Hiking Lost Lake Trail: Seward's Most Underrated Hike

The Lost Lake Trail was not on our radar when we showed up in Seward, Alaska. I had read a lot of blog articles about Seward and it just wasn't something people were talking about. Maybe it's because there isn't one dramatic viewpoint that draws people in, like the glacier at the end of the nearby Harding Icefield trail.

There are a lot of other things you won't find on the Lost Lake Trail, though. There are no crowds. No dull moments along the trail. No grueling slogs up steep inclines. No steep dropoffs. No endless switchbacks. Hallelujah!

So what does it have? Constantly changing scenery, from a dense forest of moss-covered trees to open, green valleys, from alpine meadows dotted with colorful flowers to snow-capped mountains. It has a view over Resurrection Bay. And it has a secluded alpine lake waiting for you at the end. We loved our hike along the Lost Lake Trail.

Admittedly, it's a long hike, but it's mostly flat, making it enjoyable the entire time. It was a wonderful change of pace (or I should say, change of incline) from the Harding Icefield hike we did the day before, which involved a climb up more than 3,000 feet in just a few short miles.

If you get lucky like we did and have clear, sunny skies, consider adding this wonderful hike to your Seward to-do list.

WHERE IS THE LOST LAKE TRAIL?

The Lost Lake Trail is in Chugach National Forest, just outside the town of Seward, Alaska. Many people visiting Kenai Fjords National Park use Seward as a home base, so it makes a great activity for those with plans to visit Kenai Fjords.

It takes ~2 hours 15 minutes to drive to Seward from Anchorage, the city with the nearest airport. Or, if you prefer not to rent a car, you can take the train.

HIKING STATS

AllTrails lists the hike as a 13.8 mile out-and-back with 2,600 feet of elevation gain. It has an estimated time to complete of 7-7.5 hours.

My Oura ring recorded 14.2 miles and we completed the hike in 6 hours and 10 minutes. It took us 3 hours and 17 minutes to get to the lake. We rested for 20 minutes at the top, then headed back the way we came and made it back in ~2.5 hours. We stopped fewer times for photos on the way back.

OUR EXPERIENCE

"Alright, but there's no way I'm doing the whole thing. 14 miles is way too much."

I reluctantly agreed to pull myself out of bed around noon. Yesterday, we had done the Harding Icefield hike and I was sore! I had every intention of lounging around for the entire day, resting and recovering before tomorrow's 5:30am wakeup for glacier kayaking, but Alex had other plans.

He had gone for a run two days ago and found the Lost Lake Trail by accident. He ran the first couple miles and really enjoyed it. Now, somehow, he convinced me to hike a few miles with him under the condition that we would turn around at the halfway point.

Spoiler alert: I fell in love with the trail and we did the whole thing.

For context, Alex and I spent four days in Seward. We had three activities planned and a spare day to use as a buffer in case we had bad weather. We lucked out and had great weather all four days, so we had a free day and the Lost Lake Trail was how we chose to spend it.

We started the hike around 1:20pm in the dense Chugach National Forest. The trees looked almost prehistoric and were covered in a thick layer of moss.

Moss-covered forest along Lost Lake Trail near Seward, Alaska

After a couple miles, the forest abruptly ended and we found ourselves in an open, green valley with towering mountains on our left.

Looking back toward Chugach National Forest from Lost Lake Trail — *Looking back at Chugach National Forest, which we had just emerged from.*

Green valley and mountain scenery on Lost Lake Trail

Open alpine scenery along Lost Lake Trail near Seward

We left the valley behind after a few more miles and the scenery changed once again. Now, we were in the middle of alpine meadows, with yellow and purple flowers poking out above the grass. It felt like we were in a set from The Sound of Music.

Wildflowers and mountain views along Lost Lake Trail — *I was beyond proud to capture this photo, my favorite from the entire day!*

Alpine meadows and mountain views on Lost Lake Trail

I was beginning to reevaluate my plan to turn around at the halfway point. The trail was relatively flat and quite manageable. We had already traveled 5 miles. Surely I could tack on another 9 quite easily, right?

Just then, the gorgeous snow-capped mountains came into view. They would guide us all the way to the lake at the end of the trail.

Snow-capped mountain views along Lost Lake Trail

It was at this point that I decided we had to finish the trail. Every time we rounded a corner, we were treated to a new surprise. The scenery was constantly changing and there was never a dull moment. I knew I'd be beyond exhausted tomorrow, but I just had to finish this trail. It was such a wonderful hike.

Hiking through open alpine scenery on Lost Lake Trail

We also got unbelievably lucky and had a clear, sunny day, a rarity in Seward, as the locals constantly reminded us. We met a man from Anchorage along the trail. He said he had been to Seward ten times and this was his first time seeing the sun here! The hike wouldn't be the same without these clear conditions. I doubt you would see the mountains in the distance, nor Resurrection Bay far down below. All the more reason to take advantage of the sunny weather and finish the hike.

Distant view of Resurrection Bay from Lost Lake Trail — *If you squint, you can see Resurrection Bay down below in the distance.*

Sunny mountain scenery on Lost Lake Trail

Wide alpine view on Lost Lake Trail in Alaska

It wasn't much longer before we saw the lake from a distance. We now moved with determination. We planned to enjoy a nice snack in front of the water.

Lost Lake coming into view at the end of the trail

And what a peaceful place for a snack. We sat in near silence, watching a couple nearby throw rocks into the lake for their labrador to chase. He would sprint into the water at full tilt, search frantically for the rock, give up, run back, and run just as energetically into the water a few seconds later looking for the next rock.

Lost Lake surrounded by alpine scenery near Seward, Alaska

Alex decided to wade through the water himself, inspired by the labrador. He quickly gave up when he realized how chilly it was.

We spent 20 minutes watching the dog and nibbling on some dried edamame. Our appetites had picked up by this point and we made a plan to return to Lone Chicharron, where we had had a delicious burrito the night before. We decided to pack it up and hit the trail again. Lone Chicharron closed at 8pm. We would need to hustle.

Mountain view from Lost Lake Trail on the return hike

Without question, the worst part about out-and-back trails is that you have to retrace your steps. The novelty is gone and you know exactly what you're in for. But, as I said, we were motivated by burritos and we kept a brisk pace.

Afternoon light over the Lost Lake Trail near Seward

Thankfully, from a sunlight perspective, we had plenty of time. The sun doesn't set in Alaska until after 10pm in the summer, but it did get darker than expected once the sun disappeared behind the mountains, especially once we entered the forest again.

We made it to the parking lot by 7:30pm. My feet were on fire. My blisters from yesterday's hike were no longer willing to be ignored. My muscles had a sudden recollection that they were quite sore and told me all about it. But this hike had been everything I was hoping for and more. I thanked Alex for dragging me out of bed to do it. I couldn't believe we almost left Seward without doing this delightful hike.

And, for those that are wondering, yes, we made it to the restaurant in time to snag our delicious burritos, and they were just as fabulous as they had been the night before.

A NOTE ON THE WEATHER

I won't beat around the bush: a typical day in Seward is cloudy, gray, and wet. Even in the middle of summer, gray skies, drizzle, and passing showers are completely normal. You might get lucky with a beautiful sunny day, but I wouldn't plan your trip assuming you will. You need to come prepared for rain.

Given the prevalence of rain in the area, you should bring a high quality rain jacket on this hike even if the forecast doesn't call for rain.

I also highly recommend building at least one buffer day into your itinerary so that you have flexibility if the weather refuses to cooperate. I would personally only do this hike on a sunny day, otherwise a lot of the great scenery won't be visible.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: BEARS ALONG THE TRAIL

The Lost Lake Trail is in bear country and both black and brown bears live in Chugach National Forest. We didn't see a bear on this hike, but we did see one on the Harding Icefield hike nearby.

It's imperative that you bring bear spray if you plan to hike this trail (or any other trail in Alaska). Keep the spray accessible (not buried in a backpack) and test it out at home before you hike so you know how to use it if necessary. Don't hike alone and talk constantly to let the bear be aware of your presence.

I was nervous about the idea of hiking in bear country before the trip. However, if you come prepared, you should have no problem. Don't let the fear stop you from tackling these epic hikes!

IS IT WORTH IT?

Absolutely. On this hike, you are treated to gorgeous views the entire time and the scenery changes constantly to make sure you never get bored. Bonus points for the fact that there were no crowds and the hike is quite flat, making it achievable for many people, including kids, despite the long distance of 14 miles.

My only caveat would be to make sure you go on a clear day, if possible, so you can see the snow-capped mountains off in the distance. They're really quite the sight to see. I would personally only do this hike on a sunny day, otherwise a lot of the great scenery won't be visible.

FAQS

When is the best time to hike Lost Lake Trail?

The best time to hike the Lost Lake Trail is in the summer, from the end of May through the beginning of September.

What should I bring on the hike?

I would bring the following:

Bear spray
Bug spray
Rain jacket
Layers, including a jacket and a beanie
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Sneakers or hiking boots
Water
Snacks
Bandaids
Advil
Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and trash bag, just in case

I don't think most people would need hiking poles for this hike.

Which hike would you pick: Harding Icefield or Lost Lake?

This is a tough call. The more iconic choice is obviously the Harding Icefield trail. There are not many glaciers around the world you can hike to. We were pretty impressed by Exit Glacier.

On the other hand, both Alex and I agreed that the Lost Lake Trail was by far more enjoyable. The incline was gradual throughout the hike and the scenery was interesting and constantly changing, which kept us engaged. By contrast, I, in particular, found the first couple hours of the Harding Icefield hike to be a little grueling with a steep incline, so an easier hike was a welcome treat for me. Also, we saw a lot of glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park, between the hike to Harding Icefield, the boat tour to Northwestern Glacier, and the kayaking we did around Aialik Glacier, so Lost Lake added some diversity to the trip.

If you can do both, I'd recommend both. In particular, I would recommend hiking to the Top of the Cliffs on the Harding Icefield trail and then turning around. That's two-thirds of the way along the trail and getting to that point allows you to see the best viewpoint, in our opinion. You can shave a couple hours off the Harding Icefield hike and conserve your energy for the next hike. I would do Lost Lake next, but only if you get clear skies. Otherwise, I'd probably skip it.

If you could only do one, I'd pick whichever sounds more exciting: a hard hike with a great payoff, or a gorgeous, enjoyable hike that's more manageable. Either way, I don't think you can go wrong.

How steep is the incline? AllTrails says 2,600 feet of elevation gain but you mentioned it was relatively flat.

The incline is very gradual. Most of the hike felt flat, even though we were ascending 2,600 feet. Since it was over the course of 14 miles, it was very manageable.

Where did you stay in Seward?

We stayed in this small AirBnB and really liked it! The location was perfect, just 5 minutes' drive away from the town center.

How far in advance do you need to plan a visit to Seward?

I would book at least six months in advance. I was stressing out because I was looking for hotels with availability in Seward at the end of July/beginning of August in February and every place I checked was sold out. I ended up snagging a reservation on AirBnB and it worked out great, but to maximize your options, book earlier.