State agency warns Girdwood Parks Plan shows unauthorized trails on airport land

Alaska DOT&PF told Anchorage planners that the Girdwood Parks Master Plan maps trails across state airport property without approved contracts, easements, or agreements for public use, and warned the depictions could be read as implied state consent for public access. If the plan advances as drafted, four mapped trail segments may need to be removed or relabeled as unauthorized.

The agency identified four trail segments crossing Girdwood Airport property: Deb's Way, Moose Meadows, Stumpy's Winter Trail, and portions of the Upper Iditarod Trail. Anchorage Area Planner Mark Eisenman wrote that unauthorized use "constitutes trespass" and that the trails' inclusion on plan maps "could be interpreted as implied DOT&PF approval or consent for public use." He added the depictions "may create public expectations for continued access that could conflict with FAA requirements and future aviation-related uses."

Girdwood Airport is publicly owned by DOT&PF's Central Region and actively managed for aeronautical uses. The agency amended an airport land lease as recently as January 2025 to provide helicopter dolly access to the taxiway. Aviation leaseholders at the airport rely on secure aeronautical access. The Girdwood Trails Committee, established as an advisory body under the 2023 draft Girdwood Valley Trails Management Plan, has sought to protect and formalize non-motorized trail corridors. Only DOT&PF's position is documented in this source.

DOT&PF also flagged that the plan repeatedly uses incorrect agency abbreviations and asked that "Alaska DOT&PF or DOT&PF" be used consistently throughout the document. Separately, the agency noted that a proposed parking area at Girdwood Park is currently an unpermitted encroachment into DOT&PF right-of-way. It asked the Girdwood Valley Service Area to apply for an encroachment permit to bring the usage into compliance, while cautioning that the area may be needed for future transportation projects.

DOT&PF also rejected a partial land swap, saying any transfer would require the Municipality of Anchorage to assume full ownership and operational responsibility for the airport. The Girdwood Parks Master Plan remains under municipal review.