Twentymile River Trail Design (INHT)
ECI Architects/USFS
Design & Consulting, 2025
In 2024-2025, IT partnered with our friends, and long-time collaborators at ECI Architects, to provide the US Forest Service a Preliminary Alignment Report for the last unsolved challenge of the Iditarod National Historic Trail route connecting Turnagain Arm via the Rosehip Creek Bridge to Berry Pass & Girdwood. Our work included aerial helicopter reconnaissance, ground-based terrain analysis, map work and analysis, and the trail design narrative.
Meals Hill Masterplan & Phase 2 Design
Huddle AK/City of Valdez
Design & Consulting, 2020-2025
From 2019 through 2022, IT worked with an interdisciplinary design team, including long-time collaborators, Huddle AK and ECI Architects, to create a Masterplan for the newly acquired Meals Hill property in downtown Valdez, AK. Phase 2 Design began soon after, during which IT provided comprehensive design & consulting-- including corridor flag-lines, technical drawings, and construction narratives for the highest priority trails on the hill.
Alaska Long Trail- Hatcher Pass to Talkeetna,
Alaska Trails
Design & Consulting, 2025-2026
As part of Alaska Trails' planning effort for the Alaska Long Trail, IT has been contracted to provide route planning, design, and consulting for this exciting 90+ mile section. Stay tuned!
Crow Pass Trail
Chugach State Park
Design-Build, 2024-2026
Interior Trails completed the design phase of this 3 year project in 2024, which included an assessment & prescription report for the 15 miles of the Crow Pass Trail inside Chugach State Park. The needed improvements were split into 18 distinct projects, with ROM costing, and a priority ranking. Alaska State Parks selected 2-3 projects that fit their goals, budget, and timeline to be completed by our crew by the end of 2026. We started with a one mile reroute between Echo Bend and the Perch. The existing thickly forested trail was actively being lost to the river during high water events, and the new alignment traverses the hillside at a higher elevation, providing spectacular views up and down stream in one of the most iconic & scenic valleys in South Central Alaska.
Below are photos from the assessment phase on the existing trail, and some images from locations on reroutes.
Below are photos from the assessment phase on the existing trail, and some images from locations on reroutes.
Lost Lake Trail
Municipality of Skagway
Design, 2020
Just before winter set in for the season, Interior Trails designed & laid out a new 2.5 mile sustainable hiking trail outside of Dyea, in the remote West Creek Valley, from the Jay Frey Bridge to locally-popular Lost Lake.
Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area Design Masterplan
ECI Architects/USFS
Design-Consulting, 2019-2021
Interior Trails is proud to be the trail design firm on the multi-disciplinary MGRA design team. Headed by architects from ECI, our team is comprised of landscape architects at Walker-Macy, as well as staff from Huddle AK, AWL Engineers, and others. The recent MGRA Masterplan prioritized new and improved trails, and IT has been doing conceptual designs, map work, and, of course, lots of field reconnaissance to create new experiences and connectivity in this iconic Juneau USFS landmark.
Curry to K'esugi Connector Trail
Denali State Park
Design-Build, 2020-2024
Interior Trails completed this 3-year project, funded by a collaborative effort between Mat-Su Trails & Parks Foundation, Alaska DNR, and ADF&G, in 2024. In 2020, we designed an 18-mile backcountry trail in Denali State Park to connect the existing Curry Ridge Trail to the popular K'esugi Ridge Trail. IT began hand construction in 2021, and after completion, this system became the longest continuous backcountry alpine hiking trail in Alaska, at around 52 miles. IT completed all aerial & ground reconnaissance with backpacks and helicopter flights to design this beautiful, sustainable uniquely Alaskan gem.
Curry Ridge Trail
Denali State Park
Design-Build, 2015-2016
Interior Trails completed this multi-stage project in Denali State Park as part of the new Kesugi Ken Visitor Complex. IT designed and built a 2 mile, 4' wide hiking trail from the new trailhead to tree line, with a 2 ton mini- excavator (and lots of hand finishing). IT subcontracted the first dozer-cut to Jon Underwood, of Happy Trails, Inc., who brought his skills and Sutter 500 down from Fairbanks. Additionally, IT designed another mile in the sub-alpine area that was built by hand by the Denali State Park trail crew.
Denali State Park
Design-Build, 2015-2016
Interior Trails completed this multi-stage project in Denali State Park as part of the new Kesugi Ken Visitor Complex. IT designed and built a 2 mile, 4' wide hiking trail from the new trailhead to tree line, with a 2 ton mini- excavator (and lots of hand finishing). IT subcontracted the first dozer-cut to Jon Underwood, of Happy Trails, Inc., who brought his skills and Sutter 500 down from Fairbanks. Additionally, IT designed another mile in the sub-alpine area that was built by hand by the Denali State Park trail crew.
Upper Troublesome Creek
Assessment, Prescription, Design & Layout
2011-2012
IT designed FEMA funded reroutes in response to catastrophic trail washouts from severe flooding. Work included assessing trail to be retained or rerouted, along with detailed 50' Stationing w/ Construction Notes for hand built trail, including multiple structures & creek crossings, for 9 miles of rugged backcountry trail.
Assessment, Prescription, Design & Layout
2011-2012
IT designed FEMA funded reroutes in response to catastrophic trail washouts from severe flooding. Work included assessing trail to be retained or rerouted, along with detailed 50' Stationing w/ Construction Notes for hand built trail, including multiple structures & creek crossings, for 9 miles of rugged backcountry trail.
Mt. Baldy Trail,
Municipality of Anchorage
Trail Assessment, Prescription, Design & Layout
2014
This popular trail, sometimes called the "Flattop of Eagle River", was being loved to death. IT's design rerouted the worst sections of erosion and degradation using switchbacks and climbing turns. IT provided detailed stationing & construction notes for an SCA field crew to construct trail, as well as recommendations for State Park crews to continue improvements.
Municipality of Anchorage
Trail Assessment, Prescription, Design & Layout
2014
This popular trail, sometimes called the "Flattop of Eagle River", was being loved to death. IT's design rerouted the worst sections of erosion and degradation using switchbacks and climbing turns. IT provided detailed stationing & construction notes for an SCA field crew to construct trail, as well as recommendations for State Park crews to continue improvements.
