From parades to parties, there’s plenty going on around Chugiak-Eagle River this summer! Among the biggest events of the summer are the Annual Scottish Highland Games, the annual July 3 fireworks show in Lions Park, Chugiak’s Fourth of July Parade and the Bear Paw Festival. There’s also a full slate of races, community events and lots of Alaska Baseball League games at Loretta French Park on the Old Glenn Highway in Chugiak, where the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks play their home games. Hold onto this calendar all summer long to keep track of what promises to be a fun (and busy!) season in Chugiak-Eagle River.

Chugiak-Eagle River is one of the most scenic recreation destinations in the Anchorage area. In addition to numerous parks and trails, the area offers ample fishing and sightseeing opportunities for residents and visitors alike. This is far from a complete list, but here’s a rundown of some of the area’s most popular outdoor gems to get you started this summer.

Get out your boots and spurs, because a western-themed Bear Paw is right around the corner. The theme for this year’s annual community celebration is “Round-up at the Bear Paw Corral,” which Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber special events coordinator Merry Braham said should make for a stompin’ good time.

After drawing a record crowd at last year’s Alaska Scottish Highland Games, event chair Chris Anderson is hoping to repeat history this year. Anderson estimated 8,000 people — 3,000 more than the previous record — participated in the annual Scottish festivities at Eagle River’s Lions Park last year.

People from Girdwood to Anchorage to Eagle River to Hunter Creek along Knik River live adjacent to one of the largest and most unique state parks in the nation — Chugach State Park — a 495,000-acre recreationists’ paradise of mountains, valleys, lakes and streams and diverse wildlife. But in many locations, access to the park has become problematic and some of its trails are in dire need of maintenance, if not re-routing.