Mount Marathon Bowl

Hike to the alpine bowl of Mount Marathon

Gain a sense of perspective and accomplishment as you hike to the Mount Marathon Bowl, offering a vantage point high above the seaside town of Seward, Alaska. We’ll hike up the pyramid-shaped mountain, the bottom of which is cloaked in Hemlock-Spruce forests. As we traverse the treeline, “The Bench” offers a respite from the climb, and we will be able to glimpse Resurrection Bay far below us. The patchwork of forest dotted with vibrant meadows will beckon us to continue ascending to the Marathon Bowl, an alpine amphitheater ringed with jagged peaks.

Like the portal to another time and place, the magic of the Bowl changes from season to season and day to day. Maybe it’s the sparkle of snow and ice, a brilliant rainbow of wildflowers, the song of the rushing creek, or the kiss of fog on a calm morning. We’ll find a perch for a snack, rest, and a great vantage point to talk about the changes Alaska is experiencing, from sea to summit.

Note: Although Mount Marathon is known for the location of the Mount Marathon Race, considered by Outside Magazine as ‘the toughest 5k in the world,’ we will not be ascending and descending on the Race Trail, and instead taking a less steep and more stable route.