Nancy Lake Recreation Area is a winter delight

Now that the snow is finally here, it is time to take advantage of the many winter recreational opportunities available to us. Skiing, snowshoeing, snowmachining, aurora viewing and winter camping especially come to mind. One of the ideal locations for such activity is at the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area; the entrance located just past Mile 67 of the Parks Highway.

Nancy Lake State Recreation Area includes a network of more than 130 ponds and lakes and offers nearly 40 miles of maintained trails. Of these, 10 are dedicated to skiing only while the remaining are set aside for multi-use purposes like dog mushing and snowmachining. The Winter Trailhead at Mile 2.2 of Nancy Lake Parkway is the central starting point for winter recreational activities. From there, the three main trails systems in the state's recreational boundaries are Red Shirt Lake Trail, Lynx Lake Loop Trail and Bald Lake Trail.

A more detailed description of theses trails and a map of the state recreation area are available at the Department of Natural Resources Division of Park and Outdoor Recreation web site.

For those who are interested in just the dedicated ski trails, there are three inter connecting loops that comprise the 10 miles of Nordic skiers' paradise. The first one is the Parkway Trail that begins and ends at the Winter Trailhead and is approximately three miles in length. At Mile 1.8 of the Winter Trailhead begins Jano Pond Loop which consists of gentle hills and frozen, open swamps. Midway through the Jano Pond Loop is the Rhein Lake Loop that travels over open swamps and steeps hills.

Besides using these trails systems for winter recreation, ice fishing is also common at Nancy Lake State Recreation Area. Nancy Lake, Lynx Lake and Red Shirt Lake offer rainbow trout fishing; Lynx and Red Shirt Lakes have good pike fishing as well.

With the short daylight hours during the winter months, an overnight at Nancy Lake can make the day's activities less stressful.

There are 13 public use cabins for rent on a daily basis in the recreation area. These cabins are insulated and are equipped with bunks and a wood stove. A word of advice, these cabins are very popular and can be reserved up to six months in advance. Saturdays and certain holidays fill up quickly. If you'd like to reserve a cabin, you can visit www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/cabins/matsu.cfm for a list of available dates as well as descriptions on each cabin. Cabins can sleep four to eight people and provide basic shelter. All cabin users are required to bring their own wood and supplies. Cabin use is by reservation only with fees ranging from $35-50 per night.

If you prefer an overnight stay at a bed and breakfast or lodge, contact the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau for some suggestions at 746-5000 or visit www.alaskavisit.com.

So now that you have ideas on what recreational opportunities and lodging options are accessible at Nancy Lake State Recreation Area, you can complete your planning preparations by calling Alaska State Parks at 495-6273 for a voice recording of the latest weather and trail conditions. The message is updated every Friday or when weather conditions change. Have fun, be safe and enjoy all that Nancy Lake State Recreation Area offers.