Hop up to Rabbit Lake
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Date and Time:
Sat, Aug 2, 2025; 10:00 AM
- 3:00 PM
(Alaska)
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08/02/2025 10:00 AM
08/02/2025 3:00 PM
America/Anchorage
Hop up to Rabbit Lake
The route to Rabbit Lake is a long, moderate climb up an old road bed that eventually turns to singletrack. Your reward for the long climb is that the trail ends at a gorgeous alpine lake.
Canyon Rd, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA
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61.07957400,-149.67807100
Andrew Roy
andrewcroy@gmail.com
MM/DD/yyyy
amOUuwqNAzpGSXwtHmnd12740
Organized By: Alaska Chapter
Location: Canyon Rd, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA
Map | Directions
Event Organizers:
Andrew Roy
andrewcroy@gmail.com
(512) 521-6389
Join us on an Saturday hike up to Rabbit Lake. Feel free to bring fly fishing gear but don't forget your ADFG Fishing License! We can provide some instructions to those that are new.
Dogs are welcomed, please bring extra water and snacks for them as well bags to clean up.
Beyond the gate at the upper end of the parking area, this trail begins on the continuation of that dirt road. In fact, almost the entire trail is continuation of Canyon Road as it winds its way up the valley to the lake.
The trail continues up the valley in a long and gradual climb to the top of a high knoll. Near the top of this climb, you’ll pop above the last trees. A few minutes later, standing atop the knoll, you’ll have a wide view of Rabbit Lake, still some 2 miles away. It fills almost the entire upper end of the valley below the rock-walled summits of North Suicide Peak and South Suicide Peak. (Both mountains are popular climbs for experienced scramblers, despite the inhospitable names.)
Drop onto the flats on the far side of this knoll and follow Rabbit Creek up the valley to reach Rabbit Lake. Come prepared for weather changes along these last few miles—it pours through Windy Gap at the head of the valley between the two Suicide peaks and can change very rapidly. Some days you might begin this hike under calm and brilliant sunshine and end it by pushing head-on into a chilly, rain-spitting wind.
No matter what the conditions, the hike usually doesn’t take long. This means that—weather permitting—you’ll have plenty of time to relax on the open rise, looking out over the lake before you and the gurgling outlet of Rabbit Creek just below to the right.
While relaxing, take a moment to digest that you’ve climbed around 1,300 feet from the parking area and now sit some 3,000 feet above sea level. Apart from the one big climb over the knoll, you may not have noticed how consistently you’ve climbed.
If you still have some energy, don’t stop here. Just over the low pass on the far side of Rabbit Creek lies McHugh Creek Trail. This leads you a short way down to McHugh Lake, and then all the way down that valley to the McHugh Creek Picnic Area. In the opposite direction, you’ll find a rough trail leading down the left (north) side of Rabbit Lake to its far end. There, at the base of North Suicide Peak, is a narrow beach—a fine place for a private picnic.
Trail Map
Bring: Sunscreen, Rain gear, Water, Snacks, fishing equipment optional
Carpool: Carpools can be arranged
Note: Carpool transportation is at the sole risk of the participants.