Trail Overview
Lake Ellen Road West is accessed by Alaska State Route 929. A tree-lined one-lane gravel road that opens up after passing a bridge over a creek to areas of muskeg and back, winding around hills, and over creeks. This road connects with four other roads and two ATV/Motorcycle trails spur roads. The road goes through dense new growth at the end of the trail, with moss and grass starting to cover the trail. The side ditches have water in them in some sections, and as the road continues, it gets a little rougher with more potholes, larger rocks, moss, and grass growing in the centerline. This road does go up in elevation a little with a hilly drive (216 to 703 feet gain in elevation). After passing the road to OverSection 6, stay to the left to stay on Lake Ellen Road. This is a nice road and connects to two roads with great views over the valley. At the end of the trail, there is no real room to back up or to turn around, so it is not recommended to bring a trailer down this road. This is a great trail with access to multiple roads with views and dense wooded areas with creeks. The attached trails all show climbing up to around 1000 feet. Two of the attached trails are all classified as ATV/Motorcycle trails. You can see Sitka spruce, Western Hemlock, Red cedar, Yellow cedar, poplar, and birch, as well as lichen, moss, ferns, and dense old-growth forests and flowers. There is wildlife in this area. Be safety-minded for wildlife, changing weather conditions, and sudden changes to the road due to rain and landslides. Always plan your trip with basic survival items and local wildlife safety in mind, in case you get stuck in-between roads during a road washout or landslide. There are limited resources here for clearing roads. It is advisable to have a contact and some form of tracker so that your contact can make sure you are on plan and not stuck somewhere. This road connects to other recreational roads and is not a main road for travel. Prince of Wales has Black Bear, Sitka black-tailed deer, Alexander Archipelago Wolves, Bald Eagles, Osprey, Mink, Marten, Beaver, Ermine, and Flying Squirrels, along with a variety of Marine life and Sea Birds. Salmon, Trout, and Steelhead run in the rivers and creeks here. Weather plays a part in the level of difficulty, as this is in a rainforest and a lot of these roads go through areas of muskeg/wetlands and hills. There are great views of tree-lined, winding roads, hills, and creeks. Tall grass, ferns, a variety of trees, lichens, moss, muskeg, forest, and flowers can be seen, as well as scenic landscapes. Warnings: Keep on the road and watch hillsides for landslides, watch for falling or down trees, and be cautious of water over the roadway. Watch for signs of road deterioration or washouts due to heavy rainfall. Be mindful of wildlife, especially Bears. No cell service noted. Check weather conditions and be prepared for rain, fog with low visibility, and lower temperatures. It is a rainforest. Suggested best time of year: June - October.
