Basher parking plan rises after city estimate showed need for more

Anchorage officials have revised the Basher Trailhead parking plan upward after pushback over a smaller design for one of East Anchorage's main access points into Chugach State Park.

The latest plan calls for 52 parking spaces, including six ADA-accessible spaces, near Campbell Airstrip Road and Basher Drive. That is up from the 45 spaces shown in an earlier design, but still below the city's own parking-demand estimate.

In an official comment-response document, project staff said census-area analysis and comparisons to similar facilities suggested demand for roughly 80 to 100 spaces. The city instead advanced a more conservative 60-space concept, then reduced it to 45 after feedback about scale, neighborhood compatibility and traffic.

The June 11 Parks and Recreation Commission staff report says the design has now been revised to 52 spaces, with a flexible-use area for possible transit pickup, vendors, emergency response, or a campground host.

Basher Trailhead currently fits about 16 vehicles. City documents say the lot routinely fills, pushing drivers onto Campbell Airstrip Road and Basher Drive and creating congestion, sight-distance problems and emergency-access concerns.

Voters approved $300,000 in 2025 for design work through the Chugach State Park Access Service Area. In 2026, they approved another $1.72 million CASA bond package. The official bond fact sheet described the Basher project as a new lot with capacity of up to 60 vehicles, plus a toilet facility and information kiosk.

Construction is expected to go out for bid later this year or in early 2027, with work beginning in spring 2027.