Denali National Park hikes are different from hiking in other national parks. Why? Because Denali National Park is HUGE at over 6 million acres, but only has 13 marked trails. They’re all pretty short too, only a few miles each.
The National Park Service does encourage off-trail hiking and exploring in Denali, but we stuck to the trails this time around.
We visited in August 2020 when a negative COVID test was required to land in Alaska. Make sure to check for updates as this changes regularly.
Because we didn’t want to take a bus that takes you further into the park, all the Denali National Park hikes we did are doable within the first 15 miles of the park, where you can drive your own car!
As always, respect the lands your on, leave no trace, and social distance from others when visiting.
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Denali National Park Hikes
Horseshoe Lake Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 3.2 miles round trip
Location: Near Denali Visitor Center
Horseshoe Lake Trail can be found right when you enter Denali National Park, even before the Visitor Center. Just pull over to the right at the first parking lot near the rail road tracks. This hike is an easy walk, aside for a small 250 ft. elevation gain. The gorgeous views of the lake can be found right away, but continue on to spot beavers and beaver dams and to get up close to the Nenana River. A great way to spend 1.5 – 2 hours!
Mt. Healy Overlook Trail
Difficulty: Strenuous
Distance: 2.7 miles one way
Location: Denali Visitor Center
If you only have time for one Denali National Park hike, make sure it’s Mt. Healy Overlook Trail. This hike is not easy, but the views are out of this world!! You’ll start with a gradual incline and with great view of Mt. Healy, then find yourself in wooded green areas, before reaching the rocky, open summit. On a clear day, you can see far and wide. Make sure to get some epic photos at the top!
Triple Lakes Trail
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 9.5 miles ones way
Location: Denali Visitor Center or Highway 3
Triple Lakes Trail is the longest trail in Denali National Park. Doing the whole thing would require a full day, or you could just go one way and have someone pick you up at the other end. There are not shuttles for this. Instead, we got on Triple Lakes Trail near Highway 3, hiked to the lakes, and then turned around. This took us about 2.5-3 hours. I would highly recommend this as the lakes are much closer to the Highway 3 entrance than the Visitor Center entrance!
Rock Creek Trail Meadow View
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: Varies
Location: Denali Visitor Center
We had some time to spare while waiting for the skies to clear up one day, so we decided to take Rock Creek Trail in hopes of seeing a creek. That did not happen. This trail, however, is very easy and great for mushroom spotting and blueberry picking. I would not recommend this trail if you’re short on time in Denali, or to take the whole trail. Instead, Start on Rock Creek Trail, take the Meadow View Connector Trail for awesome views, and then take the Roadside Trail back.
Savage Alpine Trail
Difficulty: Strenuous
Distance: 4 miles
Location: Savage River Area (15 miles into the park accessible by car)
The Savage Alpine Trail was high on our list when visiting Denali National Park, but because of frequent and recent bear sightings in the area, the Savage Alpine Trail and Savage River Loop were closed. We did still drive to the area and saw some awesome wildlife along the way! When I was doing my research this one came highly recommended, so make sure to add it to your list!
Best Denali Restaurants pre or post hike
Need to charge up or refuel after a long day hiking in Denali? When we didn’t pack a lunch, we ate out at some of the local restaurants. Our favorites were Prey Pub & Eatery for great wings and tochos, McKinley Creekside Cafe for locally sourced ingredients (LOVED Reba’s fancy burger with goat cheese, bacon bourbon tomato jam, and arugula!), and Prospector’s Pizzeria for great pizza and patio.
Where we stayed
We love staying in Airbnbs when we travel to get a unique experience, and our Denali Airbnb was one of the best yet! Click here for my referral link to this cabin. It’s located about 15 minutes south of the Denali National Park entrance, right on a little lake with amazing views! This cabin is 99% solar powered and is the most Alaskan place we stayed our entire trip. Highly recommend!
These Denali National Park hikes gave us a great taste of the area. There’s nothing quite like getting right up into nature – just make sure to pack your bear spray!
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