Sight · Denali Highway
A 600-yard climb opens a wide view over Alaska's Susitna valley.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Denali Highway Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Denali Highway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Denali Highway audio tourRecorded for this place
Alaska Range Viewpoint: A Short Hill Walk“You're nearing the start of the Alaska Range Viewpoint walk, an informal hill climb from the north side of the highway near mile eighty-five and a half.”
Plays as you drive up to Alaska Range Viewpoint in the Parkwolf Denali Highway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Alaska Range Viewpoint is an informal hilltop stop on the north side of Denali Highway, at Milepost 85.5 from Paxson or 49.5 from Cantwell. A slight uphill walk of about 600 yards reaches the panorama; the hill is unmarked from the road, so watch the north side. It suits drivers ready for a short walk, not anyone looking for a view from the car.
The view crosses the Susitna River valley to Mount Deborah (12,339 feet) and Mount Hess (11,940 feet). For a photo, keep the braided valley below the peaks in the frame; the river gives the mountain skyline its scale. The Susitna flows south from the glacier and Alaska Range, turns west through the Talkeetna Mountains, then heads toward Cook Inlet.
The Denali Highway opened in 1957 and was the only road access to Denali National Park until the Parks Highway was completed in the 1970s. This hill is one reason to take the slower route: the drive puts you in the landscape before the walk opens the full panorama.
Wildlife
56 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
37 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
26 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
33 sightingsTrumpeter SwanMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
25 sightingsBeaverMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
17 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 10 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Denali Highway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyAlaska Range Viewpoint Trail0.6 mi · 30 min · 0.3 mi awayA brief climb opens a wide Susitna valley and Alaska Range view.
ChallengingLittle Gorge Trail4.7 mi · 4 hr · 2.5 mi awayUnmaintained creek route with a steep climb and shared ATV use.Parkwolf’s Denali Highway ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
