Parking
Park at the Denali Visitor Center lot, then walk about half a mile on the Horseshoe Lake Trail to the signed Mount Healy Overlook Trailhead.
Overview
About Mount Healy Overlook Trail
Why go
- Forest-to-tundra transition delivers diverse scenery in a short distance
- Benches midway provide a rest and early views
- Accessible from the Denali Visitor Center via the Horseshoe Lake Trail
Heads up
- Steep, sustained ascent with limited early views
- Overlook is exposed and frequently windy
- No reliable water sources along the route
If you want a big view near the Denali entrance area, Mount Healy Overlook delivers sweeping panoramas of the Nenana River valley and surrounding ridges—but you earn them with a steady, steep climb. Expect wind at the overlook and rapidly changing mountain weather.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy hike thisMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Denali map
Full mapElevation1,834–4,035 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Denali alert
- InfoDenali Park Road open to Mile 30; heavy equipmentThe Denali Park Road is open to Mile 30 (Teklanika River); stay alert for heavy equipment traveling on the road. Check current park conditions before traveling.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Denali Tour Guide
Your drive to Mount Healy Overlook Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Denali National Park. 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 audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Denali Visitor Center CampusListen
“You're coming up on the Denali Visitor Center campus, which is the main hub for the park entrance area.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Denali Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Murie Science and Learning Center
- Camp Robbers of the North: Canada Jays
- Horseshoe Lake Trail
- Horseshoe Lake Trail
- 113 audio storiesacross Denali’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Wolf, Canada Lynx, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 17 trails, 60 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 Mount Healy Overlook Trail
Route and statsFrom the signed Mount Healy Overlook Trailhead on the Horseshoe Lake Trail, climb 2.
From the signed Mount Healy Overlook Trailhead on the Horseshoe Lake Trail, climb 2.7 miles one way to the official overlook; plan on 5.4 miles round trip when you return on the same corridor. From the Denali Visitor Center, walk about half a mile on the Horseshoe Lake Trail to reach this junction. The route gains about 1,700 feet, beginning in spruce forest and passing benches before steep switchbacks lead above tree line to the open overlook.
What it’s likeThis is one of the steepest trails in Denali.
This is one of the steepest trails in Denali. The lower route has packed dirt, roots, and forest shade; higher sections are rockier and more exposed. Views open up around the benches and become broad above tree line. Marmots, ground squirrels, moose, bears, and birds may occur in the surrounding habitat, so use normal wildlife awareness.
Know before you goAllow about 3.5–4 hours for the 5.4-mile round trip.
Allow about 3.5–4 hours for the 5.4-mile round trip. Carry water because there are no reliable water sources along the route, and bring layers plus a windproof shell for the exposed, often-windy overlook. Stay on the switchbacks to reduce erosion and improve footing. The maintained trail ends at the overlook; continuing toward Mount Healy’s true summit is unmarked, exposed, and dangerous, with the summit roughly 1.5 miles farther. Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Denali
715 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
74 sightingsWolfMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
49 sightingsCanada LynxMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
795 sightingsMooseMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
917 sightingsCaribouMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
405 sightingsDall's SheepMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Denali. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
