

Flora and Fauna Nature Walk

This tour is for naturalists and lovers of waterfalls. Barbara Falls is hands-down the best waterfall in the Chugach State Park. Experience incredible diversity among the vegetation in a deep, glacially carved, boreal forest. This is a great way to spend a brief moment in the wild, and have the rest of your day to spend in Anchorage! See "What to Expect" for a detailed itinerary.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Barbara Falls, Ken Logan Circle, Eagle River, Anchorage, AK 99577

This tour is for naturalists and lovers of waterfalls. Barbara Falls is hands-down the best waterfall in the Chugach State Park. Experience the incredible diversity of vegetation in a boreal rainforest. Species like giant spruces, paper birches, and aspens reign from above while alders, willows, and devil’s club dominate the understory. Fruticose, foliose, and crustose lichens can all be seen next to fungi, berries, and mosses. Everything is just waiting to be explored!

We'll start the tour at Barbara Falls, where you’ll feel the spray of glaciated water on your face. After stocking up a store of photos to make your friends jealous, we’ll cross South Fork Eagle River (keep an eye out for salmon!) and make our way to a short 1.5 miles loop. This area is great for spotting moose, small mammals, birds, and maybe even a bear! Speaking of which, all our guides are experienced in the back country and will educate you on animal safety before we set out.

Halfway through our tour we will take a short snack break complete with a delicious sun butter & jelly sandwich and drinks. After that, we will head back toward the trailhead to finish the tour. We will have you back to the city in plenty of time to visit our great local restaurants, or maybe even take a museum or brewery tour!

Experience Requirements:
None, but you should be able to walk at least 3 miles on flat pavement, or 2 miles of uneven rolling terrain over the course of 2 hours. Some parts of trail are steep and hilly, placing additional stress on areas of the body not impacted by level terrain. Not recommended for those with severe cardiac or respiratory issues/illness. May be difficult for those with severe joint issues. If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know and we will accommodate you with a different snack option.


Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes