Resurrection Pass Trailhead

The Resurrection Pass trailhead, elevation 500 feet, is 4 miles from Hope Road. The trail begins by crossing the creek on a bridge. One of the most popular trails in the Chugach National Forest, it offers a combination of outstanding wildlife, and a string of eight public use cabins along the route. This route was traveled in the late 1890s by gold seekers coming from Resurrection Bay to the gold fields near Hope. Today it is a designated national Recreation Trail.

Cabins must be reserved ahead of time and cost varies depending on the time of year and demand for the cabin. Use of the cabin is limited to three nights May 1 through September 30 and 7 days the rest of the year. Make reservations with a US Forest Service Office or go to their website to reserve online. Boats and oars are furnished at some cabins, usually on lakes. Boat users must provide a U.S. Coast Guard approved flotation device for each passenger aboard the boat. Most cabins bunk six and have wood stoves. If you plan to stay at Devil's Pass cabin, bring a small campstove. It has an oil heater but this cabin is above timberline and no wood is available for cooking. Downed wood may be scarce at other cabins too.

You can choose to hike the entire main trail to mile 53.1 of the Sterling Highway, near Cooper Landing, a distance of about 38 miles, or you can hike 20 miles to Devils Pass trail and continue 10 miles to the Seward Highway at Mile 39.5. Summit Creek Trail also takes off about here. Finding Summit Creek Trail from Resurrection Pass Trail can be difficult. The trail head is at Mile 43.9 of the Seward Highway. Hidden behind the trees is a parking area and at the south end, a trailhead bulletin board (elevation 1,350). There is no sign for the trail on the highway.

Although some hikers push through in three days or less, families should plan on at least 5 days. Most people walk about eight miles a day and stay in four of the cabins. It isn't necessary to use a cabin. You can make camp outdoors in existing campsites or use one of several improved sites on the south half of the trail. The first Forest Service cabin is at Caribou Creek, about seven miles from the hope area trailhead. Fox Creek cabin, a 12x14 foot cabin, is about 12 miles from the Resurrection Pass trailhead.

Please note: the entire drainage of Fox and Abernaty creek are open to recreational gold panning.

East Creek cabin is next at Mile 14.4 of the trail. Resurrection Pass, elevation 2,600 feet, is 19.3 miles from the starting point. The Devils' Pass cabin at Mile 21.4 is at 2,400 feet.

The Swan Lake cabin at Mile 25......3 is on the trail be West Swan Lake cabin is not. Both are accessible by float plane - 15 minutes form Cooper Landing, 20 minutes from Moose pass. Swan Lake has red salmon in June, rainbow trout and lake trout.

Trout fishing is also a possibility at Juneau Lake (two cabins one at Mile 29.1 and another, Ramie , at 29.59) and at Trout Lake, Mile 31.79. Float planes may land and take off here, too.

Don't miss Juneau Falls at Mile 34.1, 300 off the main trail. These beautiful falls are just four miles from the south trailhead off the Sterling Highway and provide a pleasant destination for a day hike from that end.

Best time of the year for hiking is from June through September. Motorized vehicles are permitted from December through February 15. Snow machiners, cross-country skiers and dog mushers use the trail in the winter. Storms can produce white out conditions and obliterate the trail, especially near the pass.