FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Can I drive to the Trailhead myself and hike Flattop for free?
Yes. There is a $5 self-serve parking fee. The address to the trailhead is 13101 Glen Alps Road.
Click here for directions on how to drive to and from Flattop
Click here for a live webcam of the parking lot and the mountain.
2. What are some other ways to get to/from Flattop?
A) Taxi, Uber or Lyft. It will cost as little $36 and as much as $50 to take and Uber or Lyft from downtown to the trailhead. (Flex fares.) So, $72 to $100 roundtrip. A taxi each way is usually about $45 each way or $100 round-trip. The phone number for Alaska cab is 907-222-2222.
B) Bike.
Rent a bike and ride it 16 miles on a bike-friendly route to the trailhead, hike, then bike back. Starting cost to rent a bike is $23 for 3 hours then $4, $3, $2, $1 . . . for subsequent hours. $36 for 24 hours. Click here for more information.
The first 2/3 of the bike ride is flat. Then there is a one-mile-long steep hill climb. After that first hill, it's slightly uphill for the next two miles. However, after that, the last two miles are very steep. After finishing your hike, choose between singletrack mountain bike descent, road, or a combination of the two.
NOTE: An alternative to biking all the way to the trailhead is to hold up a sign at the intersection of Hillside and Upper Huffman that says "FLATTOP" and make a happy face out of the O in TOP and you will immedietaly get a ride from a pickup truck or an SUV with a bike rack on the back (every other vehicle in Anchorage) the last two miles (5 minute vehicle ride vs 20 minute bike/walk ride) to the trailhead. After arriving, lock up your bike, do the hike, return from the hike, unlock the bike then ride it downhill the first 1/3 of the way back into the city then flat (slightly downhill) the rest of the way downtown. We have Sharpie pens and cardboard here at our store so you can make the sign.
C) Electric Bike. Rent an ebike from us for between $45 and $55 and ride it to and from the trailhead. Battery has enough juice to get you there and back. Click here to see E-bike choices.
D) Bus and cab.
Take the People Mover City Bus to south Anchorage for $2 then Uber or Taxi the rest of the way. The number 35 bus is a straight shot from downtown to the Dimond Center. Unless flex fares from high demand are in effect, the fare should be about $30 one way with Rideshare or a cab.