Thunderbird Falls

This place is great for a short hike or longer hike if you’re up for it! Be ready for hills, and in the winter, ICE. There’s usually plenty of parking and it’s quite simple to navigate to. There is a $5 day use fee.

What an epic view and mini adventure! As of Nov 11th,2024 the trail is super icy, aka ridiculously slippery! Wear ice spikes on your hiking boots, trust me, you don't want to take a tumble like I did, lol. The views were worth the pain though.

well maintained trail, bit difficult for novice hikers as it begins pretty immediately with some elevation but for most it was very easy. views were okay, not the biggest or best looking waterfall but beautiful nonetheless. not a hike i would personally take twice but i would recommend for those who need an easier hike with a rewarding view.

It was a light raining day during our visit. The parking was $5 as most parks in Alaska. What surprised me was so many wild mushrooms near the side of the road. The fall was pretty when watching at the top but it was also very interesting when seeing it at the bottom of the fall. Don't forget to visit the beautiful lake about 15 miles away.

The trail is wide, 'flat', and well maintained. There is a creek viewing platform about halfway. There are some steep inclines but the trail is easy enough to take a break to catch your breath if needed. The falls viewing platform was nice. It is a little over 1.5 miles in and out. It was mid evening about 5:45. It only took me and the frenchie about 45 mins total even with a short break at the creek viewing platform.

Nice trail with some decent views of the river valley and the mountains in the distance, especially in fall the foliage is quite beautiful. Unfortunately it’s a very small trail around half a mile from the parking to the falls and then back the same way so it’s easy for it to get busy even on quiet days.

Absolutely beautiful! We were sick, so the trail was a little harder for us, but it was still manageable. I did wish I had a walking stick for the steeper portions. But the views, sounds, and smells of nature were well worth the effort!

Let me start by saying the walking trail is amazing. They have done a lot of work over the years to make Thunderbird Falls better. The trail is pretty much six to eight feet across and smooth the entire way out to the falls. There are a couple steep inclines along the hike but that should be expected when walking along the side of a valley. They have a walkway at the end of the trail that stops about 200 feet shy of being able to see the entire waterfall, and you need a good zoom lens to make pictures workout. This is why it only gets 4 stars. Luckily there is another trail that leads down to the bottom of the falls which gets you much closer, with a few steps that get your feet wet, but it’s worth it.