Girdwood P&R Publishes Draft Parks Master Plan

Proposed Glacier Creek Park area. Image from Girdwood Parks Master Plan, March 2026 Public Review Draft, (Courtesy Girdwood Parks and Recreation)

By Allison Sayer

TNews Staffwriter

Girdwood Parks and Recreation has published a draft Parks Master Plan. According to Girdwood Service Area Manager for the Municipality of Anchorage Kyle Kelley, “This plan is to capture the improvements that the community wants to see in its future parks. The plan will guide Girdwood Parks and Rec in future planning, fundingand prioritizing of improvement projects for each park parcel. This plan will build on the park facilities and infrastructure we have now in our current parks.” The plan is meant to provide guidance for decisions over the next ten to fifteen years. 

The only currently funded project is a new picnic pavilion in Lions Club Park, secured by grant and fundraising efforts by Girdwood Lions Club. According to Kelley, construction on this will begin in 2026.

 A wide range of desired facilities is listed throughout the Girdwood area. Numerous strategies have been proposed for making these a reality, including partnerships with commercial, public, and non-profit entities. 

 According to the plan document, “[Survey] respondents expressed the highest levels of support for volunteering, community-led fundraising, and municipal bonds dedicated to Girdwood parks. A majority of respondents also indicated support for a visitor-paid tax, such as a bed tax or recreation tax, while increased facility rental fees received lower overall support. Overall, the survey indicates a preference for public investment and community participation over reliance on user fees.”

The document, available at https://girdwoodparksplan.com/, describes desired enhancements for Girdwood Park (a.k.a. Forest Fair Park), Moose Meadows Park, Lions Club Park, Town Square Park, and a proposed “Glacier Creek Park,” in addition to identifying areas for future parks. 

The highest community priority identified for the Girdwood Park and California Creek Park area is improved year-round restroom facilities. Reconfiguration to avoid user conflicts, addressing flooding and drainage concerns,upgrading existing playground equipment, and adding covered features to the skate park are also proposed. 

A small, elevated plaza is proposed between the skate park and the playground. Sloped grading could provide amphitheater-style seating for summer performances and a small sled hill in the winter. 

I ran these recommendations by Lila Apple Smith, 10, a frequent park user who is also my boyfriend’s daughter. She agreed fervently that bathrooms are an issue. She also stated that errant frisbee golf discs can create conflicts. Smith thought the addition of a small sledding hill to the area was a great idea. 

New playground equipment would also be welcome to a ten-year-old user, especially “bigger slides,” “fun bridges,” improved climbing holds, and structures that a group of twenty or more kids could all play on at the same time. 

I asked Smith whether creating more covered areas would make common spaces more appealing for kids in the winter. She said the biggest problem with common spacesin winter is that they are too dark. 

Lions Club Park was identified as an area where the “informal character” is important to retain even as amenities are developed. Improved parking and a pathway/boardwalk connection to Glacier Creek areproposed for Lions Club Park, in addition to the aforementioned picnic pavilion. Lions Club Park is also one proposed location for a beginner/youth-oriented pump track.

Proposed improvements to Town Square Park include outdoor event space, improved lighting, welcoming gates, additional benches and a new custom picnic table, and an increase in artistic and interpretive features. A memorial wall and an interactive structure that can be climbed on are also proposed. 

The draft plan includes features to make Moose Meadows more usable in the summer months. A small playground,drainage improvements to the soccer field, and boardwalk trails and viewing platforms are proposed. Trails and platforms could both expand summer use and reduce damage from informal foot traffic. This area is also being considered for a small pump track. 

The document acknowledges several residents had expressed a desire for trails, boardwalks, or “pocket parks” in park reserve greenbelt space. However, it states “the parcels’ conditions and environmental constraints limit their suitability for park amenities or development.” The document also states trail connections within the greenbelts were evaluated in the 2024 Girdwood Trails Plan, and the result was not to recommend new trails. 

The plan proposes expanding park land downstream from existing parks on Glacier Creek. This includes a recommended transfer of public municipal land currently managed by Heritage Land Bank. Proposed facilities include an RV Campground, relocating the disc golf course to this area, a trail connection to Glacier Creek, and a fenced dog park. This is also another potential pump track site. A covered ice rink could be pursued, butwill not be if a similar facility is created by Alyeska Resort. 

The plan proposes for Girdwood Parks and Rec to work with Alyeska Resort, residential developers, and the Department of Transportation to carve out pocket parks and other public common spaces as development progresses. A range of locations, including the Seward Highway junction with the Alyeska Highway, the Mine Roads, Lower Crow Creek Road, Alyeska Resort, and the Holtan Hills site are among identified “opportunities.” 

The plan also identifies the potential for Girdwood Parks and Recreation to pursue additional summer trails in and beyond the current Nordic 5K area. Local trail organizations are interested in developing trails in the area. Management agreements, permits, or easements would need to be pursued to create these trails. 

Comments on the plan are due April 5 and can be made at https://girdwoodparksplan.com/ . According to Kelley, the team hopes the public will let them know “If they support it or not and anything they feel is missing for the future of each park parcel.” 

Parks and Recreation created the plan after holding two community workshops- attended by 26 and 30 residents-issuing a survey to which 210 residents responded, andholding eight stakeholder interviews with representation from Girdwood K-8 School, Girdwood Forest Fair, Alyeska Resort, Bikewood, Girdwood Nordic Ski Club, Chugach Adventure Guides, Girdwood Community Land Trust, Girdwood Art Institute, Girdwood Inc., Girdwood Community Club, and long-time residents. An advisory committee with ten citizens has met three times, and one more meeting is scheduled. 

Kelley stated after the “final adoption” of the Master Plan this spring, “Girdwood Parks and Rec will work with Girdwood Board of Supervisors to prioritize the projects from the approved plan to seek funding and construct. Once the list is completed then Parks will start the process to raise funding and construct each project.”