Castle Mountain looks like it was relocated from the Canadian Rockies. It stands alone in its appearance and is hard to miss when driving up the Glenn Highway. Just look for the steep and terraced faced peak and you wont miss it.
The approach to Castle Mountain is not straight forward. First, drive approximately 1.5 hours north of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway to the town of Chickaloon. This is where it gets a little sketchy because parking is not well defined. Parking is probably best at the King Mountain Lodge because everything in the area is private property. If one makes it past the parking problem, a snow machine can make a quick approach or take in the scenery by skiis. An old coal mine road does exist from the north side of Chickaloon that takes one in close proximity to the mountain. In years past, this old road has been used to put in a snow machine trail. Once one gets to the base of the mountain, a ski is required to get close to each climb. On a good year, this area can develop up to five climbs of superb quality with most being situated on the east face of this mountain. Our thanks go out to Gabe Lydic for his help in getting up the guide for Castle Mountain.
ALERT: Theft in this area has been high. Do not leave any valuables in your vehicle.
