6.1 miles
Distance
1,235 ft
Climb
-1,136 ft
Descent
00:55:51
Avg time

Outer Loop Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Ester Dome - Happy Valley Trail
    Fairbanks, Alaska
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue rate
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    XC
  • Direction
    Both Directions
  • Climb Difficulty
    Blue
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Family Friendly
    Yes
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • TTFs on Trail
    Berm, Other
  • Global Ranking
    #47641 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #63748 in Hiking
  • Local Popularity
    100 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 90 in Trail Running
    • 95 in Hiking
  • Year Opened
    2011
  • Land Owner
    Alaska Dept of Natural Resources - MLW

A singletrack flow trail that is very swoopy.

Short closure during spring break-up.
Dogs: Leashed
The Outer Loop is the longest trail of the Ester Dome Singletrack Happy Valley Trail System. Snaking its way around a forested loop on a south-facing hillside, this trail strikes a balance between winding forest singletrack and bermed-earth "bike-park" features. Similar in design to the Inner Loop, the trail bed is smooth and everything is do-able for a biker with intermediate skills. The trail runs mostly through open aspen forest with occasional forays into denser stands of mixed spruce and birch. Lots of squirrels and songbirds in the area, but especially keep watch for the occasional moose.

Take care at the intersections, as there are several. Look for the signs and colored reflectors (Inner Loop = Yellow, Outer Loop = Orange, TnT = Green). The Inner Loop and Outer Loop meet three times, the Equinox Marathon Trail crosses over the easternmost end of the Outer Loop, and the Henderson Drop-In meets the trail near its highest and westernmost point.

Access Info

Trailhead & parking, 1.6 mile Ester Dome Road.

Local Trail Association
  • trail association logo
  • Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to support
    trail development & maintenance.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
More Stats for Outer Loop mountain bike trail trail
  • Altitude change
    99 ft
  • Altitude min
    837 ft
  • Altitude max
    1,487 ft
  • Altitude start
    1,174 ft
  • Altitude end
    1,273 ft
  • Grade
    0.308%
  • Grade max
    -25.033%
  • Grade min
    21.86%
  • Distance climb
    3 miles
  • Distance down
    3 miles
  • Distance flat
    4,173 ft
  • Avg time
    00:55:51
  • Avg reverse time
    01:00:12
  • view trail stats
Status:
on Feb 3, 2025
Prevalent Mud
Avg: 4.31 (10 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
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      Directions to outer-loop-91489 trailhead (64.889830, -147.992900)
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      Outer Loop Trail Reports

      statusdatedescription
      Feb 3, 2025 @ 8:39pm
      Feb 3, 2025
      		 Pretty good overall a few patches of soft mud lots of leaves dirt but overall good can’t wait for the trails to be worked on!
      Nov 26, 2024 @ 6:14pm
      Nov 26, 2024
      		 Packed snow base is excellent, thanks to Joel and Chris. A bit of new snow on top made it squirrelly, but letting out plenty of air made it...
      Nov 28, 2023 @ 10:07am
      Nov 28, 2023
      		 Packed well by walkers and other bikers. A bit soft on the corners. Groomed by Goldstream Sports! The grooming helps smooth out the footprints of...
      Jun 9, 2023 @ 1:10pm
      Jun 9, 2023
      		 Trail was perfect and dirt was great. Maybe a mud spot or two.
      May 26, 2023 @ 3:48am
      May 26, 2023
      		 Wet leaves
      view all reports »

      Recent Ridelog Activity on Trail

      Past Week
      • 0 rides
      •  
      6 Months
      • 4 rides
      • 7 miles avg distance
      All
      • 45 rides
      • Last: Mar 8, 2025

      Photos

      more »
      84 |
      Jun 9, 2023 @ 11:21pm
      Jun 9, 2023
      56 |
      Sep 9, 2022 @ 7:24pm
      Sep 9, 2022
      87 |
      Nov 2, 2020 @ 10:42pm
      Nov 2, 2020
      93 |
      May 4, 2019 @ 3:08pm
      May 4, 2019

      Links

      1 Review & Comments


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      Alaska: Living The Wild Life - An MTB Road Trip
      18:13 | 7 | Feb 10, 2025 , Fairbanks

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      Ester Dome - Happy Valley Trail

      • By gcorthTF Pro & contributors
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