Denali National Park Hiking, Photography and Camping.

Denali State Park

Overview

Containing 325,240 acres (131,722 hectares), Denali State Park offers a wide range of opportunities to explore true wilderness. Its western boundary is shared with Denali National Park and Preserve. The Park is about 133 miles (212 km) north of Anchorage via the George Parks Highway, the major road link between Anchorage and Fairbanks. This highway provides access to the Kesugi Ridge trails described in this book.

Kesugi Ridge, a 35 mile-long north/south alpine ridge, borders the Parks Highway. “Kesugi", a Tanaina Indian dialect word meaning "The Ancient One", is an appropriate description for this granite alpine ridge that dominates the eastern half of the Park. On a clear day Kesugi Ridge hikers have an unencumbered view of Mt McKinley and the Alaska Range to the west. A hike up (1,500 feet, 456 meters) any of the four (4) hiking trails provides access to a trail along Kesugi Ridge for hikes ranging from 15 to 36 miles (24-58 km). The ridge trail follows a broad alpine tundra plane past ponds, across creeks and around granite boulders. Hikes in the following table are included in my Denali National Park Guide to Hiking, Photography and Camping.

*Source: Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks and Outdoor Recreation.

Kesugi Ridge Trail. Mt McKinley is the white peak above clouds to right center.

Weather

Be prepared for a wide range of weather. Summer temperatures are usually near 60° F (15° C) with occasional highs over 80? F (27° C). On rainy days expect temperatures nearer 50° F (10° C). There is little shelter from wind on this ridge. In mid-summer, nearly 21 hours of daylight allow plenty of time to hike and explore. Weather on my hikes included thick fog, rain and sunshine.

Hikers should be prepared for bad weather that can last several days. There are only four places to get off Kesugi Ridge, so bring good quality rain gear, clothing that insulates when wet, and durable tents. Bring a sun hat and sunscreen for the great days!

Camping

Developed campgrounds are located near three (3) trailheads: Byers Lake (74 spaces), Troublesome Creek (20 spaces) and Denali Viewpoint North (6 for tents spaces). Spaces are available on a first come, first served basis.
Backcountry camping is allowed anywhere along the ridge trail. In order to reduce camping impact near popular Skinny Lake, a designated camping area is being established. Elsewhere please camp away from the trail and avoid spots where others have camped. This will minimize damage to the alpine tundra. Bring a stove because campfires are not permitted on Kesugi Ridge.

Food Storage in Bear Country
Park rangers and I encourage you to use bear proof containers to help prevent bears from becoming habituated to humans as a source of food. Bear proof food containers are available at the Byers Lake Visitor Center near the Veterans Memorial (mile 147.1 on the George Parks Highway). There is no cost to use the containers but a $25 refundable deposit is required. Usually the Visitor Center has containers, but in peak season the supply may be exhausted when you need one.

Hiking Conditions

Hiking along the Kesugi Ridge Trail.

Four trails provide access to Kesugi Ridge and are easy to follow. Little Coal Creek and Ermine Hill trails are the best designed and maintained. Footing is occasionally difficult on the Troublesome Creek Trail due to creek bank erosion. The Byers Lake trail up the ridge is steep and poorly maintained and is slippery when dry and worse when wet.

Ridgeline hiking is easy. At the Little Coal Creek end of the ridge, the route crosses short boulder fields that require walking across uneven boulders that may be slippery when wet. A slip into a crack with a full pack may result in injury. Short stretches of the trail descending into the lowest valleys along the ridge route are slippery when dry or wet.

Navigating

Along most of the route, a well-worn trail is clearly visible in the alpine tundra. However the path is not visible in some long rocky areas. Fortunately in rocky areas the route is marked by cairns about 75 feet (14 meters) apart. I was able to follow these cairns in fog so dense that I could not see the next cairn while standing at a cairn. I kept the known cairn in sight until I could spot the next cairn in the fog.

Cairnes mark the Kesugi Ridge Trail. A welcome site on a foggy day.

If your map does not show the route, take the time to copy it from the maps on display at the trailhead. Also note the magnetic declination is about 27° east, significant enough to cause a navigation error. For those using a GPS, set the datum to 1927 North American datum, frequently called NAD 27. Otherwise your GPS reading may be off up to 200 meters in the longitude reading.

The waterproof Trails Illustrated™ map for Denali National Park also shows the Kesugi Ridge hiking routes. This is a good map for trip planning and identifying distant landmarks. For navigation I prefer the USGS maps referenced for each hike. You will need to draw the route on the USGS maps. The Alaska Natural History Association also publishes a contour map of Denali State Park with the hiking routes shown but no navigation information such as magnetic declination or location coordinates.

Bring a compass. I camped about one mile from the trail and awoke the next morning to fog reducing visibility to 100 feet (30 meters). Since I had located my camp on the map the day before, I used my compass to determine and walk the correct direction back to the trail.

Logistics

Trailhead Shuttle

Denali Southside River Guides, the concessionaire located at the Byers Lake Picnic area, provides shuttle service to trailheads from Byers Lake. If you plan to end your hike somewhere other than Byers Lake and have only one vehicle, then you can also get the concessionaire to participate in a vehicle shuttle. For information, pricing and reservations contact:

Denali Southside River Guides
P.O. Box 455
Talkeetna, Alaska 99676
Toll free telephone: 1-877-425-7238 from U.S. only.
Phone from non-US: 1-907-733-7238
FAX: 1-907-733-7239
Website: www.denaliriverguides.com
E-mail:

Bus Service from Anchorage and Fairbanks

Alaska/Yukon Trails provides daily bus service between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The bus will drop hikers at Byers Lake and other Denali State Park trailheads. However the bus does not stop at the trailheads unless there is someone to drop off or unless you flag the bus down at the end of your hike. If you plan to catch the bus after your hike, please let them know when you plan to catch the bus so they can be looking for you. For more information and reservations contact:

Alaska/Yukon Trails
P.O. Box 99708
Fairbanks, Alaska 99711
Phone: 1-888-600-6001 from U.S. and Canada
FAX: 1-907-456-5135
Internet: www.alaskashuttle.com
E-mail:

More Denali State Park Information

Check the Denali State Park website for more park information: www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/. Select “Jewels of the ASP System” and then select “Mat-Su and Copper River Valleys”.

Kesugi Ridge trails begin in the forest and climb to the ridge above treeline.