It is a 15-mile, 30 minute drive from downtown Anchorage to the Flattop "Glen Alps" trailhead in Chugach State Park.
To get to Flattop, drive south on either the Seward Hwy or Minnesota Drive through mid-town to O'Malley Road. Drive east on O'Malley about 4 miles toward the mountains. Just before O'Malley ends (curves to the left) take a right onto Hillside Drive. Left on Upper Huffman. Right on Toilsome.
About two miles later take a left into the parking lot and pay the $5 fee. On sunny summer evenings and on weekends the parking lot is often full.
Do not park on the road below the lot or you will risk a $200 parking ticket. Instead, park 1/2 mile down the road below the curve where there is a wide shoulder and no "No Parking" signs.
On the way back to town, there is another more scenic route that takes you through the university. At the intersection of O'Malley and Hillside, instead of taking a left (the way you drove up) take a right. O'Malley curves to the left and becomes Hillside again. After passing a high school on your right, take a right on Elmore Road. Elmore is a new road that parallels the western end of Far North Bicentennial Park.
At the intersection of
Elmore & Tudor, stay on
Elmore and cross
Tudor. This is the beginning of the university area. Left on
Providence Drive. Stay on Providence. After crossing
UAA Drive and
Lake Otis Blvd, Providence Drive becomes
36th Avenue. 36th Avenue intersects the Seward Hwy.
Now you're back in mid-town. If you end up driving downtown and/or want a cool Flattop Mountain t-shirt to remember your hike, stop by the Downtown Bicycle Rental on 4th Avenue between C & D.
Click here to see the shirt.
Most people who enjoy hiking also enjoy biking. Rent a bicycle from
Downtown Bicycle Rental and bike the Coastal Trail!