Isberg Recreation Area Trails
Ester
Today
Getting there
- Season
- May-Sep
- Drive from Anchorage
- Full day, 6h52 to Ester
- Drive from Fairbanks
- 18 min to Ester
- Distance
- ~2.5 mi West Side Loop plus connecting upland and lowland trails
- Surface
- doubletrack and gravel
- Difficulty
- Beginner
What it is like
The Isberg Recreation Area Trails are a neighborhood system southwest of downtown Fairbanks, maintained largely by volunteer residents. The West Side Loop is about 2.5 miles, joined by flat lowland loops and steeper upland singletrack. It is a quieter alternative to Ester Dome, and the beginner riding runs May through September. In winter the neighborhood grooms the trails for skiing.
The recreation area is about 3.4 miles from Ester. Rosie Creek Uplands Trail, 0.5 miles away, is a 6.5 mile loop through birch and spruce hills, popular for birding, cross-country skiing and hiking. Malemute Saloon is a historic saloon at Ester Gold Camp with food trucks and live music Thursday through Sunday all summer.
A neighborhood recreation area southwest of downtown with a mix of flat lowland loops and steeper upland singletrack, maintained largely by volunteer residents. A quieter, less-built alternative to Ester Dome, reachable from the Oboe Court trailhead.