Anchorage weighs paving and expanding the Basher Trailhead lot

The gravel lot at the Basher Trailhead into Chugach State Park holds 16 cars. A plan to pave it and expand it to 52 spaces goes to a public hearing Monday, and Anchorage planning staff back it, with reservations.

Voters paid for it, twice: $300,000 for design in April 2025 and $1.65 million for construction a year later, both through the Chugach State Park access bonds. And the demand is documented. A survey of 408 people last winter found 70 percent pointing to a shortage of parking and nearly half to the danger of parking along the road.

But the staff recommendation comes with warnings the city itself raised. A bigger lot "will likely attract more private vehicle users to the area, especially if the parking is not priced," staff wrote, urging that it at least be "cost neutral to the Municipality." And the number of accessible spaces would drop from six to three.

The size has been the fight. The design started near 60 spaces, fell to 45, climbed back to 52, and is still short of the city's own estimate that the trailhead needs 80 to 100. A majority of the parks advisory committee asked to go back to 60, or to leave room to add spaces later, plus space for a shuttle.

The Assembly weighed in already, and it did not go smoothly. In April, members took up a resolution asking for 60 spaces unless the administration could justify fewer. They stripped out a section that would have withheld the construction money, 9-2, and then the motion to approve the whole thing failed, 5-6.

The hearing is Monday at 6:30 pm at the Loussac Library.