Bike Russian River Trail, Cooper Landing

What: An exciting bike trail traversing along the Kenai peninsula. At roughly 22 miles, this trail is rated as moderate.

When to go: Ideally accessed in the summer months between May and October. Due to the overgrowth of brush on the kenai peninsula, it is recommended to do this trail in either May/June or September/October.

How to get there: You can either do the trail as a loop, out and back, or as a one way using a shuttle. The best method is a shuttle with a dropoff at the end of the snug harbor road here (https://goo.gl/maps/nVqhNvGiGvpYa57F9) and then ride all the way down to the Russian River campground area – going this way will make it mostly downhill with intermittent climbs along the way.
Trailforks link: https://www.trailforks.com/trails/russian-lakes-trail/

Tips:

• There are a few cabins along the way if interested in overnighting; there are also off-chute trails such as the ones going to the russian river falls which are worth checking out.
• It may be tempting to think that this ride will be easy and quick since it’s mostly downhill. However, you will find plenty of ups and downs along the way and the ride can feel quite long. Relative to other kenai bike rides, this one does not have as many of the expansive views since you will be in the trees most of the time. The best views are around the upper russian lake, and then the last few miles near lower russian lake and the barber cabin area.
• If you decide to hike the trail, there are a few state cabins along the way that can be reserved for the night.
• Here’s a handy link for additional details: https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/5502577/upper-russian-lake