We used to go up to Eklutna Lake for picnics and driftwood bonfires on the gravel beach
It was just a few miles up the road from Chugiak so perfect for a quick getaway.
One time at Thunderbird Falls, a couple friends and I got adventurous and climbed up above the falls. As "brave mountaineers" we scrambled up this cliff and found ourselves in somebody's backyard looking right into their patio door - oops!