Parking
Access is identified on the west side of Denali Highway near milepost 83.2; a named lot or designated pullout is not documented.
Overview
About Little Gorge Trail
Why go
- A mapped route reaches East Fork Chulitna Creek.
- A direct out-and-back from the highway.
Heads up
- Unmaintained, with no verified current tread or signage.
- The corridor is shared with motorized ATVs.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Denali Highway map
Full mapElevation2,559–3,707 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Denali Highway Tour Guide
Your drive to Little Gorge Trail, 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 area
Valdez Creek Mine Viewpoint: The Settlement Called Denali0:00 / 0:29
“You're approaching Valdez Creek Mine Viewpoint, a short stop I'd choose if Alaska's gold-rush history interests you. Look east across the Susitna River to the reclaimed ground of the old gold mine.”
Plays on the road 0.2 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Denali Highway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Basket Made from Bark
- The Songbird Under the Rapids
- Alaska Range Viewpoint: A Short Hill Walk
- Susitna River Bridge: Watch the Current
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Little Gorge Trail
Route and effortLittle Gorge Trail is an out-and-back from the west side of Denali Highway to East Fork…
Little Gorge Trail is an out-and-back from the west side of Denali Highway to East Fork Chulitna Creek. The mapped line follows a short highway connector and 2.05 miles of named trail: about 2.35 miles one way, or 4.7 miles round trip. It climbs roughly 1,150 feet on the way out; allow about four hours for both directions.
Grade and treadThe route rises from about 2,560 to 3,710 feet along the mapped corridor, then returns down the…
The route rises from about 2,560 to 3,710 feet along the mapped corridor, then returns down the same line. The route is listed as unmaintained, and current foot tread and signage have not been verified. Plan for a sustained climb and uncertain footing or wayfinding.
Access and shared useThe start is near milepost 83.
The start is near milepost 83.2 on the highway’s west side; no named parking area or signed trailhead is documented. The Denali Highway is generally open from mid-May through October 1, with snowdrifts able to block it outside those dates. The mapped corridor also serves motorized ATV use, and foot-specific access rules are not confirmed. The pet rule is not confirmed.
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.
