Palmer-Moose Creek Trail

The feel

This is an old railroad bed along the Matanuska River between Palmer and Moose Creek. The Alaska Railroad ceased operations along these tracks in the 1960s, and tracks and old railroad cars still dot the trail.

The trail is mostly level. The first half from Palmer passes beneath towering bluffs on the north side of the river, and the second half runs through large stands of cottonwood, birch and spruce, with at times brushy views of the Matanuska River and the Chugach Mountains to the south. Bald eagles occasionally perch on treetops above the trail.

What to expect

Route and terrain

Point to point, 6.1 miles, with about 150 ft of gain, on a gravel railroad bed. A section in the middle is no longer maintained and has heavy erosion, and the trail is permanently closed 1.25 miles north of E. Eagle Avenue and 1.3 miles south of Moose Creek because of washed-out sections and landslides.

Time

About 2.5 hours for the full length, which the closures now cut short.

Parking

Along Eagle Avenue in Palmer, or at the northern trailhead off the Glenn Highway at Moose Creek, where you cross the highway and follow a short trail along the creek.

Dogs

Must be leashed.

Hazards

Landslides and washouts; take care after heavy rain because of the erosive terrain. Signs and barricades mark the end of the maintained trail surface.

Season and access

Open year-round and non-motorized, except at the closures. The trail dead-ends at Moose Creek, 6 miles north of Palmer on the Glenn Highway.

Mingo says

Hold off on a trip after heavy rain, since the terrain erodes. Plan an out and back from one end, because the closures block the full route.

Before you go

• Turn back at the signs and barricades that mark the end of the maintained trail surface.
• Keep your dog on a leash.
• Park on Eagle Avenue in Palmer, or at Moose Creek off the Glenn Highway.

Written October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.