Alaska Trails asks for community input regarding Alaska Long Trail

Alaska Trails is the nonprofit behind the proposed Alaska Long Trail–a project that would connect 500 miles of trails across the state. As part of their project, Alaska Trails asked for community input from each area the proposed trail will pass through. The organization made one such request at a recent Talkeetna Community Council meeting.

Some locals present at the community council expressed concern asking whether the trail would be open for motorized or non-motorized use.

Steve Cleary, executive director of Alaska Trails, said the answer isn’t a simple yes or no.

Whether a trail allows motorized use or not is the decision of who manages the land the trail is on, however, the proposed trail stretches 500 miles through land owned by many different groups with different rules and regulations regarding trail use.

While a specific timeline on the project is unclear, the Bureau of Land Management is currently conducting a feasibility study on the sites of the proposed trails which they should publish by March 2025.