The Peninsula offers more than 200 maintained miles of trails are your pathways to clear mountain lakes, rushing streams, alpine meadows, and even a glacier or two making hiking and backpacking excursions are popular ventures whether guided or unguided. Many of the trails can be hiked in a couple of hours some require all day to several days ranging from easy to difficult. Listed below are just a few of the trails.

Captain Cook Trail

Hike Summary: Half day hike along a Cook Inlet Beach. Length: 2.5 miles one-way or a 1 mile interpretive hike. Elevation: 100 ft. Best Season: May to October Difficulty: Easy Nearest Reference Point: 35 miles north of Soldotna. Special Feature: Coastal scenery, interpretive trail. Trailhead Location: Drive 35 miles from Soldotna on the Kenai Spur Highway to the recreation area. Hike Details: The Bishop Creek hike starts at the Bishop Creek campground to the highway by the Swanson River. The Yurick Memorial Trail is an interpretive hike that goes around the perimeter of the Discovery campground

Steep elevation in beginning on Carter Creek side, then the trail flattens out. Crescent Trail side is a very gradual elevation gain but longer to the lake.

Hike Summary: Half day to several day hikes. Length: Total: 21.5 Crescent Creek Trail: 6.5 Carter Creek Trail: 5.5 Primitive Trail around south side of lake: 9.5 Elevation: Elevation gain 1500 ft. Best Season: June to September. Difficulty: Moderate Nearest Reference Point: 35 miles north of Seward. Special Feature: Scenery & fishing. Trailhead Location: Drive 7 miles west of the Seward/Sterling Highway "Y" junction and turn south onto the Quartz Creek road. Drive 3.5 mikes past the Crescent Creek Campground to the parking area on the left. Hike Details: Mile 0 Crescent Creek Trailhead. Mile 3.5 Crescent Creek bridge. Mile 6.5 West end Crescent Lake. Junction to Crescent Lake Cabin, .01 mile. Mile 11 Crescent Saddle Cabin. Mile 14.5 East End Crescent Lake. Mile 16 Carter Lake. Mile 18 Carter Lake Trailhead.

Exit Glacier Trail

Walking around the terminus (the bottom of the glacier)-easy.

Hike Summary: Three short trails near the face of Exit Glacier. Length: .5 to 1 mile loop. Elevation: Elevation gain 100 ft. Best Season: May to October Difficulty: Easy Nearest Reference Point: 12 miles northwest of Seward. Special Feature: Exit Glacier. Trailhead Location: Three miles north of Seward on the Seward highway turn onto Exit Glacier road and drive 8 miles to the end of the road and the trailhead. Hike Details: Nature Trail A .75 mile loop Lower loop trail Starts at the upper end of the Nature trail, a .5 mile loop. Upper loop trail Starts at the upper end of the Lower loop trail.

Fuller Lakes Trail

Hike Summary: A half day hike. Length: 2 or 3 miles one-way. Elevation: Elevation gain 1400 ft. Best Season: June through September. Difficulty: Moderate Nearest Reference Point: 38 miles east of Soldotna. Special Feature: Lakes, fishing. Trailhead Location: The trailhead is at mile 57 of the Sterling Highway. Hike Details: Lower Fuller Lake is two miles from the trailhead, 1300 of the 1440 ft elevation gain is taken in the first two miles. It is another mile to Upper Fuller lake. At the top end of Upper Fuller lake, it is possible to traverse the Mystery hills along the ridgeline.

Hidden Creek Trail

Hike Summary: A short day hike to Skilak Lake at Hidden Creek. Length: 1.5 mile one-way. Elevation: Elevation gain 200 ft. Best Season: May to October. Difficulty: Easy Nearest Reference Point: 19 miles east of Soldotna. Special Feature: Lakeshore camping & fishing. Trailhead Location: Go to the Skilak Lake loop road at mile 58 of the Sterling Highway. The trailhead is at mile 4.7. Hike Details: This hike to the lake offers views of the Kenai Mountains, good camping spots and fishing. Most anglers cross Hidden creek to fish the mouth of the Kenai River.

Kenai River Trail

Hike Summary: A variety of hikes on connecting trails along the Kenai River above Skilak Lake. Length: 2 to 6.3 miles. Elevation: 100 to 500 ft. Best Season: May through October. Difficulty: Easy; no elevation gain whatsoever.  Nearest Reference Point: 19 miles east of Soldotna. Special Feature: River hike & fishing. Trailhead Location: Go to the Skilak Lake loop road at mile 58 of the Sterling Highway. The trailhead is at mile .6 & 2.4 Hike Details: These trails offers access to good camping and fishing along the Kenai River.

Hike Summary: A half day hike to a 3 day traverse. Length:2.3 miles to 21.5 Elevation: Elevation gain 550 ft. Best Season: June through September. Difficulty: Moderate Nearest Reference Point: 52.5 mile east of Soldotna. Special Feature: Large mountain lakes & fishing (bears are common). Trailhead Location: The Russian River trailhead is at mile 52.5 of the Sterling Highway at the Russian River campground. Hike Details: Mile 0 Russian River trailhead Mile 1.7 Russian River falls Mile 2.6 Barber Cabin trail & Lower Russian Lake. Mile 3.3 Barber Cabin Mile 9 Aspen Flat Cabin Mile 12 Upper Russian Lake Mile 16 Resurrection River trail. Mile 21.5 Cooper Lake trailhead

Seven Lakes Trail

Hike Summary: a half day hike to 4 low elevation lakes. Length: 4.5 miles one-way Elevation: Elevation gain 200 ft. Best Season: May through October Difficulty: Easy Nearest Reference Point: 68 miles east of Soldotna. Special Feature: Lakes, Fishing & wildlife. Trailhead Location: Kelly lake trailhead is at mile 68 of the Sterling highway. The Engineer Lake trailhead is at mile 9.5 of the Skilak Lake Loop Road. Hike Details: Mile 0 Kelly Lake trailhead Mile 1 East end of Kelly Lake Mile 1.5 Hikers Lake Mile 2 Hidden Lake spur trail Mile 3.5 North end of Engineer Lake Mile 4.5 Engineer Lake Trailhead