Alaska's Original Road to Denali, Still Gloriously Unpaved

When the Denali Highway opened in 1957 it was the only road to Denali National Park, and when the paved Parks Highway replaced it in 1971 this 134 mile (215 km) gravel crossing was left almost exactly as it was: a raw traverse of the Alaska Range's southern foothills that many now rank among the most scenic drives on the continent. The road rides eskers and moraines left by retreating glaciers, crests Maclaren Summit at 4,086 feet (one of the highest highway passes in Alaska), and serves up hundred-mile panoramas of the range's giants, Mounts Hayes, Hess, and Deborah, with the Maclaren and Susitna glaciers pouring off them. The Nelchina caribou herd crosses in the thousands, trumpeter swans nest the kettle ponds of the Tangle Lakes, and grizzlies work the blueberry slopes. Services amount to a handful of off-grid roadhouses; cell coverage is effectively zero. That is the entire appeal: this is big, unfenced Alaska at 35 mph, with dust on the windows and nothing between you and the range but tundra.

Key Stops

Paxson. The eastern junction on the Richardson Highway: little more than a crossroads now, so arrive fueled from Glennallen or Delta Junction and set the odometer.

Tangle Lakes. The first twenty paved-then-gravel miles end in a chain of clear kettle lakes, headwaters of the Delta Wild and Scenic River: a BLM campground, canoe-able water, grayling fishing, and loons at dusk. The surrounding Tangle Lakes Archaeological District protects 10,000 years of hunting camps.

Maclaren Summit (4,086 ft). The road's high point and the view of views: the Maclaren Glacier sprawling below Mount Hayes across a valley of braided river and tundra. A short ridge trail from the pull-off stretches the moment.

Maclaren River Lodge. The classic mid-route roadhouse at the river bridge: meals, cabins, and the kind of guest book that reads like frontier literature.

The esker miles. West of the Susitna the road runs atop sinuous gravel ridges deposited by glacial rivers, with ponds strung either side: prime moose, swan, and beaver country, and the highway's most photographed curves.

Alpine Creek Lodge. The other great roadhouse, off-grid and open year-round (snow machines in winter): coffee, pie, and honest intelligence on road conditions ahead.

The Susitna River crossing. A long bridge over grey glacial water rushing from the Susitna Glacier: the geographic heart of the drive, with the Clearwater Mountains walling the north.

Brushkana Creek. A BLM campground on a fishy little creek: the traditional last night for eastbound travelers and a good leg-stretch regardless of direction.

Cantwell and the Parks Highway junction. The western end, where pavement resumes: Denali National Park's entrance lies just 27 miles north, making this the connoisseur's approach to the park.

Driving Tips

Check your rental agreement before anything else. Most standard Alaska rental contracts prohibit the Denali Highway; a gravel-permitted rental or your own vehicle is the ticket. This is the single most common trip-wrecker.

Carry a real spare and know it works. Sharp gravel eats tires: a full-size spare, a plug kit, and a compressor are the local minimum, and seasoned drivers carry two spares. There is no tire shop for a hundred miles.

Respect the season absolutely. The road is maintained only from about mid-May to October 1; outside that window it drifts shut and rescue is your own affair. Even in June, expect potholes, washboard, and soft shoulders after rain.

Drive 30 to 40 mph and love it. Washboard punishes speed, dust blinds overtaking, and every extra mile per hour costs scenery: slow is both safer and the point. Pull well over for oncoming traffic and let the dust settle.

Fuel at the ends, not the middle. Fill at Glennallen or Delta Junction eastbound, Cantwell or Healy westbound: roadhouse fuel, where it exists at all, is emergency-priced and not guaranteed.

Expect no cell service. Coverage is effectively nil for the full crossing: download maps offline, tell someone your plan, and treat the roadhouses as your communication points.

Time it for late August if you can. The tundra turns scarlet and gold in the last week of August into early September, caribou begin to move, and the bugs are beaten: the highway's absolute prime. June and July trade color for 20-hour daylight and mosquitoes that deserve their legend: bring repellent and a headnet.

Give wildlife the road. Caribou cross in strings, moose own the willow flats, and grizzlies appear on the berry slopes: photograph from the vehicle and never approach. Hunting season (from August) brings ATV traffic at the classic crossings.

Stay a night at a roadhouse. Maclaren River or Alpine Creek turn a transit into the trip itself: northern lights in September, pie always, and the road's best stories told at the counter.

Pair it with Denali National Park. Finishing at Cantwell puts the park entrance 30 minutes away: the gravel highway plus the park's own bus road is the finest two-day mountain sequence in Alaska.

For more information visit: Travel Alaska (Official State Tourism Site)