Plants cespitose or shortly rhizomatous. Culms 25-90 cm, sometimes decumbent; nodes often exposed, glabrous or pubescent. Ligules 0.2-0.6 mm; blades 3-7 mm wide. Spikes 3.5-14 cm; internodes scabrous on the edges. Glumes glabrous, scabrous or sparsely hairy, hairs to about 0.2 mm; lemmas glabrous or hairy, sometimes more densely hairy distally, hairs about 0.2 mm, apices unawned or awned, awns to 7 mm, straight.

Elymus alaskanus subsp. alaskanus grows on river banks and hillsides, primarily north of 50- N latitude.