Rendezvous Ridge

The Hike:  Rendezvous Ridge 

Here's a hike in Chugach State Park (Southcentral Alaska) with spectacular views on a clear day. I prefer to access this hike from the South Fork trailhead although there is also access in Arctic Valley.

To get to the South Fork trailhead access, take the Eagle River Loop/Hiland Road exit off the Glenn Highway just past the weigh station. Turn right at the traffic light onto Hiland and continue about eight miles up the road. Take a right onto South Creek and follow it to West River Drive and take another right. The parking lot is on your left.

The trail starts from the Eagle and Symphony Lakes trailhead at the Southfork parking lot and traverses the right side of the South Fork valley as you head away from the parking area. (If you veer left on the main trail, it drops down to a bridge that crosses the South Fork of the Eagle River and continues to Eagle and Symphony Lakes at the end of the valley.)

Trail Sign Post

However to access Rendezvous Ridge, stay to the right at the junction where the main trail turns left to the river. At this junction there is a sign post that points to the Rendezvous Ridge trail (See photo.)

The trail will climb toward a saddle on the ridge above. Near or at the saddle, take a trail to the left (south) which continues climbing to the ridge. This trail is less traveled and may be faint. (However, if you want to climb Rendezvous Peak, take the trail to the right. For info on climbing Rendezvous Peak and Arctic Valley access, see my post at this link: Awesome Arctic Valley

Once on the south ridge, there are any number of route possibilities. You can follow the south ridge up valley and ultimately descend to Eagle and Symphony Lakes below. For more on this route see my post "Symphony Lake - Ship Creek Loop" posted 9/30/18. You can also drop from the ridge into the Ship Creek drainage at several points along the way. (For many hikers, these routes would be multi-day hikes.)

However, if you are just looking for a day hike, stay on the ridge and enjoy the views!