Byron Peak

Byron Peak is a 4,590-foot mountain in Alaska’s Chugach National Forest, rising above Portage Lake at the head of a short, steep-walled valley in a glaciated landscape accessible from the state’s main population centers. Its easy approach has made the area popular with hikers, climbers, and sometimes skiers, especially via the short Byron Glacier Trail to the mountain’s base. Above the valley floor, however, the route becomes a serious technical climb requiring proper skill and equipment. Fatal accidents in 1996, 2004, and 2006 highlight the dangers of alpine travel here, where an inviting lower trail gives way to hazardous upper slopes.

Anchorage, Alaska · United States