Turnagain Arm · By bike
Bird-to-Gird Bike Path
13 paved, traffic-free miles along Turnagain Arm between Indian and Girdwood
Length
~13 mi one way
Surface
Paved, separated path
Between
Indian (MP 103) & Girdwood
Season
Snow-free months
The Bird-to-Gird trail — officially the Indian-to-Girdwood pathway — is a paved, separated bike-and-pedestrian path running about 13 miles along the shore of Turnagain Arm. Set back from the Seward Highway, it lets you travel the arm under your own power, with Dall sheep on the cliffs above, belugas in the water, and the bore tide rolling through if you time it right.
Live tide timing
Next good bores
Tomorrow
Mon, Jun 29
Tuesday
Tue, Jun 30
Wednesday
Wed, Jul 1
Thursday
Thu, Jul 2
Times for Hope / Mile 13 · arrive ~20–30 min early. The mudflats are deadly — stay on the gravel above the waterline.
Featured partner
Advertise to bore tide visitors
This spot reaches people actively planning a bore tide trip to Turnagain Arm. Perfect for surf schools, wetsuit rental, Girdwood lodging, guided tours, or gear shops.
Inquire → [email protected]The route
The path connects the Indian trailhead area to Girdwood, paralleling the arm and the highway but separated from traffic. It's mostly gentle, with arm-level views the whole way. Many riders go one direction and arrange a shuttle, or ride out and back from either end.
Wildlife along the way
Turnagain Arm is one of the best roadside wildlife corridors in Southcentral Alaska. Watch the cliffs for Dall sheep — especially around Windy Corner — and scan the water for Cook Inlet beluga whales in summer. Bald eagles are common along the shore.
Time it to the bore
Because the path runs right along the arm, you can plan a ride to coincide with a passing bore tide. Check the live schedule, position yourself along the trail before the predicted time, and watch the wall of water move up the inlet from the saddle of your bike.
Pro tip
Riding from Indian toward Girdwood, you usually finish at the resort — an easy way to combine a ride with the Alyeska tram, food, or the Nordic Spa.
For business owners
Riders pass your door daily
Cyclists and beluga-watchers travel the full Bird-to-Gird path right past your shop, cafe, or lodge. Get an official Last Frontier Events listing so they know to stop in.
More things to do nearby
Alyeska Resort
Alaska's premier mountain resort — 15 minutes up the arm from the bore
Ride the Alaska Railroad
The Glacier Discovery train along the arm — and the only way in to Spencer Glacier
Whitewater Rafting on Sixmile Creek
Class IV–V glacier canyons by Hope — and gentler floats nearby
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
A nonprofit refuge at the head of the arm — and the herd that brought wood bison back to Alaska
Portage Valley & Whittier
Glaciers at the head of the arm, the one-lane tunnel, and Prince William Sound
Hiking Out of Girdwood
From the historic Crow Pass to easy rainforest waterfalls