How many days does the Resurrection Pass Trail take?

I walked Hope to Seward, about 90 miles, in five long days. The Resurrection Pass Trail by itself is 38.4 miles, usually 3 to 4 days. For the whole way to Seward, a week is comfortable.

When is the best time to hike Resurrection Pass?

June to September. The Forest Service says there's heavy snow in the pass into early June. I went May 23 to 27, 2020, and the snow was patchy enough to walk through.

Where do you sleep on the Resurrection Pass Trail?

In public use cabins or at designated campsites. There are eight cabins on the Resurrection Pass Trail, booked on recreation.gov up to 180 days ahead, and cabins on these trails were $60 to $75 a night in 2026. I camped 3 nights and stayed 1 in West Swan Lake Cabin.

Do you need a permit for the Resurrection Pass Trail?

The Forest Service trail pages list no hiking permit. You need a reservation for any public use cabin, and you can't camp within 300 feet of a cabin you haven't booked.

How do you get to the Resurrection Pass trailhead?

Hope is about 88 road miles from Anchorage. The north trailhead is at Hope Highway mile 15, then 4 miles down Resurrection Creek Road. The research for this guide found no scheduled bus to Hope, so plan a car, a ride or a drop-off.

Kenai Peninsula, Alaska · 5 days · about 90 miles · solo, tent and a cabin

Resurrection Pass Hiking Guide

In May 2020 I hiked alone across Alaska's Kenai Peninsula for five days, from Hope over Resurrection Pass, through Cooper Landing, along the Russian Lakes and down the Resurrection River Trail to Exit Glacier Road near Seward. About 90 miles on foot, camping and one night in a public use cabin. It's the trip from my film Hiking 100 miles Alone in Alaska. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, the cabins and campsites with 2026 prices, bears and river crossings, and how to get to Hope and home from Seward.

What's inside

All five days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings for the four days I recorded and the full route, with waypoints for the trailheads, every public use cabin on the way, my camps and the pass.
The cabins and camping. All twelve public use cabins on these trails with 2026 prices and boats, the designated campsites, the 300-foot rule and the Russian River food rules.
The Resurrection River Trail. The hard part: brush, lost trail and unbridged fords, including the chest-deep crossing I didn't film, and the Forest Service's warnings.
Getting there and home. Hope and the north trailhead, Cooper Landing halfway, and the train and buses from Seward, with 2026 and 2027 details.
Other ways to do it. The classic 38-mile Resurrection Pass Trail in 3 to 4 days, the Devil's Pass short cut, and a slower 7-day Hope to Seward.
Bears, food and gear. How I handled bears, what I ate and carried, and water on the trail.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole trip.

Look inside

At a glance page from the Resurrection Pass Hiking Guide — At a glance

A day page page from the Resurrection Pass Hiking Guide — A day page

A day map and elevation profile

The cabins and camping page from the Resurrection Pass Hiking Guide — The cabins and camping

The details

Format: A 50-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe. The price is in US dollars, and sales tax or VAT is added where it applies.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How many days does the Resurrection Pass Trail take?: I walked Hope to Seward, about 90 miles, in five long days. The Resurrection Pass Trail by itself is 38.4 miles, usually 3 to 4 days. For the whole way to Seward, a week is comfortable.
When is the best time to hike Resurrection Pass?: June to September. The Forest Service says there's heavy snow in the pass into early June. I went May 23 to 27, 2020, and the snow was patchy enough to walk through.
Where do you sleep on the Resurrection Pass Trail?: In public use cabins or at designated campsites. There are eight cabins on the Resurrection Pass Trail, booked on recreation.gov up to 180 days ahead, and cabins on these trails were $60 to $75 a night in 2026. I camped 3 nights and stayed 1 in West Swan Lake Cabin.
Do you need a permit for the Resurrection Pass Trail?: The Forest Service trail pages list no hiking permit. You need a reservation for any public use cabin, and you can't camp within 300 feet of a cabin you haven't booked.
How do you get to the Resurrection Pass trailhead?: Hope is about 88 road miles from Anchorage. The north trailhead is at Hope Highway mile 15, then 4 miles down Resurrection Creek Road. The research for this guide found no scheduled bus to Hope, so plan a car, a ride or a drop-off.

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