Mount Verstovia Trail is a 4.5 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Sitka, Alaska that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
A beautiful mountain during the winter and summer. Immense views of the surrounding water ways and vast mountains further into the island. Making a summit push in the winter is a little rare and you need all of the right tools. Most people opt for the skis and snowboard in winter.
trail is well maintained. I'd put it between little si and mount si if your fimilar with the issaquah alps in WA. not hard just a longer grind, very slippery tho.
The view with this trail were amazing and more than I had hoped for! However the trail is a bit difficult to traverse due to the unpredictable roots. Typically I can run down a trail with ease however the rocks and roots can be quite slick. If you can time the hike right with the evasive sun of Sitka, the trail is wonderful and beyond beautiful. Wear your rain gear and bring a camera! This trail was worth the hike and is adequately rated as difficult, some parts of the trail I was climbing due to my short legs. Short people be warned, tall people worry not. I stopped at picnic rock because the trail to Verstovia point was very washed out.
The trail contains stairs/ steps periodically but can definitely get rough (rocky and steep) at times. You can find patches of snow on and along the trail in early spring. The trail is difficult to follow at times but the view is stunning and totally worth the effort. I recommend making a trip of it with a small pack containing water, a snack, light jacket, and a camera!
I think it’s crazy to call this moderate compared to others like the virtually flat Indian River trail in Sitka nearby. If you’re an experienced hiker, I could see this being more easy. It’s doable, but there’s tons of tree roots boulders and not a ton of room for error walking, so I’d put it in the difficult rating. It was absolutely stupendous and I’ve never seen more stunning views. Bring good shoes, more than a bottle of water and let people know where you are going if you take this to Arrowhead, especially If you are a novice. Enjoy! It’s a amazing hike!
The trail was quite enjoyable to walk up and a little less to come down. I appreciate all of the work that has gone into the steps, cables and ropes. I did find myself off of the trail once but that was my own fault. looking down at my foot placement and I missed a switchback. Others had as well so I followed their footsteps up the drainage and back on to the trail. The trail is rated moderate but I give it a difficult. even though there has been significant step work, there are sections that require some hand and leg work. I was fortunate and the sun came out as I approached the 1st summit at 2550. I did not go on due to my lack of time.
Incredible hike with amazing views of ocean, bays, and snow covered mountains. This is a fairly steep climb but the trail is well maintained. It has a cool rain forest feel. We had perfect weather during this hike/trail run at the end of May. Slide down some snow on Verstovia.