GPRA Project Roadmap

The Mat-Su Ski Club leads the development of Nordic ski trails and related facilities at Government Peak Recreation Area (GPRA).

While other organizations are involved in creating different types of trails and the Borough continues its broader infrastructure planning, this page focuses specifically on the Mat-Su Ski Club’s completed, current, and future plans for Nordic skiing at GPRA.

Competed Projects:

The Mat-Su Borough built the Pioneer, Matanuska, and Susitna loops at GPRA, totaling 6 km; the Mat-Su Ski Club assumed grooming and maintenance responsibilities.
Mat-Su Ski Club led the “Light the Loop” campaign that brought trail lighting to those loops.
The Mat-Su Ski Club’s “Expand the Peak” project constructed the 5 km of Denali Loop trails to high-level competition standards with volunteer labor and club fundraising.
The Mat-Su Ski Club built the Flattop and Flattop Access rustic-but-groomed Nordic trails, adding 3 km.
The Mat-Su Ski Club modified the Matanuska Loop and added the Doublemint link and Backdoor Gap to bring the Matanuska Loop to FIS standards.
Homologation under FIS International Nordic race standards was granted to several Nordic race courses using the Denali and Matanuska Loops.
The Mat-Su Ski Club installed a professional-grade race timing facility and rescue sled garage in the Nordic stadium (just in time for the 2024 Arctic Winter Games!). This project almost tripled the permanent work and storage space available at GPRA.

Current Projects:

Stadium Improvement, Phase II.

5-Yr Planned Projects:

NORDIC TRAIL CONNECTING THE NEW PARKING LOT DIRECTLY TO THE PIONEER LOOP:

Skiers parking in the new lot have to walk about 250 yards up a steep footpath to access the trails. This project builds about a kilometer of new multi-use non-motorized Nordic ski trail that connects the new lot directly to the Pioneer Loop and the rest of the trail system. This will eliminate an arduous hike from the lot to the trails, and provide a dispersed trail access point when big events are overwhelming the main parking lot. Roughly estimated at $30k, the cost is heavily dependent on the design of the single creek crossing. See a map here.

EQUIPMENT GARAGE:

The Club now has an extensive fleet of machinery for grooming and maintaining the trails at GPRA and elsewhere (including 2 PistenBullys, 3 tracked ATVs, 2 snowmobiles, 4 drags, and 1 tractor mower), all of it stored outdoors at volunteers houses, or outdoors at the trailhead in winter. This project will build a secure and logistically wonderful building at GPRA to house our grooming equipment. Estimated to cost $750k to $2 million.

PIONEER LOOP EXTENSION:

3-7 kilometers of new multi-use non-motorized Nordic ski trail extending eastward from the Pioneer Loop. This project is estimated to cost $75k. See a map here.

STADIUM IMPROVEMENT PHASE III:

Flatten the area north of the Chalet parking lot, expanding into the hillside a bit. This will provide additional flat area for beginners and more congregation space. Importantly, this project will flatten and make easier the beginning (and ending) of the Pioneer Loop, making it a better trail for beginners or less able skiers. $50k.

ALASKA LONG TRAIL:

This is not a Mat-Su Ski Club project but it bears noting. A non-motorized multi-use segment of the Alaska Long Trail is planned to connect GPRA to Skeetawk. https://www.alaska-trails.org/alaska-long-trail