Tony Knowles Coastal Trail short return from Elderberry
Alaska · Rail-trail
take the Coastal Trail south toward Westchester Lagoon. Follow the signed main asphalt path, rather than a stairway, shore access or neighborhood spur. Turn after **one outward mile**, or earlier at a closure, uncomfortable slope, public-road or railway crossing. Retrace to Elderberry and walk back to your parking space. This is a chosen maximum two-mile return, not an official milepost itinerary; parking walking is extra.
Plan your ride
- Location
- Anchorage · Alaska
- Ride length
- Up to 2 miles
- Ride format
- Out-and-back
- Surface
- Asphalt coastal multi-use path
- Road crossings
- Walk from Elderberry’s designated park lot to the Coastal Trail and ride south toward Westchester Lagoon. Turn before a public-road or railway crossing. No northward Ship Creek connection, stairs or tidal flats are included.
- Elevation
- The city GIS rates the main paved corridor for novice multi-use recreation. Walk the steeper park approach and shorten the ride at uncomfortable ramps or slopes.
- Starting location
- 1297 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage, AK
Up to two miles return, using a chosen one-mile outward limit. This is separate from the eleven-mile whole trail; parking walking is extra.
NRT record location; not a verified public trailhead
Tony Knowles Coastal Trail short return from Elderberry — detailed guide
Source review: 2026-10-20. A dated source review does not guarantee current-day conditions.
Anchorage, Alaska · Up to 2 miles out and back · Asphalt · Snow-free season
Try the northern coastal path for a short view of Cook Inlet, keeping the longer Kincaid trip for another day. Anchorage identifies this as a bicycle multi-use trail; its October 2026 GIS classifies the paved main corridor as suitable for novice multi-use recreation.
Start: Elderberry Park, 1297 W 5th Avenue, Anchorage. Use the designated public park lot, then walk your bicycle through the park to the signed Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. The approach can be steeper than the main path. Avoid the playground and museum grounds, and obey current parking time limits. The old master plan's free two-hour terms are historical, not a current tariff guarantee.
Ride: take the Coastal Trail south toward Westchester Lagoon. Follow the signed main asphalt path, rather than a stairway, shore access or neighborhood spur. Turn after one outward mile, or earlier at a closure, uncomfortable slope, public-road or railway crossing. Retrace to Elderberry and walk back to your parking space. This is a chosen maximum two-mile return, not an official milepost itinerary; parking walking is extra.
Use underpasses only when open and dry. Do not enter railway tracks, tidal flats, a street detour or a northward construction connection toward Ship Creek. The whole Coastal Trail's eleven-mile length is not this outing's distance. Bridges, ramps and short rises still require care despite the novice classification; no maximum slope is promised.
Sharing: ride slowly around pedestrians, announce passes and stop for wildlife. The city asks users to slow to 5 mph at tunnels and congested areas and to yield to walkers. Bring water. Ordinary bicycle use does not establish e-bike class permission.
Planning: choose daylight and follow posted park, lot and trail terms. No current Elderberry-specific trail tariff or exact access hours are established here. Restrooms are not guaranteed.
Access reviewed October 20, 2026: city wayfinding information confirms the established trail; no current closure of this selected outing was identified in the bounded review. The bridge-project page describes 2018–2019 work. The ice-status page is dated April 7, 2026 and is not an October clearance. Follow current signs and skip snow, ice or flooding.
Sources: public park access, city bicycle rules, trail GIS, public parking GIS, manager map, wayfinding, historical bridge work, dated winter status.