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Denali National Park

Denali Park

Denali South

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Denali Park

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Denali South

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Alaska Range from Talkeetna

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Primrose Ridge Denali National Park is one of the few locations well known outside Alaska as a hiking mecca, which is ironic because there are almost no trails whatsoever in the park. A lot of visitors show up here with brand new backpacks and light hiking boots, and are befuddled to learn that hiking here means picking your way up gravel bars along the rivers, setting out cross-country across open tundra, and inevitably dealing with the ubiquitous tussocks and mosquitoes of the interior and arctic tundra. Personally, I strongly disagree with the Park Service’s strategy here – the lack of trails is a conscious decision, meant to keep the park and its wildlife “truly” wild. In my opinion, the park’s popularity dictates that it should be managed like those in the lower 48 – roads to spectacular viewpoints, and trails to access a substantial chunk of the backcountry. There are millions of acres of national parkland in Alaska, and almost no official trails in any of it. Some substantial trail mileage should be built in Denali in order to fill this niche. Anyway, I said my piece, but it’s also worth noting that most of the Denali Park Road is above tree and brush line, so the cross country hiking difficulty here is about as reasonable as you’ll find anywhere (similar to the Brooks Range). One more thing that frustrates a lot of Denali visitors is that the mountain itself is rarely visible. Even on days that would be described as “clear” people ask where the mountain is. “Behind the cloud.” “What cloud?” “That cloud.” The terrain closer to the park road is beautiful – brightly colored cliffs, glacial streams, snow streaked low mountains (low only by comparison), vast stretches of tundra, etc. If you schedule a trip into the park in advance, you need to be content with this landscape and make do without seeing the big mountain itself. A couple more possible disappointing factors… First I know there are people who only budget time to go to “Denali Park,” the strip of summer-only businesses and resort hotels along the Parks Highway beside the roaring Nenana River. Up here, we call it “Glitter Gulch.” Denali itself is certainly not visible from here, and neither are any other particularly impressive mountains. Even if you don’t have time to really do the park justice, at least drive up the park road, past the visitors center, to Savage River. This paved road gets up into the tundra, offers a distant view of the mountain, and a couple short trails. Lastly, the fact that you can’t drive your own car past Savage River on the park road bugs a lot of people. This was done mostly to keep from scaring the plentiful wildlife away from the road corridor with excessive traffic. And I have to admit it works – seeing big mammals is almost guaranteed on a bus trip out to Eielson Visitors Center and Wonder Lake. On the other hand, if cramming into an old bus with a bunch of clueless gawking tourists sounds like nails on a chalkboard, drive out the Denali Highway between Cantwell and Paxson instead. This is a somewhat rough gravel road, and travels through unprotected land (popular in hunting season) in the southern tundra foothills of the Alaska Range. You’ll see less wildlife, and Mts. Deborah and Hayes will have to stand in for Denali, but you’ll also travel through beautiful country similar to the national park, and see a whole lot less people. The hike to Primrose Ridge is along a boot beaten path from the Denali Park Road, about a mile and a quarter past Savage River. Since you can drive your own car to Savage, Primrose Ridge is one of the few hikes in the park that can be done without crowding into the tourist bus. The unsigned boot beaten path steeply ascends the valley wall, quickly leaving the tall brush behind. The day I visited was extremely windy, and early season snow obscured a substantial portion of the route. My assumption is that the boot path peters out when the tundra gives way to scree. Some steep slopes and possible scrambling lead up onto the ridge. The highpoint (I think it’s called Mt. Margaret) is composed of a jumble of rock outcroppings. The weather conditions when I was there are quite normal for the interior side of the mountains when a Pacific weather system sweeps across the state. It’s probably safe to assume it was raining buckets in Valdez. An enormous multi-layered lenticular cloud obscured Denali, though Mt. Deborah in the eastern Alaska Range was still visible. Round Trip: 7.2 miles, including road walk from Savage River. Elevation Gain: 2439ft, including road walk.

View from Primrose Ridge, Alaska Range

Denali from Primrose Ridge (it was very windy)

Denali from Primrose Ridge

Primrose Ridge Hike

Kesugi Ridge There is a network of trails along the whole length of Kesugi Ridge in Denali State Park, across the broad valley from Denali and the rest of the Central Alaska Range. The only section I have hiked is the northern access up Little Coal Creek. This is the quickest route to the high country, and has excellent views from the high tundra up top. Round Trip: about 6.4 miles to the high country Elevation Gain: 2000 feet.

Kesugi Ridge, near Talkeetna

Alaska Range from Kesugi Ridge

hiking on Kesugi Ridge, Denali State Park

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Kesugi Ridge Hike, Parks Highwa

Kesugi Ridge Hike

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Far Eastern Alaska Range Even further off the beaten path than the Richardson Highway corridor through the Eastern Alaska Range, the Tok Cutoff and a portion of the Alaska Highway pass through wild, beautiful mountain country that sees very little recreational traffic. Blocked from the coast by both the Chugach and Wrangell Mountains to the south, this region has one of the dryest climates in the state, along with some of the most extreme summer - winter temperature extremes. The town of Tok receives only 8 inches of precipitation in an average year. Due to the lack of violent weather systems, summer snow line and treeline are relatively high, and the ranges here are somewhat reminiscent of the rocky mountain states. When bad weather plagues much of the state, this is often the place to be. Just don't expect anything resembling infrastructure. This is where you come to explore, not to follow the paths of others. The advantage to this is that you don't have to worry so much about impact. Have you ever wanted to practice bushcraft skills in a remote environment? This is the place. Though it's at the top of my list to explore further, there is much about this area that I don't know yet. On the map below, I've marked trailheads that I've come across, though I don't know exactly where the trails go. Have fun!

Far Eastern Alaska Range

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Far Eastern Alaska Range

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Johnson River Bridge, between Delta and Tok

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Tanana River near Tok

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MacComb Plateau A single track trail that climbs from the Delta area Tanana lowlands directly up into the rocky, alpine expanse of the eastern Alaska Range? I was certain no such trail existed for years but lo and behold, behind the Dry Creek religious commune, horsepacking hunters have built just such a trail. It makes an excellent hearty dayhike or an even better overnighter. And with the open, alpine country this trail accesses, who knows what sort of trips could start here? Getting to the trailhead isn't too tough once you know where to go. About 43 miles southeast of Delta Junction along the Alaska Highway, and not too far past the Johnson River bridge, there is a road with some mailboxes to the south, perhaps signed 'Dry Creek.' Follow this for a little ways until you see an airstrip off to the right (doubles as a shooting range for locals). Take a look for approaching planes and drive right down the strip to the far end and find an out of the way spot to park near the trees at the edge. The trail starts off wide and rocky, heading south from the end of the airstrip. Keep right at a junction, and eventually you'll find yourself walking through some grassy, boggy areas. Waterproof boots are desireable here. The trail then climbs through thicker forest and some blowdowns must be negotiated. There's a campsite next to Dry Creek shortly before the trail (now narrow, single track) enters the subalpine and climbs more steeply. Eventually come to a nice view above a brushy canyon. This marks a decent turnaround for a dayhike. The trail continues, switchbacking down into the canyon and then back up the other side, climbing incessantly through higher tundra up a minor valley to a pass. This is the edge of MacComb Plateau and the change in scenery before you is startling. The high, icy peaks of the Alaska Range rise beyond a large, surprisingly flat grassy expanse that could double for the arctic. And like the arctic, much of the plateau is boggy, but there is good dry wandering both left and right up into higher country studded with picturesque rock outcrops. Round Trip: about 11 miles to the edge of the plateau Elevation Gain: 3200ft.

Macomb Plateau

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Cathedral Rapids I only call this hike Cathedral Rapids because it begins at that named feature along the Tanana River, about 20 miles northwest of the town of Tok. The hike begins from a prominent communications tower accessed by a gravel road, and leads into rugged mountainous country without any named features. The last time I was there, I had to scout around a bit for the faint trail that leads up the hill (somebody had plopped a brush pile right at the beginning). This trail is a barely used 4-wheeler path that looks like it’s been cut in only recently. It is very rough, even for walking, and the mossy black spruce forest underlain by permafrost is very buggy in summer. Near tree line, the trail drops a bit and the temptation is to keep heading up through the low dwarf birch shrubbery. I’ve done that, and the shrubs make walking difficult enough that I recommend keeping to the trail as it sidehills. Soon, you’ll find yourself under a steeper slope with some lichen-y talus areas. Ascend this slope, avoiding the brush as much as possible. From the top, the hike is mostly on easy walking dryas tundra, then talus and scree as you head higher. The ridge to follow is obvious from this point, and has only one excessively steep section (tough, not dangerous). I went only as far as the first prominent ridge bump (bring lots of water), but looking at the map after that made me regret not going a little further, as point 6660 is on the main divide and would have offered a much better view. Round Trip: 8 miles (can turn back earlier) Elevation Gain: 4900ft.

Cathedral Rapids

Cathedral Rapids Hike

Cathedral Rapids Hike, Tok (2)

Cathedral Rapids Hike, Tok (3)

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Cathedral Rapids Hike, Tok

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Tok Lakes Ok, so truth be told, I don't know what to call this hike. No features in the basin are named on the USGS maps, and I haven't bothered to ask in Tok about local names. In any case though, the hike described is a fantastic, relatively short trip up into a gorgeous alpine basin dotted with tarns. In this part of Alaska where we're practically still stuck in the ice age, glacier carved cirque lakes are surprisingly rare, so this is a real gem. The trailhead is a little obscure (remember, no trails out here are signed...) About 15 miles north of Tok, the Alaska Highway will leave the burned flats as it approaches the mountains. Quickly, there will be a turn onto a gravel road on the left. The road is not really driveable, so park as soon as there's room on the left. Walk down the road about an eighth of a mile and there will be a barely noticeable two track trail on the right. Surprisingly, this keeps going, all the way up into the alpine. There are no turnoffs to distract you, so enjoy the rocky boreal spruce forest as it climbs up into the mountains. There are a couple boggy sections, but nothing bad by interior Alaska standards. When I hiked it in the fall of 2013, about 1/3 of the trail had been cleared after a major windstorm. The rest was easy to hike with branches lopped off and a couple flagged detours. There's even a makeshift bridge across the creek about half way up. Eventually, the trail climbs through the shrubby subalpine and then into the strikeingly beautiful cirque. There is a tarn off to the left, near the mouth of the cirque, or one may easily continue up to the right. There is a good viewpoint from a bench several hundred feet up, but it appears easy to continue on up, probably even up as high as the craggy divide behind the cirque. Round Trip: 5 miles to the cirque, about 8.5 miles to the peaks above. Elevation Gain: 2140ft. to cirque, 4000ft. to the peaks.

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Denali Highway

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Denali Highway in spring

Denali Highway, Susitna River

Institute Peak from near Paxson

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Susitna River, Denali Highway (2)

Nenana River, Denali Highway

Mt. Sanford from the Denali Highway

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Mt. Hayes from McLaren Summit

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Clearwater Mountains

Clearwater Mountains

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Haines, Skagway

Haines and Skagway

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Haines and Skagway

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Chena River

Chena Trails

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Chena Trails

Angel Rocks The upper Chena River, 40-50 miles east of Fairbanks is probably the most heavily used recreation area in interior Alaska. With well maintained hiking trails, 4-wheeler trails (they’re separate here), a river to float, groomed cross country skiing, and a developed hot spring at the end, the place is popular with locals year round. Of the trails here, Angel Rocks is probably the easiest and most popular. It leads through typical boreal forest up into a subalpine area with rock outcrops and towers in the trees. It’s a pleasant outing, but like most interior trails, not really worth traveling great distances to experience. For a fuller day of hiking, the trail continues higher up onto a divide and then drops down to the Chena Hot Springs Resort. The popularity of this trail is likely to make it a good winter snowshoeing trip, with a clear packed trail. Round Trip: about 3 miles to rock outcrops Elevation gain: 800ft.

Angel Rocks

Hike in Chena recreation area

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Granite Tors Another trail in the Chena River Recreation Area, this one leads up to some interesting rock outcrops on a high tundra ridge. It’s one of the better known trails in the interior for a few reasons. One, photographs of the tors jutting out of the flat tundra are unusual and striking. Second, this is one of only a handful of foot-only interior trails of a respectable length (15 miles). Third, it makes a complete loop. The tors are a worthwhile destination, but by the standards of a visiting hiker, they probably aren’t worth the hike which passes through a great deal of unpleasant burned over country without the benefit of spectacular views. There are still some nice (but buggy) stretches of unburned forest, but they’re the exception. There’s a trail shelter roughly half way through, up on the ridge but it’s pretty shabby – I don’t recommend spending the night in it. Still when July Anchorage weather feels like November in Seattle, an escape to Granite Tors and the sunny Chena River Valley rewards visitors with a flexible schedule. Loop trip: about 15 miles Elevation Gain: 3700ft.

Granite Tors

Tundra near Granite Tors

Chena Recreation Area

Chena River State Recreation Area

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Granite Tors trail

Granite Tors, east of Fairbanks

Granite Tors

Rock Creek near Granite Tors, end of September

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Steese Highway Radiating from the small city of Fairbanks are a series of rural roads, partly paved and partly gravel, which lead into a series of boreal forest covered hills, low rolling tundra mountains, and boggy lowland flats that comprise interior Alaska. The interior has a bit of a reputation for being the boring part of the state, with repetitive and relatively uninspiring scenery. Though I won't argue that the coastal regions are far more jaw dropping, this region has slowly grown on me. On the coast, one can feel hemmed in and overwhelmed by steep, imposing mountains, while in the interior, the simpler things like slow, clear rivers, highly variable boreal forest, lingering low angle sunlight, and just the untouched vastness of Alaska can be better appreciated. Though Chena Hot Springs Road is the most popular gateway into this country, the Steese Highway is my favorite, as it accesses a wider range of terrain, and provides a relatively quick slice of "the real Alaska" within a fairly easy range from Fairbanks. Every year it seems, more of the road is paved. As of the last time I went out there, the pavement ended just before the climb up to Eagle Summit. Every time I've driven the Steese, the gravel portion is exceptionally well graded out to the tiny town of Central, and then turns into a more normal rough gravel road from there. There are several side roads off the Steese, the most important being the one cutting off to the north at US Creek. This road climbs over a scenic ridge and accesses the Mt. Prindle and Nome Creek Valley areas, for hikes, rock climbing, biking, and a fairly popular float trip.

Steese Trails

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Steese Trails

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40-Mile Country

40-Mile

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40-Mile

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Mount Fairplay Nice hike in a mostly boring area along the Taylor Highway between Tok and Chicken. There are several places one can start, though some light brush at the bottom is likely anywhere. Round Trip: 4.4 miles. Elevation gain: 2100ft.

Mt. Fairplay

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American Summit Not the most spectacular hike, but a good way to stretch legs along a road trip to Eagle. Open tundra - a little wet in spots, but not too bad. Round trip: about 8 miles to high point, but can turn around wherever. Elevation gain: 1200ft.

American Summit

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Eagle Bluff This is a fun but difficult scramble immediately above the tiny town of Eagle. I went the direct way, immediately across the creek from town, but there is apparently a less death defying route upstream a ways. The direct route is steep enough that I would recommend trying to find a better route. Round Trip: 2-5 miles, depending on route. Elevation Gain: 1000-1500ft. depending on route.

Eagle Bluff

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Mt. Prindle This is one of the few designated hikes in interior Alaska that can compete with Pinnell Mountain in terms of overall quality. If anything, the scenery is better, but the lower part of the trail is quite boggy for several miles, until the valley bottom is left, the muddy path disappears in favor of dry alpine tundra. Up there, an absurdly spectacular stegosaurus ridge of granite pinnacles is traversed, eventually leading to the summit of the highest mountain in the area. As a side note, the back side of Mt. Prindle has a 900 foot wall of vertical granite - one of the few really good rock climbing venues in interior Alaska. About an hour out the Steese Highway from Fairbanks, take a left onto gravel US Creek Road. This climbs steeply over a fire scarred divide with far flung views of empty rounded mountains, and down into pretty little subalpine Nome Creek valley. For some reason, this area reminds me a great deal of the dry lonely mountains of the northeastern Cascades and Okanogan Mountains of Washington. If you like that country, you will appreciate this place. Take a right at the junction and quickly arrive at a rustic campground and trailhead. The trail is not especially heavily traveled and can be tough to figure out at first. Drop down and cross Nome Creek and follow it upstream for a bit, crossing a tributary coming in from the right. The trail becomes obvious just on the far side of this gully, up on the tundra. When I did the hike it was quite wet. I wore rubber boots for the first several miles, packing light hiking shoes for the dry upper part of the hike. That worked well. From the basin at the head of Nome Creek, climb up and right and find yourself on the previously described ridge of pinnacles. The ridge leads to Mt. Prindle over one significant false summit. Round Trip: about 17 miles. Elevation Gain: 3300 ft.

Mt. Prindle

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Pinnell Mountain Because of its low population and difficult trail building conditions, interior Alaska has few designated hiking trails. Perhaps the most unique and best of the lot, this one sticks to an undulating subarctic ridgeline, entirely above treeline for the length of a marathon. Some sections are a bit muddy, but not bad at all by local standards, helped in part by several miles worth of narrow boardwalk across large soggy sections. This hike connects the two passes along the Steese Highway northeast of Fairbanks. In order to do the whole thing, you'll need a ride between the trailheads. Though there's not a lot of traffic along here, I didn't have any trouble hitchhiking when I did the trip. The far trailhead is a bit over two hours from Fairbanks, and another half hour puts you in the tiny town of Central where hot meals and beds are available. The place is pretty much straight out of the gold rush - not in a touristy way - more like the gold rush has not yet ended. This region in the eastern Yukon valley is about as close to the wild west as still exists. The last few miles before the trailheads are not paved, but are excellent quality gravel (and they keep paving more of this road). I would risk driving a rental out here. The hike itself is well marked and pretty self explanatory. The views are ever present but ebb and flow as you cross minor summits and saddles. Two trail shelters are located roughly at thirds along the hike. These cabins have water catchment barrels, which are the best source of water along this long ridge hike. Obviously it should be treated. Even though it's spectacular and unusual, the repetitive nature of the hike might be a disappointment. I did it in about 14 hours over an endless summer night, about a week before solstice. The beautiful 10 hour sunset-sunrise sequence kept me highly entertained. This close to the arctic circle, the sun only went behind the horizon for an hour or so. Hiking the high country of the interior this way is highly recommended. One Way: about 26 miles. Elevation Gain: +6200ft. -5700ft. (Twelvemile to Eagle Summit)

Pinnell Mountain

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Wrangell St. Elias National Park

Wrangell St. Elias North

Wrangell St. Elias Central

Wrangell St. Elias South

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and here:

Wrangell St. Elias South

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Wrangells from Nabesna Road

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Bonanza Mine / Root Glacier Wrangell St. Elias National Park …where to begin. This place should be in the dictionary next to the word “superlative.” I’ve barely scratched the surface of the place, which is best known for spectacular fly-in, off-trail hiking destinations (next summer!). Still, there are some fantastic trips from the Nabesna and McCarthy Roads (40 and 60 miles respectively, both gravel). From the end of the road at Kennicott River, a 5 mile shuttle van (or walk) is required to reach the old Kennicott Mine, perched right next to the enormous Kennicott Glacier, draining 16,000+ft. Mt. Blackburn. Folks who find the Monte Cristo mining site in Washington interesting will go apeshit here… The little town of McCarthy, just across the footbridge from the road end is just about frozen in time, about as authentic as inhabited ghost towns get. It’s become almost “hip” in the last few years – like Talkeetna for folks really in the know. Check ahead for the possibility of live music or other refreshingly non-touristy local events. All the backcountry routes from Kennicott start as a continuation of the road through the mill site. The Root Glacier Trail continues straight ahead, while the trails to Bonanza and Jumbo Mines cut off to the right, straight past some private residences, which is a little weird. The mine trails are also open to 4-wheelers (well, only local landowners can ride these trails) which also seems strange in the national park. The trail to Bonanza climbs about 4,000 feet in 4 miles, though it honestly seems longer. The mine is far above treeline, even beyond the tundra, and Bonanza Peak looming another 1,000 feet above would probably make an excellent scramble. The trail though winds through a great deal of avalanche decimated mining junk which goes well beyond quaintness. Only those extremely into the history will find this jumble of boulders, boilers, and old timber interesting. If you’ve only got time for a single hike, I’d recommend skipping these mines and heading out towards the Root Glacier. Two miles from Kennicott (mostly flat), you’ll come to an excellent camping area where a side trail cuts down the hill to access the Root. This glacier is mostly bare ice, while Kennicott Glacier is largely covered in moraine, an interesting contrast. This beautiful backcountry campground comes complete with food lockers (black bears are very common here) and an outhouse. This spot would make an excellent basecamp. The well established trail continues along the Root roughly 4 miles from Kennicott. Before the end however, you can drop down onto the Root Glacier moraine and pick your way to the icefall, which is one of the tallest in the world. Alternatively, you can turn uphill and follow a rough track up to Erie Mine. I didn’t go that way, but I wish I had. I’ll be back… I also have to mention that a great deal of spectacular backcountry is accessible across Root Glacier. Like many low elevation valley glaciers in Alaska, ropes and climbing gear aren’t necessary on the “dry” glacier (just ice, no snowcover) but crampons are a very good idea. Donahoe Peak, Packsaddle Island, glacier dammed Hidden Lake and the pass behind it… Check out the map and guidebook. Round Trip: 7 miles to Bonanza Mine, About 9 miles to end of Root Trail. Elevation Gain: 3900ft. to Bonanza Mine, about 1000 feet to Root.

Bonanza Mine

On the trail to Bonanza Mine

Bonanza Mine, Kennicott

Bonanza Mine, Wrangell St. Elias

Bonanza Mine

Kennicott Glacier, Wrangell St. Elias

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Near Bonanza Mine

Root Glacier, near Kennicott

Confluence of Root and Kennicott Glaciers

Mt Blackburn, Kennicott

Root Glacier hike

Root Glacier Icefall, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

Root Glacier, Kennicott

Skookum Volcano A signed trailhead and a maintained non-motorized trail are a real rarity and gift in this part of the state, way, WAY off the beaten path. This trail starts at MP 36.8 of the Nabesna Road. Be aware that getting back here requires driving through a couple (usually) small creeks along the road. This isn’t generally a problem but heavy rain or a low clearance vehicle could make it a problem. Before long the nice foot trail joins a bouldery creek bed, and the way is led by cairns and an occasional bit of tread. The route turns up a side drainage and climbs above brush line where the trail actually becomes a bit more apparent again, and leads up to a pass. This is officially the end, but the boot path up the small peak to the north is a mandatory extention. This is a short hike, but its high quality really surprised me. The views are of steep jagged mountains near and far, as well as fascinating volcanic rock formations. One could certainly explore further from here, but steep talus and scree are likely to make that tiring. On the plus side though, this area is one of the driest high mountain regions in Alaska, shielded from the south by the Chugach and Wrangells, and from the west by the bulk of the Alaska Range. Despite the cold climate, even peaks above 7000 feet are not glaciated here. When you consider glacier accumulation zones at barely 2000 feet along some sections of the coast, this fact becomes quite significant and appreciated. Round Trip: about 5.4 miles. Elevation Gain: 2400ft.

Skookum Volcano

Skookum Volcano Hike

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Valdez

Valdez

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Valdez

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Bridal Veil Falls, Valdez

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Worthington Glacier Though it begins at a popular highway rest stop, the version of this hike described here ascends far up onto an alpine ridge where few people go, it seems. I found it to be one of the most spectacular road accessible dayhikes in the state. The first part of the trail switchbacks through thick alders up onto the crest of the Worthington Glacier moraine. From here, the key is to find the right spot to drop down to the left, across a small creek, and then up onto the alpine tundra on the far side. There's only one spot where this can be done without bushwhacking. It's obvious to those used to routefinding, but there is no tread whatsoever. Once on the tundra, ascend up into a gully that leads to the upper part of the Worthington Glacier moraine (the ridge itself becomes too steep to follow directly for that middle portion). Once the ridge is reached, the rest of the hike is basically an easy scramble up the bedrock ridge. A bit of routefinding is required in a couple places, usually skirting steep pitches to the left. When I was up there in late summer, the way was snow free almost to the top of a mountain, though the narrow ridge was surrounded by glacier ice. Really a surreal spot. Round Trip: 4.6 miles. Elevation gain: 3000ft.

Worthington Glacier

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[Mega-Will]

Matanuska Valley

Lower Matanuska Valley

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Lower Matanuska Valley

Matanuska River from Palmer

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