Angel Rocks trail is a popular destination for Fairbanks people looking for a great hike close to town with beautiful scenery. It is located around 50 miles drive out Chena Hot Springs road on the right. The trail is well marked and makes a winding, switchback path to the granitic angel rocks themselves. From the top you can see much of the Chena River valley. As an extension, it is possible to hike another 6.5 miles from the top to the hot springs themselves located down the road.

The Chena river tributary with angel rocks visible in the background

Although the sky was a dull gray and had very little to add to my images, I enjoyed my time hiking and wading into the water for interesting angles. I also tried a little gold panning (to no avail) later in the evening despite the water turning your hands a painful numb nearly on contact.

The lower regions of the trail have multiple beaver dams and can be a great place to stop and play fetch with your dogs if they aren’t tired enough from the hike. Although other areas around Alaska are showing some signs of waking for summer, I found that most of the vegetation on the Angel Rocks trail had not yet started to show any signs of color. What little snow that is left on the trail is melting out fast though.

Melting ice on the edge of the Chena River