Denali Highway (412 km)

Paxson to Cantwell · one way, about 412 km back to the start

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Why this ride

It goes by way of Maclaren Summit and Susitna River. The highest point is about 1,400 m. It suits an unhurried touring pace.

Roadbook

1. Paxson start

   Paxson is at the end of a long, open stretch of the Richardson Highway, in the interior of Alaska, where the Alaska Range begins to rise on the horizon and the first mountains of the Denali Highway are visible. It is a tiny place, a lodge and a few buildings by a lake, and it feels remote and small beneath a huge sky. The tundra here is low and tawny, with spruce thickets and sparkling ponds, and the road is long and quiet.

   The Denali Highway begins here and runs a hundred and thirty-five miles west to Cantwell, and it has a reputation as one of the great adventure roads in North America. It was opened in 1957 as the first road access to what is now Denali National Park, and it was the only way in until the Parks Highway was completed in the 1970s. Today, most of the road is gravel, with short paved stretches at each end, and it is a bumpy, dusty or muddy route depending on the weather. It crosses the high country between the Alaska Range and the Talkeetna Mountains, with the highest point at Maclaren Summit, at over four thousand feet.

   It is a spectacular drive, with long views over tundra, braided rivers, glacial valleys and lakes, and snow-capped peaks like Mount Hayes in the distance. Caribou roam the open country, and moose feed in the willows, while bears are occasionally spotted. The gravel can be loose and corrugated, with potholes and soft patches, and the road is not maintained in winter, so it is usually closed from October to May. A flat tyre is not uncommon, and the nearest help may be a long way off, so ride with spares, a repair kit and a plan.

   Fuel is the main practical concern, since there are only a couple of places that sell it along the route, and they are far apart, so check the situation at the lodge, and carry extra fuel if you can. Bring food, water, warm clothing and mosquito repellent, as the insects in summer are legendary, and a head net is useful. Daylight lasts almost all night in June and July, which allows long days, but nights are cold. Late August and early September bring red and gold tundra colours, and the first dusting of snow on the peaks.

2. Maclaren Summit scenic · 1245 m

   There are roads that lead somewhere, and there is the Denali Highway, which mostly leads to itself. Maclaren Summit, at 1,245 metres, is the high point of the route, about halfway along a hundred-odd miles of mostly gravel between Paxson and Cantwell. It is the second highest highway pass in Alaska. Up here the land is open tundra rolling off to the horizon, with the Alaska Range lined up along the south like a wall, and the Maclaren Glacier tucked into the mountains beyond the river. On a clear day the horizon seems to go on for ever, and it is quite likely there will be nobody else in sight.

   The road was opened in 1957 and for years was the only way to get to Denali National Park by car, until the Parks Highway came through in 1972. After that the Denali Highway slipped into quiet obscurity and became something between a backcountry adventure and an endurance test. Today most of it is unpaved. The surface can be smooth, rutted, rocky or muddy depending on the latest grader and the weather, and washboard can shake a loaded bike loose. Carry a repair kit, a spare tube if you have a tubed wheel, and enough patience. Nobody is in a hurry here. Speeds are low, and the scenery is the reward.

   Wildlife is the other attraction. Caribou herd across the tundra in late summer, moose stand in the ponds, and ptarmigan scatter from the roadside. The light in the evening is long and golden, and the first frost turns the tundra a dazzling red and orange in late August and early September. Mosquitoes in the early summer can be savage, so bring a head net.

   Fuel needs real planning. There is none at the summit, and few services anywhere along the highway: Paxson, at the eastern end, and Cantwell at the western end have fuel, and a couple of lodges along the way may sell some, though hours and supplies vary. Fill every tank and consider carrying a spare can. The road is closed to ploughs in winter, and generally runs from mid-May to early October, though early snow can shut it sooner. Tell someone where you are going, because mobile signal does not exist.

3. Susitna River scenic

   The Susitna rises in the glaciers of the Alaska Range and runs south and west for hundreds of miles to Cook Inlet, collecting silt as it goes, and here at the Denali Highway bridge you meet it in its younger, wilder state. The water is a milky grey-green, thick with rock flour ground fine by the ice, and it moves fast between braided gravel bars. The name is from the Dena'ina language and is usually translated as something like sandy river, which is accurate if you stand on the bank long enough.

   This crossing is about two-thirds of the way along the Denali Highway from Paxson, in rolling subarctic country of spruce, willow and bog. The gravel road drops to the river in a short descent, crosses on a bridge and climbs out again, and the whole stretch is a lesson in how much space there is in Alaska. Mountains stand in the background and the river valley opens out under big sky. Riding here is slow, dusty or muddy depending on the week, with sudden potholes and soft shoulders, and a loaded motorcycle needs a gentle hand. After rain the surface can turn slick as grease, and in dry weather passing trucks raise clouds of dust.

   The Susitna is also fishing country. Arctic grayling rise to flies in the clearer tributaries, and the fish in the river itself include salmon runs further downstream. Anglers pull up at the bridge and wander the bank in waders, and if you have a rod, this is a place for it. Black and grizzly bears fish the same streams, so make some noise, keep your food stowed and never walk through thick brush without announcing yourself.

   Services are sparse. A couple of roadside lodges within a day's ride sell meals and sometimes fuel, but opening times are unreliable and the season is short, so do not plan on them without checking. Cantwell, at the western end, and Paxson, at the eastern end, are the places you can count on, and each is a long way from the bridge. Pack water and food, a basic first aid kit and warm clothes. Early September can bring frost, and the evenings are long and low and lovely, with a pale pink glow on the hills until late.

4. Cantwell finish

   Cantwell is a small community of a couple of hundred people at the junction of the Denali Highway and the Parks Highway, in the shadow of the Alaska Range, and it is a place where railroad, highway and wilderness converge. The Alaska Railroad passes through, and some trains stop here, and the town sits in a broad valley of spruce and tundra with big mountains on its southern horizon. The country has long been home to Athabascan peoples, who travelled and hunted through this country for thousands of years.

   The mountain that dominates the region is Denali, the highest peak in North America at over twenty thousand feet, whose Athabascan name means the high one. It lies to the north-west, and the national park that protects it begins about twenty-seven miles up the Parks Highway. On a clear day, the view from the highway near here can include the peaks of the range, but Denali itself hides behind clouds more often than not, and visitors who see it are considered lucky.

   The ride in from the east along the Denali Highway ends here, after a long run across open tundra and past glacial lakes, and Cantwell feels like a very welcome sight, with its lodges and cafes. The road surface improves as you approach, and the pavement comes as a relief after the gravel. Beyond the junction, the Parks Highway runs north into the mountains and through the pass toward the park entrance, with views of forest and peaks, and the traffic is much heavier, with tour buses and campervans.

   You can find basic services in Cantwell, including a few places to stay and eat, and fuel, but it is a small place, so supplies and opening hours can be limited. Larger centres are Healy to the north and Talkeetna to the south, each a good distance away. Weather can change rapidly in the Alaska Range, with rain, snow and wind arriving even in summer, so be ready. The days are long in summer, and the evening light on the mountains can be glorious, while autumn colour comes early, in late August. Winter here is long, dark and very cold.

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