Carter and Crescent Lake hike
View Photos
Carter and Crescent Lake hike
Difficulty Rating:
The hike on the Carter and Crescent Lake Trail is a beautiful route in Alaska, Kenai Peninsula. This hike takes you to the beautiful Crescent Lake through the family-friendly trail along Carter Lake. The tranquility of this place is truly magical and the views of beautiful mountains, expansive meadows and sea of flowers are guaranteed!
Getting there
Take the Seward Highway (AK-1) from Anchorage towards south and go around 90.0mi, then continue straight to State Highway 9 (Seward). After 4.5mi you will see the sign ‘Carter Lake Trail’ on your right. Take this turn and park your car there.
About
| When to do | June - October |
| Pets allowed | Yes |
| Family friendly | Yes |
| Route Signage | Average |
| Crowd Levels | Moderate |
| Route Type | Out and back |
Carter and Crescent Lake
Elevation Graph
Weather
Route Description for Carter and Crescent Lake
The beautiful hike to Carter and Crescent Lake is on the easier side compared to other hikes near Anchorage. It’s still a brilliant hike with incredible views.
To make your day-hike to Crescent and Carter Lakes 100% enjoyable, you must be aware of a couple of things. Firstly, some parts of the trail can get a bit slick after rainy days, so we advise wearing good waterproof footwear to keep your feet dry and avoid slipping. Secondly, in August, some parts of the trail get overgrown. The path is still quite easy to see, but we advise covering your legs to avoid cow parsnip rash!
The Carter and Crescent Lake Trail starts at Carter Lake Trailhead Parking. The hardest part of the hike will start straight away and the path through the forest will soon get steeper and start switchbacking through the wildflowers and berry bushes. Don’t let it scare you as the hike won’t get any harder than this.
Soon you will emerge from the forest and the trail will even out. The path will become quite mellow and you will be able to enjoy the expansive views of the meadows and surrounding white mountain peaks as you approach the beautiful Carter Lake.
Lots of hikers turn around after visiting Crater Lake as the Crater Lake Trail ends here, but we strongly suggest continuing on to visit the beautiful Crescent Lake, which is really close.
Continue on the path along Carter Lake’s western side and you will shortly start approaching Crescent Lake through a pleasant trail along the drainage divide. There will be several small paths leading to the hilly area with a beautiful overlook of the northeast side of the lake.
Approaching Crescent Lake the atmosphere there is truly magical! After having a picnic near the lake, make your way back by taking the same path you came.
Find other amazing hikes around Anchorage:
Insider Hints
Take your fishing rod and tent with you as there are several nice spots near the lake to camp and fish
Visit Moose Pass – a beautiful community nearby where you can get nice cup of coffee and enjoy beautiful views of Trail Lake
If you can, hike this trail in spring to enjoy the sea of flowers
Similar hikes to the Carter and Crescent Lake hike
Flattop Mountain
The Flattop Mountain trail is a great day-hike near Anchorage. Short, but steep this trail takes you to the top…
Byron Glacier Trail
The Byron Glacier Trail is a great hike located near Anchorage. This hike is an easy, fun, fully accessible family-friendly…
Portage Pass and Lake
The Portage Pass Trail near Whittier is a stunning moderate hike that goes over Portage Pass and leads to Portage…
Suzy TQ 4 years ago
This just became our new favorite trail. Foliage is thick and beautiful. Lake was very cool.
Athena H. 5 years ago
Gorgeous field along the way to the pristine lake. Highly recommended!
Sally Nguyen 5 years ago
Serenity at its finest! The most peaceful hike I've done in my life.
Abode SC 5 years ago
Very cool trail. Great views along the way.
Red Otter 5 years ago
Epic hike! It was fairly easy yet so magical. We're looking forward to our next trip here. Next time we'll bring our fishing poles.
Petre H. 5 years ago
One of our favorite hikes in the park. Great views. Well-maintained trails and great weather.
sushilover77 5 years ago
Ethereal place. Never seen anything like it before. The meadows,mountains and lakes are in perfect harmony.
Wildmind 5 years ago
This trail has absolutely stunning views! Honestly, I enjoyed it a lot.
Grimes W. 6 years ago
This hike is considerable and does not require too much effort. My kids enjoyed it a lot.