Perseverance Trail is a former rail line turned hiking trail and is named for the gold mine the rail line once serviced. The trail is 3 miles round-trip. that quickly climbs above the Gold Creek Valley. Along the way, there are old mine shafts and some sections of trail with steep drops towards Gold Creek. Near the end of the trail, there are options for continuing an additional 1.5 miles to the summit of Mount Juneau or a short hike to the top of Ebner Falls. The trail starts in a mixed deciduous and coniferous forest type which fades to more shrubby vegetation in the higher elevation areas.

Although Rock and White-tailed Ptarmigan have been seen on this trail, you would likely need to continue hiking on the trail toward Mount Juneau or take the spur into Granite Basin to reach true alpine habitats. The forested and shrubby habitats provide great habitat for Wilson’s, Yellow and Orange-crowned Warblers and singing Fox Sparrows. The large cottonwoods on the lower trail may yield American Redstarts.

Directions:

The Perseverance Trailhead is located at the end of Basin Road, approximately 2 miles from the waterfront in Juneau.

Trail Information:

• Alaska.org: Perseverance Trail 
• AllTrails.com: Perseverance Trail 

Birding Resources:

• eBird Hotspot: Perseverance Trail & Gold Creek Basin

Bird Species Checklist:

• Juneau checklist