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Craigie Creek Road
Willow,
Alaska
(Matanuska-Susitna County)
Last Updated:
03/06/2023
Trail Information
Highlights
Gold mines, mining cabins, grizzly bears, eagles, and a moderately challenging trail don't interest you? Of course they do! This trail has a little bit of everything on it and is a favorite of more than a few. Mining relics, mine shafts, mining buildings, tools, and machinery litter the valley in a homage to the rich gold mining of the area that continues on today. People still actively mine this area so please be respectful of their equipment and claims. This trail sits just a couple valleys over from the popular Independence Mine State Historical Park. Do not remove any mining artifacts, leave them for everyone to enjoy.
Trail Difficulty and Assessment
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Kyle Todd
Official Crew
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Trail Reviews
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/20/2020
The trail is open and calling! A new mine is operating just to the west of the trailhead now too.
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Open
Visited: 10/30/2019
Hatcher Pass Road is now closed from the Palmer/Wasilla side at the main gate. Access to this trail that will soon be impassible due to snow must be from the Willow entrance to the pass road. Pictures are from the Hatcher Pass Road entrance on the Palmer/Wasilla entrance.
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Open
Visited: 09/26/2019
Hatcher Pass (the road starting at the Independence Mine area) is now closed for the winter. Access to this area must be from the Willow entrance.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 07/01/2018
Excellent trail conditions leading to the cabin, the parking area at the cabin is a mud pit so don't pull too far in, if in a group just stay in line on the main trail. Leading further back to the waterfall was excellent conditions as well until the parking area at the falls which again was a mud pit with a good slope to it, if in a group stay in line on the main trail. Turning around is tight and beyond the waterfall is getting into the extreme of the rock crawling and still snow covered so a large group may end up doing part of the trail in reverse to get out or doing a snow covered rock climb to allow the rear vehicle to do a turn about then the group would follow backing down the rocks to turn about. took 3 of us 2 hours to go up to the falls and back at a slow pace.
Open
Rated
5/5
Visited: 06/17/2018
The trail was in good shape and we even saw a brown bear on the way down. The rain made the trail a little too slick for a couple vehicles with highway tires but rigs with a rear locker or front and rear lockers had to issues going all the way to the end and hiking to the lake at Dogsled Pass.
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