Officials at Alaska’s Chugach State Park have closed down the Rodak Loop Trail just north of Anchorage until further notice due to increased grizzly bear activity.
The 500,000 acre park is among the four biggest state parks in the country and is known for regular grizzly bear sightings, including both resident and transient individuals. Grizzly population estimates for Chugach vary but Alaska as a whole is home to about 30,000 grizzlies representing the vast majority of the U.S. grizzly population. Alaska Department of Fish & Game considers the whole of south central Alaska, including Chugach, a stronghold for grizzly bear populations.
The following video shows a grizzly charging a visitor on a viewing platform somewhere along the .8 mile Rodak Loop Trail and is crystal clear evidence why officials have closed it. Read Chugach State Parks statement below:
Closure of the Rodak Loop Trail:
Effective immediately, the Rodak Loop Trail in Chugach State Park is closed until further notice due to increased brown bear activity.
This closure includes:
Salmon Viewing Deck
Beaver Deck
Staff Service Road
The closure is in place to minimize bear–human conflicts and protect both visitors and bears actively feeding on spawning salmon near the viewing decks. Bears have been using the area heavily this season and showing less tolerance for people nearby.
What’s Affected:
Rodak Loop Trail & viewing decks – CLOSED
Albert Loop Trail – remains under seasonal closure
What’s Open:
Iditarod/Crow Pass Trail
Dew Mound Trail
Please respect all closures for your safety and the protection of wildlife. The Rodak Loop Trail will reopen when it is safe, and an official announcement will be made at that time.
About Chugach State Park
Chugach State Park is located in Southcentral Alaska mostly within the Municipality of Anchorage. The park contains approximately 495,000 acres of land and is one of the four largest state parks in the United States. Southcentral Alaska is an area of diverse land forms and rugged topography, bounded on the north and west by the Alaska Range, and on the east by the Chugach and Wrangell Mountains and Prince William Sound.
The region contains extensive ocean shoreline, abundant lakes, massive glaciers and ice fields. The park’s westernmost boundary lies in the western foothills of the Chugach Mountain Range and is a mere seven miles to the east of downtown Anchorage. The park is further defined by the Knik Arm on the north, Turnagain Arm on the south, and Upper and Lower Lake George and Chugach National Forest on the east. Within minutes of the park are the communities of Palmer, Eagle River, Chugiak, Indian, Bird, Girdwood, the village of Eklutna, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
