Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities

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DOT&PF > Central Region > Projects > Safer Seward Highway > Project Library

Project Number: Z566310000/0A31034

Climbers + Safer Seward

Welcome, Climbers

Rock and ice climbing have long been a part of the Seward Highway corridor. Many of the climbing routes and access pullouts between Bird Creek and Potter Creek are long established and we recognize Alaskans and visitors enjoy them each year.

Because the highway is in a tightly constrained corridor, between rock faces, the Alaska Railroad, and the Turnagain Arm, there is simply no solution that avoids all impacts. For example, moving away from the rock face means placing fill in Turnagain Arm, which is critical habitat for the endangered Cook Inlet Beluga Whale protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and is also Waters of the US, protected by the Clean Water Act. Instead, the project team sought to balance the impacts across all resources, while still resolving safety concerns. While we were able to avoid many climbing areas, we could not avoid all climbing areas.

Climbing / Bouldering Routes and Potential Impacts

The table below summarizes the potential impacts of the Proposed Action to climbing and bouldering, as described in the Draft EA and Section 4(f) Evaluation linked below.

Draft EA Section 4(f) Evaluation

Climbing

Route Name

In Current DOT ROW?

# of Routes?

Eliminated or Affected

Location

Engineering Considerations

Bermuda Triangle

Yes

Parking 110.3, cliff

To avoid Sunshine Ridge and Beluga Point, avoid impacts to the water and Cook Inlet beluga whale habitat (endangered species), and to make room for improved parking at Beluga Point, the geometry meant that we could not avoid Bermuda Triangle.

Sky Pilot/Upper Sky Pilot

Yes

Parking, MP 109.5

To preserve other climbing areas (Gak’s Place, Sunshine Ridge, Morningstar Gully, Northwest Passage, Tree Fort, and Spring Fling), we could not avoid Sky Pilot/Upper Sky Pilot.

Goat’s Head Soup

Yes

Parking MP 106.9, cliff

To avoid larger impacts to the water and beluga whale habitat, to allow for a larger recreational access facility at Windy Corner (more parking and new wildlife viewing area) we could not avoid Goat Head’s Soup.

Grunge Wall

Partially

Yes

Parking, MP 113.3

Because the mountain rock in this area is less vertical, we routed the highway towards the mountains to reduce impacts to the water and beluga whale habitat, we could not avoid Grunge Wall.

Resolution Bluff/Der Rinecrag

Yes

MP 111.3

The route intentionally avoids impacting McHugh Creek Trailhead. To offset those large waterside impacts, to take advantage of a flatter topography in this location, and to avoid impacts to the water and beluga whale habitat, we could not avoid Resolution Bluff/Der Rinecrag.

Twinkle Toes

Yes

Parking MP 111, cliff

The route intentionally avoids impacting McHugh Trailhead. To offset those large waterside impacts, to take advantage of a flatter topography in this location, and to avoid impacts to the water and beluga whale habitat, we could not avoid Twinkle Toes.

Crack in the Woods

Partially

Parking MP 112.7

This is an area where we could use your feedback. The proposed highway overlaps a portion of Crack in the Woods, but additional information from the climbing community on where the routes are and how they are accessed would help us better evaluate the impacts, see if we could better avoid the area, and find other mitigation solutions.

Good Vibes Wall/ High Vibes Wall

Yes

MP 112.2

The proposed highway would be very close to this resource, but additional information from the climbing community on where the routes are and how they are accessed would help us better evaluate the impacts, see if we could better avoid the area, and find other mitigation solutions.

Weeping Wall

Yes

MP 111.6

Fundamentalist's Cut

Yes

MP 112.0

This route is directly adjacent to the highway and could not be avoided.

Party World

Yes

MP 107.2

To avoid larger impacts to the water and beluga whale habitat, and to allow for a larger recreational access facility at Windy Corner (more parking and new wildlife viewing area) we could not avoid Party World.

Boy Scout Rocks

Not Affected

MP 112.1

This area is far enough away from the existing road, and topography allowed us to keep the proposed road away from it as well.

Glak’s Place/Tree Fort/Sunshine Ridge

Partially

Not Affected

Parking MP 110.1, cliff, approach

We intentionally rerouted the highway to avoid this area completely. This will require relocating the Alaska railroad, require fill in the water which does result in impacts to the water and critical beluga whale habitat, but those trade-offs seemed appropriate to protect this resource.

Pivot Point

Not Affected

Parking MP 112.4, approach

Topography allowed us to route the project to avoid this resource. Feedback from the climbing community on accessing this area would be helpful.

Dino Head

Not Affected

Parking MP 106.1, approach

The design at Windy Corner required the alignment to move into the water, which allowed us to route the project to avoid this resource.

Northwest Passage

Not Affected

Parking 109.8

Bouldering

Route Name

In Current DOT ROW?

# of Routes?

Eliminated or Affected by The Proposed Action

Climbing Concern

Engineering Considerations

The Scar and Son of Kong

Yes

N/A

Yes

Parking at Windy Corner

To add improvements at the Windy Corner Trailhead such as better parking, pathways, bathrooms, benches, emergency water access, and wildlife viewing, we could not avoid impacts to this area.

Pressure Point

Yes

N/A

Yes

Parking MP 112.7, access

Bird Creek Boulders

N/A

Minimal Impact

MP 101.5

Sliver impact adjacent to road.

Sea Cave

N/A

Not Affected

Parking MP 114

We intentionally rerouted the highway to avoid this area completely.

Bloc-Ness

N/A

Not Affected

Parking MP 114

We intentionally rerouted the highway to avoid this area completely.

Want to view our online map? You can view the corridor, proposed action, and estimated impacts in our SandBox. We’ve added more detail and a layer specific to climbing so you can more easily see the impacts from the table above in the map. Be sure to toggle on “Rock Climbing Areas” to see it in detail.

We look forward to your comments on our Draft EA and Section 4(f) Evaluation. The project team has worked hard over the past two years to identify resources and avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts, while ensuring the safety of this critical Interstate route.

Frequently Asked Questions for Climbers

Click on the titles below for answers to our most frequently asked questions!

1. Is it true that there could be up to 75% of existing routes impacted if mitigations aren’t improved?

No. Approximately 44% of climbing routes may be impacted by the project. While the Draft EA does identify that some climbing areas and routes may be affected in certain locations—particularly where improvements are needed for safety—it also shows that many climbing areas are outside the DOT&PF right-of-way and are not expected to be impacted.

2. Where can I look at the current design?

Check out the Sandbox to take a virtual drive down the corridor with the proposed action or Appendix F: Proposed Action Mapbook. Design is in the conceptual phase. Design will take place over the course of 15-20 years in phases broken down by location in the corridor.

3. Are trailheads being closed?

No trailheads are being closed. Some informal pullouts—areas where vehicles currently stop without designated parking or clear sight lines—would be eliminated. The Draft EA notes that informal pullouts contribute to safety issues.

4. Which trailheads or access points might be changed?

Several recreation access points, pullouts, and trailhead parking areas along the Seward Highway corridor may be reconstructed. Many trailheads and parking areas will be expanded such as Rainbow, Windy Corner, and Beluga Point. Take a look at Appendix F: Proposed Action Map Book and Section Appendix S: 4(f) Evaluation for more information.

5. Will there be safe, designated climber parking?

Yes. Climbers would be able to park in the expanded parking areas and have direct access to their routes through the parking lot or separate pathway. This will continue to be detailed in future design phases as the project moves towards construction.

6. Will ice climbing access be preserved?

Ice climbing at MP 113.1 would not be preserved. Ice formations near the roadway are safety and operational concerns, and DOT&PF will not build facilities or vehicle access that would encourage or support ice accumulation near the travel lanes. As rock faces are cut back from the highway, groundwater patterns may shift and could create ice in new locations.

7. Will construction limit climbing access over multiple seasons?

Construction would be phased over many years, rather than across the entire corridor at once. While there may be temporary, localized access changes near active work areas during certain construction seasons, the intent is to maintain recreational access to the extent feasible, including access to trailheads and climbing areas. Detailed construction phasing, scheduling, and access management will be developed during the design phase with input from agencies, recreation groups, and the public. The team will do their best to provide temporary and safe re-routes if necessary.

8. Can climbers still submit input?

Yes. The Draft EA comment period is open December 29, 2025 – February 27, 2026. Comments submitted now help guide the DOT&PF’s decision, mitigation commitments, and future design phases. Even when the Draft EA formal comment period closes, there will still be opportunities to connect with the project team during design of each phase of the project to provide feedback and input on the design.