Try these outdoor activities for the in-between fall season

The end of October can be a gross time of year in the Mat-Su. The leaves are gone, but the snow has yet to stick around. Residents have been urged to find ways to continue spending more time outside, steering clear of packed indoor spaces, but the weather is cold and wet, and lingering outside on the porch or simply going for the same old walk seems too unpleasant to make it worthwhile. What’s a person or family to do?

Like the weeks around spring break-up, finding family-friendly or even interesting outdoor activities during the in-between weather of Fall can be a challenge. A little creativity and effort, however, can make all the difference, according to a few officials who help oversee parks and green spaces in the Valley.

Early this year Alaska State Parks rolled out a parade of new Kids to Parks events, designed to get families exploring the areas managed by the system. Although the pandemic has altered many of those plans, including canceling the in-person portion of October’s event at Bird Creek, it’s also expanded access in some ways, said Wendy Sailors, a department spokeswoman.

“We are trying to do monthly Families to Parks events, but we ended up doing the October one virtually,” she said. “But because we did that virtual one, anyone can go look at any time and go through those activities. Those things are really fun for kids … have a lot of cool activities, and access to activities that are easy to do in your backyard or on any trail.”

Users can find a list of those projects and videos to go along with them on the State Parks’ website or by doing a web search for “Families to Parks Alaska.” Suggestions include a critter scavenger hunt and a craft. And families and park users can also continue to submit photos for the state parks’ 50th anniversary photo contest. More information on that is available on their Facebook page, she said.

Assuming in-person events are ruled safe, the next Families to Parks event will be at Matanuska Lake Nov. 14, Sailors said. Camping there is open year-round, and the state recently added additional RV spots for winter use. And for those who want to travel a little, Bird Creek is also open through the winter season, she said.

For Borough Parks and Recreation manager Hugh Leslie, the changing season makes an even better time to get outside and explore. Lower traffic and less foliage make the views better and the trails even more pleasant to use, he said. And since the Borough services the trailhead bathrooms year-round, heading out to explore the parks can continue to be a good experience for everyone.

“The number of people using the trail starts to drop-off as the weather gets colder – and the views get better because of the dropping of the leaves so you can see more of what you’re hiking through and more as you’re hiking up,” he said.

Over the summer the Borough focused its trail development efforts on Talkeetna, the West Butte trail and at the new Settlers Bay Coastal Park off Knik-Goose Bay Road, he said. That park, he said, now has over three miles of trails for hiking and biking with more planned. It also has a parking area and new bathroom.

“It’s kind of a hidden gem right now. It’s starting to gain in popularity, but it still hasn’t quite reached the knowledge of most people,” he said. “It’s a nice piece of property. It has some amazing views across the inlet and back towards Anchorage and Eklutna that we don’t have much of in the rest of the Valley.”

The Borough also spent time this summer adding camping sites at Sunshine Creek, a popular fishing area off the Parks Highway. And thanks to a grant for the Mat-Su Parks and Trails Foundation, the Fish Creek Park day use area in Big Lake now has a disability-accessible path from the parking lot to fish viewing platform, which was also replaced.

“We had a really good year in terms of the projects we were able to accomplish,” he said.