Outdoors/Adventure

Photos: Thunder Bird Falls trail

At Thunder Bird Falls, the waterfall is the payoff for trail users, who can walk one mile on a wide dirt path that leads to a viewing platform for glimpse of the waterfall or can hike down a narrower trail to the bank of Eklutna River and then scramble up some rocks to get close enough to feel the spray of water.

Neither route is terribly demanding, and both come with a soundtrack provided by nature. As you walk you'll hear the rushing of the creek and the roar of Thunder Bird Falls, which drops 200 feet.

The main trail has an elevation gain of 130 feet but there's some rolling terrain, so you're not always going uphill. At the halfway point, there's a boardwalk with a platform where you can look down into the gorge and get an appreciation for how sheer and long the drop is from the trail's edge.

Read more: Thunder Bird Falls one of Alaska's most family-friendly hikes -- just stay on the trail

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