Earlier this summer three friends and I took advantage of Alaska’s 24-hour daylight to night hike Granite Tors in the Chena River State Recreation Area.
We started aaround 8:30 p.m. and finished the 15-mile loop trail around 3 a.m. We ran as much as possible of the challenging trail and took one or two snack breaks.
Two benefits are immediately noticeable when night hiking. Catching spectacular sunsets and avoiding scorching mid-day heat.
Two of my run hike partners descend toward some rock formations.
Sweeping vistas are common in the Chena River drainages.
During Alaska’s summer the sun often sets past midnight. This picture was taken around 12:30 a.m.
A forest fire scorched parts of the forest about 10 years ago.
Far North Light 
I’m going to have to come back to your blog next summer for inspiration on hiking! When my husband and I were in the Chena River SRA, we didn’t have extra time, but I would love to come back and do this hike. It is such a gorgeous area! I’m sure it’s beautiful for the next month or so, too, but we don’t have a schedule that will allow us to make the drive up. Ah well, next year, I guess.
Granite Tors is definitely one of my favorite Fairbanks-area hikes, though I need to expand more to the north. I really want to do Crow Pass some day soon.