Meridian Lakes Trail

Meridian Lakes Trail is an Iditarod National Historic Trail segment on the Chugach National Forest in Alaska, following a long-distance hiking line between several subalpine lakes. The route is about 8.3 miles one-way and totals roughly 600 ft of elevation gain, spread across many short up-and-down grades (so it doesn’t feel like one sustained climb).

Expect forest travel through dense spruce and hemlock, with frequent damp stretches and open muskeg crossings. The trail surface is ground, and the mix of timberline conditions and wet low spots makes footing important, especially after spring melt.

Lakes are the main wayfinding markers as you head south to north: Leech Lake, Grayling Lake, Meridian Lake, and then Long Lake farther along. Depending on how you pace the hike, you can treat the later lakes as your turn-around points, or push through to Long Lake for a longer all-the-way day.

Seasonal timing matters here. Snow can linger in the higher elevations until early June, and “breakup” can leave the route muddy and fragile, so mid-to-late summer typically gives the most reliable hiking conditions.

Access is practical from multiple starting points used by this system: Divide Trailhead, Grayling Lake Trailhead, or Primrose Campground. This lets you run the trail as a day hike from a nearby trailhead instead of committing to the whole one-way distance.

There are designated dispersed campsites at Meridian Lake and the south end of Long Lake, which fits the trail’s lake-to-lake rhythm for overnight trips. If you’re planning a fishing-focused hike, Meridian Lake and Long Lake are stocked with rainbow trout (check current ADF&G regulations before you go).

For hikers extending the effort, the Meridian Lakes Trail connects to the Bear Lake Trail for about a 15.8-mile total trek. That makes it a good way to build a longer day without changing the overall character of the route.

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