Eaglecrest Nordic Trails

Two Loops, an Upper and Lower, provide fun, rolling terrain for skiers to hone their Nordic skiing skills. Eaglecrest staff use snow cats to professionally maintain the hilly Nordic trails for the Upper and Lower Loops. The JNSC helps with early/late season grooming via snow machines. Day passes or Eaglecrest Nordic Season Passes are required. The rental shop does offer Nordic gear. Early season skiing could start on the Lower Loop in December followed by the Upper Loop. Eaglecrest stops grooming in mid-April but skiing can be good for weeks afterwards. Dogs are only allowed on the occasionally groomed dog loop which is accessed from the lower Nordic parking lot. There are two trail systems/loops available:

The Lower Loop (5-6km total depending on grooming availability) features beginner (green) to advanced (black) terrain for classic and skate skiers and includes some fast tight corners, rolling hills (elevation change ~42 meters), and winding meadows. Views vary from mountains to forests to open meadows. Despite the average elevation of 330 meters, parts of the trail can be soggy immediately after heavy rains. The Nordic parking lot also has a portable outhouse and is 4.3 miles up Fish Creek Rd (Eaglecrest Rd). Other trail access is from two areas in the main Eaglecrest parking lot.

It's worth the effort to go to the Upper Loop. At an average elevation of 480 meters (with elevation change on the trails of~48 meters), combined skiing distance on these trail loops can range 3.32-4.5 km long, depending on snow conditions and grooming availability. There are trail options for beginner to advanced skate and classic skiers and includes some fast tight corners and rolling hills. This is the highest groomed trail in Juneau and gets the most snow but also requires several feet to fill in. Views vary from mountains to forests to open meadows. A picnic table is available as well as a recently constructed cabin (open to the public during the day, closed for private rentals for overnight stays). Access is from either the quiet, steep, and narrow Upper Loop Access Trail (off the beginning of the Lower Loop when skiing from the lodge), or skiers may hike or ski about the same distance (~1.1 km) under the Hooter Chair Lift and up the side of the wider Trickster run. Please follow Eaglecrest's uphill trail policy and watch for alpine skiers and snowboarders when hiking up. Nordic users should use caution skiing down either trail when returning to the lodge.