Westchester Lagoon
Westchester Lagoon
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
4.5
85 reviews
Excellent
52
Very good
27
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Bob
Chardon, OH1,620 contributions
Jun 2021
A fairly birdy place. Great for nesting red necked grebes. Lot's of other waterfowl in transit. Not too big and can scope in less than 1/2 hour. Bummer that there are some homeless camps along one edge.
Written July 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AlaskaMark99517
Anchorage, AK47 contributions
Oct 2016 • Family
This is one of the prettiest places in Anchorage to walk. About 1mile from downtown. Spectacular views at sunset and sunrise
Written October 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Foot_Loose
Anchorage, AK545 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
We live within a block of the lagoon and walk to Westchester Lagoon just about daily. It is pretty easy to get to from downtown via bicycle or on foot via the Coastal Trail; it is about 30 minutes from downtown on foot.
This is the best place to see wildlife only minutes from downtown. There is a bald eagle nest in a tree on the south side of the lagoon near the radio tower; look for a tree with a crooked top. If the lagoon is thawed, you will see a variety of geese, ducks, and other waterfowl like red-necked grebes. In May or August you are likely to see shorebirds migrating through, like dowitchers and godwits. Yellowlegs can be sighted on most days throughout the summer.
Continue walking or biking along the Coastal Trail to the southwest, through the tunnel under the railroad tracks and continue for another 300 yards to the Fish Creek estuary. You are likely to see Sandhill Cranes along this section of trail from May through September. There may even be a breeding pair in the Fish Creek estuary (most years). We've seen black bears, moose, and foxes in and around the estuary, especially in the morning.
This is the best place to see wildlife only minutes from downtown. There is a bald eagle nest in a tree on the south side of the lagoon near the radio tower; look for a tree with a crooked top. If the lagoon is thawed, you will see a variety of geese, ducks, and other waterfowl like red-necked grebes. In May or August you are likely to see shorebirds migrating through, like dowitchers and godwits. Yellowlegs can be sighted on most days throughout the summer.
Continue walking or biking along the Coastal Trail to the southwest, through the tunnel under the railroad tracks and continue for another 300 yards to the Fish Creek estuary. You are likely to see Sandhill Cranes along this section of trail from May through September. There may even be a breeding pair in the Fish Creek estuary (most years). We've seen black bears, moose, and foxes in and around the estuary, especially in the morning.
Written August 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sun&oil
Montesano, WA175 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
About 3 weeks ago we took a circular walk around the lake. We started at the playground and headed to the overlook, walked along the coastal trail till just before the tunnel that goes under the train tracks. Then we made a sharp left onto Woodward Circle and went up the hill till we turned left at Forest park Drive where we continued heading up the bluff. Just before Hillcrest Drive you should notice some rustic steps to your left that will connect you with Wildwood Lane and eventually Hillcrest Drive, take the steps. If you miss the steps then take a left onto Hillcrest Drive. You should see West High School on the right and the lagoon on your left. If you want a nice view of the lagoon you can take one of the rabbit trails to the edge of the bluff. There are several trails that meander through the forest at this point but none seem to connect up with the main trail. After the overlook at West High School you have two choices: If you are getting tired , you can take the paved path that parallels Minnesota and hooks up with pathways along the North side of the lagoon that will take you back to the playground. If you would like to walk some more, then stay on Hillcrest Drive till you come to Spenard Road. At Spenard take a left and head down the hill to the park. Go through the parking lot and connect up with one of the pathways. Keep to the left and you will go through a tunnel that will take you to a second tunnel and back to the lagoon. Stay on the path and you will soon see the lagoon on your left hand side and eventually your car. Give yourself an hour for the short hike and an hour and a half for the longer hike. We went, during the middle of the week, the skies were blue, there was a cool breeze off of the ice covered lagoon and we had the place to ourselves.
Yesterday morning we arrived around 10AM and once again had the place to ourselves, but by the time we left at noon the playground was extremely crowded. The parking lot was full, people were jogging, bike riding, roller skating, walking their dogs, and taking their preschoolers for a stroll. The weather was perfect and everyone decided to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. However our dachshunds did not feel comfortable with the large crowds and the preschoolers who were with us held tightly to our hands. We will take the grandkids again, but we will go early before the crowds arrive.
Yesterday morning we arrived around 10AM and once again had the place to ourselves, but by the time we left at noon the playground was extremely crowded. The parking lot was full, people were jogging, bike riding, roller skating, walking their dogs, and taking their preschoolers for a stroll. The weather was perfect and everyone decided to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. However our dachshunds did not feel comfortable with the large crowds and the preschoolers who were with us held tightly to our hands. We will take the grandkids again, but we will go early before the crowds arrive.
Written May 2, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bill s
San Francisco, CA711 contributions
Dec 2019
In Winter, families ice skate, walk their children, or drink in the beauty of the water framed by snowy mountains. Runners exercising and locals enjoying the serenity. Located walking distance from downtown, it's easy to visit this area. Take a walk of view this location.
Written December 21, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Barb J
Bellingham, WA122 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
The walk along the lagoon is lovely in August. The grasses are tall and green, the fireweed is still in bloom and the waterfowl abound. Take time to appreciate the beauty.
Written August 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Utah-Indy
Helotes, TX1,789 contributions
Sep 2017 • Friends
What a fantastic place to walk, jog, bike or walk your dog. We walked the Tony Knowles Trail from downtown to this location.
I loved the electronic sign that recorded how many bicyclists went by each day, month and year to date. At this point in September there had been over 225,000 recorded bicyclists. Roughly 234 this day alone.
There's a playground for the little kids. Some limited parking at the edge of U street not far from 13th.
I envy the home owners in the area. I would love to have access to the trail and the views every day.
A small cafe is on site with tables for customers. Food and drinks are very reasonable. The owner was grilling reindeer sausages when we arrived. People were friendly.
I would highly recommend a trip here. The day was beautiful and the 1.5-2mile walk along the trail from downtown was nice and had several benches to rest and reflect on the views.
I loved the electronic sign that recorded how many bicyclists went by each day, month and year to date. At this point in September there had been over 225,000 recorded bicyclists. Roughly 234 this day alone.
There's a playground for the little kids. Some limited parking at the edge of U street not far from 13th.
I envy the home owners in the area. I would love to have access to the trail and the views every day.
A small cafe is on site with tables for customers. Food and drinks are very reasonable. The owner was grilling reindeer sausages when we arrived. People were friendly.
I would highly recommend a trip here. The day was beautiful and the 1.5-2mile walk along the trail from downtown was nice and had several benches to rest and reflect on the views.
Written September 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott G
Los Angeles, CA486 contributions
Jun 2017 • Family
Go here to see bald eagles close up! I saw one as soon as I stepped onto the boardwalk, seconds after arriving! It flew over about thirty feet above me, holding a fish in its talons and being chased by seagulls! My family and I were here about an hour, and we saw bald eagles pass over 3 or 4 times, very low, including one right over the playground on the northwest side of the park. We stayed on the far west side of the lagoon, the side nearest the ocean. We parked on and entered from Woodworth Circle road (which deadends at the lagoon), off Forest Park Drive. The signage to reach the lagoon is iffy, it took some GPS "blue dotting" on my phone. Hint: listening for several screeching birds. That was the sound of the seagulls following the eagles when we were there.
Lots of ducks and other birds here too, and a nice peaceful area. Plus my kids loved the playground, which has some fun, unique equipment. But I came here because I'd heard it was frequented by bald eagles, and I was not disappointed! We saw eagles on our cruise of Prince William Sound, but they were very far away. Here they were awesomely close!
Lots of ducks and other birds here too, and a nice peaceful area. Plus my kids loved the playground, which has some fun, unique equipment. But I came here because I'd heard it was frequented by bald eagles, and I was not disappointed! We saw eagles on our cruise of Prince William Sound, but they were very far away. Here they were awesomely close!
Written August 5, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JJTrouble
Anchorage, AK212 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
If you are visiting Anchorage from out of town and looking for a safe and popular place to walk or run or ride a bike and do some people watching, this is probably the best place to start. Finding a parking spot on a nice day can be challenging, but there's plenty of parking along the side of the road if the lots are full. Westchester Lagoon has something for just about everyone. A multi-use trail gives you access to the coastline both north and south, and you can also go east into "midtown" Anchorage on the Chester Creek section of the trail. Beware, if you do choose to use the creekside section of trail, there are sections that are well known by locals to harbor homeless and vagrants. Walking that section alone in the dark is not advisable. From Westchester Lagoon is a popular place for birders, and other wildlife such as moose are often seen along the coastal trail from here, so keep your eyes pealed.
Written May 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Catherine T
Saint Louis, MO39 contributions
Sep 2016 • Solo
This is the location I pick up the Coastal Trail when heading out on a run. Beautiful views, opportunities to see a variety of birds species and salmon, this lagoon is a beautiful place for a picnic, start your walk/run or come to skate during the winter. This area also has a great playground for kids.
Written October 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
robindarbonne1
Anchorage, AK
Does the park have BBQ grills to use? Do you just bring your own charcoal?
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Claim your listingWestchester Lagoon - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Westchester Lagoon
- Hotels near Westchester Lagoon:
- (0.64 mi) Susitna Place
- (0.82 mi) Judy's Touch of Class B&B
- (0.45 mi) City Garden Bed & Breakfast
- (0.33 mi) Anchorage Downtown B&B at Raspberry Meadows
- (0.85 mi) Copper Whale Inn
- Restaurants near Westchester Lagoon:
- (0.78 mi) Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop
- (0.89 mi) International House of Hot Dogs
- (1.15 mi) Wild Scoops
- (1.13 mi) 49th State Brewing - Anchorage
- (0.92 mi) Snow City Cafe
Westchester Lagoon Information
Excellent Reviews | 52 |
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Very Good Reviews | 27 |
Westchester Lagoon Photos | 26 |