Gull Rock is a great early season mountain bike ride.  Just outside Hope, Alaska and at sea level, it’s the first to melt out.  Plus, it gets pretty overgrown later in the year, so May/June is great for low vegetation as well!  At 5 miles each way, it’s a nice ride in around 2ish hours.  I had heard for years that it was super rooty so I was always afraid to even try – silly girl!  While there are definitely huge roots, they’re so big that I don’t even try to ride them, and the smaller ones are perfectly rideable.  No worse than anything you’ll find on Russian Lakes or Winner Creek, for sure!

While there’s no real net gain/loss in either direction, it rides slower out and faster back . . . I think it’s because the uphill on the way out is more gradual and that makes for a super fun and fast return that feels more like a downhill!

Here are some trail pics – not a lot of riding, but these should give you a general idea of trail character – as you can see there’s A LOT of fabulous riding, changing character, and beauty!  Overall, I’d say Gull Rock is a great mountain bike ride!  It starts in the same lot as Hope Point, and some really ambitious riders use it as a warm up for that trail!

Typical root riding . . . totally doable up and down!

And some root sections that are just clearly unrideable!

But really, the views!

The views at the actual point are pretty cool – great perspective on Cook Inlet!

And the views along the way are pretty stunning too!

Early season is also great for hiking, so this perspective is nice for checking out classic Turnagain Arm hikes!

If you like this trail report, check out the whole guide to Alaska biking!!!  Ride on and enjoy 🙂

Ride Essentials

Trail Snacks