Cycling Ester Dome Ride 3.8 miles gaining 1,700’ at 8.3% average grade.
Climb summary by PJAMM ambassador Bryant Robbins, Palmer, Alaska.
Ester Dome is located outside Fairbanks Alaska and can be accessed from town via bike paths and quiet roads. The ride can be turned into a loop by adding Henderson Road, although this is a considerably more primitive option than the main Ester Dome Road. The climb itself is entirely gravel and generally steep. Although the gravel is mostly well compacted, it does make the ten-plus percent grades that little bit more challenging.
There are two summits at the top. The topo map lists the one to the right as Ester Dome, but the one to the left is slightly higher according to the map. There is an observatory, a number of antennas, and a giant swing at the top. We leave it to you to decide which is most interesting, but only the swing was open to the public when we were there. The summit seems to be a local gathering place. A band was setting up when we arrived at the top, so you might be greeted with music and a cold beverage if you ride it on a weekend.