+ 35
Campbell Tract Gravel Ride
Gravel Riding Trail
Moderate
10.43 mi
654 ft
A gorgeous gravel ride right on the outskirts of Anchorage.
The Campbell Tract is conveniently located in Anchorage, making it a popular spot for locals to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and immerse themselves in nature. While this area is more popular in the winter when the boggy, marshy areas freeze solid, in the summer, there are still some well-maintained gravel trails running through the area that provide fantastic gravel biking opportunities. But be warned: if you head off the gravel paths onto the narrow trails, you can expect to run into endless mud and muck.
While a few of the singletrack trails do form logical loop connections, the route shown here avoids the singletrack entirely and sticks to either raised gravel paths, gravel roads, or paved bike paths. This mixed-surface lollipop loop is a great option for stretching the legs without dealing with vehicle traffic.
The marked trailhead is, unfortunately, at the top of the route, but since all of the hills are fairly mellow, the final climb is manageable. From the marked trailhead, the ride descends a mellow dirt road before peeling off onto beautiful gravel paths that wind through the heart of the Campbell Tract. As you pedal through the Campbell Tract, you'll enjoy towering trees and brilliant green undergrowth, and you'll even get to pedal along the banks of a rushing stream in places.
In the midst of the Tract, there are a few splits and optional routes, and if you're looking for more miles, you can wind back and forth, doing a few short loops here. That makes the navigation quite a bit more difficult, and thus this route only shows one path through the heart of the loop.
The westernmost stretch of the loop is connected via a paved bike path. While this does detract from the natural appeal of the ride, the path is thankfully separated from traffic the entire time (aside from some intersections). At the park, the route crosses the main road and resumes the gravel riding to return to the trailhead near Hillside.
To eliminate the pavement, you could simply choose to ride an out-and-back through the Tract to maximize your time in the trees and away from traffic. The choice is yours. Written by Greg Heil
The Campbell Tract is conveniently located in Anchorage, making it a popular spot for locals to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and immerse themselves in nature. While this area is more popular in the winter when the boggy, marshy areas freeze solid, in the summer, there are still some well-maintained gravel trails running through the area that provide fantastic gravel biking opportunities. But be warned: if you head off the gravel paths onto the narrow trails, you can expect to run into endless mud and muck.
While a few of the singletrack trails do form logical loop connections, the route shown here avoids the singletrack entirely and sticks to either raised gravel paths, gravel roads, or paved bike paths. This mixed-surface lollipop loop is a great option for stretching the legs without dealing with vehicle traffic.
The marked trailhead is, unfortunately, at the top of the route, but since all of the hills are fairly mellow, the final climb is manageable. From the marked trailhead, the ride descends a mellow dirt road before peeling off onto beautiful gravel paths that wind through the heart of the Campbell Tract. As you pedal through the Campbell Tract, you'll enjoy towering trees and brilliant green undergrowth, and you'll even get to pedal along the banks of a rushing stream in places.
In the midst of the Tract, there are a few splits and optional routes, and if you're looking for more miles, you can wind back and forth, doing a few short loops here. That makes the navigation quite a bit more difficult, and thus this route only shows one path through the heart of the loop.
The westernmost stretch of the loop is connected via a paved bike path. While this does detract from the natural appeal of the ride, the path is thankfully separated from traffic the entire time (aside from some intersections). At the park, the route crosses the main road and resumes the gravel riding to return to the trailhead near Hillside.
To eliminate the pavement, you could simply choose to ride an out-and-back through the Tract to maximize your time in the trees and away from traffic. The choice is yours. Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homestead Trail - down | 0.96 mi | -135 ft | -2.5% |
| Homestead Down - Just the Hill - 😝 | 0.36 mi | -118 ft | -6.1% |
| Tour to King Northbound | 1.50 mi | -75 ft | -0.7% |
| Path > Road over the bridges | 0.58 mi | 20 ft | 0.5% |
| Dowling to Lore | 1.05 mi | 39 ft | 0.6% |
| Owl box to Tour trail | 0.35 mi | -26 ft | -0.6% |
| Frosty TOA to Hilltop | 2.02 mi | 285 ft | 2.7% |
| TOA Bridge to Speedway | 0.31 mi | 108 ft | 6.4% |
| TOA Service Hill | 0.91 mi | 154 ft | 2.9% |
| Frosty Selection Committee | 1.27 mi | 167 ft | 2.5% |
| Abbott Multiuse Up | 0.75 mi | 102 ft | 2.4% |