West Butte Trail - Open

Iconic Mat-Su Hike

If there’s one hike you want to take visitors, this is it. It’s a short hike, but gets your heart in the attic fast. The brief work has lasting rewards: an epic view— Knik Glacier, the face of 6,398-foot Pioneer Peak, and farms of the Valley floor. Turn to the northwest and take in the Talkeetna Mountains. Turn southwest and see the silhouette of Sleeping Lady or Mount Susitna. When the summer night glows golden and pink, many hikers are standing tall on top of the rock of the Butte grabbing selfies with sweeping heroic backdrop. Although the retreating Knik Glacier ground to dust most everything in its path some 10,000 years ago, this 880-foot knob of bedrock was left behind.

The Butte is the most popular hiking trail in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. The first mile is a gravel trail that winds through thick forest. A first bench gives a view of the Matanuska River Valley. The stairs take you nearly above treeline through eight switchbacks. A silty path and more stairs, at less of an incline, lead you to the igneous rock summit.

This trail system has been brushed for the season. Enjoy 7/13/23 The MSB Trail Crew brushed this trail, opened up some corridor, and worked on the upper railing cables. Enjoy!