Note: If you are looking for the quickest route to the hand tram you should go to the Crow Creek Rd trailhead. You will need a shuttle or you can hike back the same way you came.  You can do this hike from either the Crow Creek Rd or the Alyeska Hotel side. Either way, you will need a shuttle or you can take the Glacier City transit shuttle bus (free but donations are encouraged – see shuttle schedule below).  

Winner Creek Trail is a popular trail that offers hiking through a forest, using the hand tram, and crossing over many streams and creeks.  This is a fun and relatively easy hike and great for all ages!

For as popular is this trail is, we couldn’t really find a great recommendation online on where to start this trail.  So we just drove to the Alyeska Resort parking lot and hoped we made a good decision!  We walked to the northern side of the resort by the ski resort tram and found the Winner Creek Trailhead sign and began there. 

Now, after doing this hike, I would recommend starting at Alyeska Resort.  This way, you get a great introduction to the hike and you can build your excitement for the hand tram which is near the end of the trail.

We hiked this in the middle of August and found it to be a great time for a visit!  The plants and trees were vivid green and most of the streams and creeks were full of water.  We didn’t see much wildlife beyond some small birds but you can be sure bears and moose visit this area.  Always be prepared for bears and moose!  Always hike in groups and talk loudly.

Off the trail, we found so many different types of mushrooms and even berries.  Some berries aren’t edible but we did find some blueberries and lots of salmon berries and raspberries!

Eventually, we came to a tree that people like to call the “booty tree.”  The booty tree looks like, well, you can see for yourself in the picture bellow.  This was a popular spot for pictures as you could imagine.

The entire hike is located inside the Chugach National Forest which is close to 7 million acres – we loved hiking through the tall spruce and birch trees!

The trail doesn’t gain or lose much in elevation over the 3.5 miles.  My friend and I found it easy to hike and we never really broke a sweat.  Except we did get rained on the entire time!

There were lots of fun (and slippery at times!) boardwalks and planks to walk on.

At about 1.7 miles into the hike you will come to this sign.  Take a left and continue on to the Winner Creek Gorge and hand tram.

Winner Creek Gorge is a beautiful area where greenish creek water meets the granite embankment and short cliffs. 

The Hand Tram

About .2 miles later you will finally arrive at the hand tram!  You can read all about the hand tram and how it came to be on the information plaque.  I think it’s an amazing creation and deserves all the respect from hikers and visitors. 

It’s very easy to operate.  Two people can fit inside the hand tram at a time.  You close the gate behind you and then you pull the rope that goes through the middle of the tram until you reach the other side.  This process is tiring but if you go slow or have helpers pull you across it will be a quick journey.  You will hang about 50 ft. above the creek.

When we got to the hand tram there was already a line forming and everyone just seemed to help each other without really even asking for it.  It was nice to see this unspoken mutual agreement happening because we really needed the help when it was our turn!

The hand tram was definitely a highlight and lots of fun!  After helping some fellow hikers across we found that our arms and back were very sore.  If I was a local, I think I would come here every day and help people cross instead of going to a gym!  It’s a little more tiring than we had originally thought but it was still a fun adventure!

The trail gains in elevation from here but long switchbacks make the hike easy.  Most of the hikers it seemed came for the hand tram and we didn’t see a single hiker until we were at the Lower Winner Creek (Crow Creek Rd) trailhead.  From the hand tram it’s about another mile until the end.

The trail will eventually forks left or go straight.  We went straight on accident and came to the road before the Crow Creek Mine property.  We then hiked up the Crow Creek Rd until the Lower Winner Creek Trailhead parking lot.

Free Shuttle Info

The parking lot features an outhouse (pit style) and ample parking for a dozen vehicles and RVs.  We found an information booth with a free shuttle schedule.  I posted a picture of it here but make sure you check the local schedule before you head out so you can get a ride back to the Alyeska hotel if needed!  The shuttle system is free but they encourage donations so please consider giving one.