Best time to go
In summer, you reach the lodge on gravel. The highway is not plowed in winter; winter access is described by snowmachine or tracked-vehicle transfer, so arrange the plan with the lodge and confirm current conditions before traveling.
Overview
About Alpine Creek Lodge
Why stop
- The deck looks across the Susitna River basin.
- Alpine Creek Trail starts behind the lodge.
Heads up
- Winter arrival needs a separate transport plan.
Map
Where it is
Loading the Denali Highway map
Full mapPlan your stop
Before you go
Best time to go
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Denali Highway Tour Guide
Your drive to Alpine Creek Lodge, narrated.
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
Alpine Creek Lodge: Burgers and a Valley View0:00 / 0:29
“You're coming up on Alpine Creek Lodge, roughly halfway between Paxson and Cantwell. If you want a meal break, passing visitors can order from a menu of homemade brisket burgers, fries, barbecue and pies.”
Plays as you drive up to Alpine Creek Lodge in the Parkwolf Denali Highway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Songbird with a Hooked Bill
- The Buzz Behind a Blueberry
- The Pipeline That Had Room to Move
- A Beaver's Underwater Pantry
- 96 audio storiesacross Denali Highway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Moose, Caribou, Bald Eagle, and 10 more
- Works offlinemaps, 18 trails, 27 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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
More about Alpine Creek Lodge
A planned stop along the highwayAlpine Creek Lodge is a remote place to stay at Mile 68 of the Denali Highway, roughly halfway…
Alpine Creek Lodge is a remote place to stay at Mile 68 of the Denali Highway, roughly halfway between Paxson and Cantwell. It has lodge rooms and lists free RV spots, so it works best as an overnight base or a planned food stop, not a quick roadside pullout. If the gravel highway is part of your route, plan around this stop instead of counting on it as an unplanned service stop.
Step out onto the deckThe Grizzly Bar patio and lodge decks look across the valley toward the Susitna River basin.
The Grizzly Bar patio and lodge decks look across the valley toward the Susitna River basin. The view is a good reason to slow down here. If you are passing through for a meal, check whether the bar or patio is open to day visitors before making it part of your plan.
Follow Alpine CreekAlpine Creek Trail starts behind the lodge and climbs beside the creek toward Alpine Lake.
Alpine Creek Trail starts behind the lodge and climbs beside the creek toward Alpine Lake. It is a separate outing from the highway stop; ask about the distance and current conditions before you head up.
Know the setupLodge rooms share bathrooms and showers, so expect a rustic, communal stay.
Lodge rooms share bathrooms and showers, so expect a rustic, communal stay. The property lists free RV spots, but hookups, water and restroom access for RV visitors are not specified; confirm what comes with the spot before planning to sleep there.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Denali Highway
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.
