Traversing the Denali Highway

Winter - October to the middle of May

The Denali Hwy is a magical place to be in the winter months. The road may not be traversable by car but if you have a will, there is certainly a way, to get out and enjoy! The entire 135 miles of the highway is groomed beginning in January. It’s a popular area for snowmachiners, fat tire bikers, cross county skiers, ski jors and dog mushers. No matter your winter time interest there is something for everyone and every skill level. Don’t forget to throw in your sleds, snowboards and even your ice fishing kit. Any snow covered hill side has sledding potential and there are several amazing spots for hooking that huge lake trout you’ve been chasing, in fact the 7 Mile Lake Trail is even groomed!

Lodging

- Tangle Lakes Lodge @ Mile 22 opens mid February

- Maclaren River Lodge @ Mile 42 opens beginning of February

- Alpine Creek Lodge @ Mile 64 open year round

- Susitna Adventure Lodge @ Mile 77.5 private bookings only

Groomed Side Trails

  • Seven Mile Lake Trail - takes you from the bottom of Maclaren Summit to Seven Mile Lake.

  • Maclaren Glacier Trail - one mile past Maclaren River Lodge. Runs 12 miles out to the glacier

Snowmachine - Ski - Bike - Mush

No matter the mode of transportation (you must provide your own transportation) an epic adventure awaits!

Tangle Lakes Lodge offers a comfortable winter outing amid wildness

  • Eric Troyer

  • Mar 21, 2025

Looking for a winter cabin trip by bike or ski but with some nice amenities? Consider a stay at the Tangle Lakes Lodge.

The lodge, about 22 miles in on the Denali Highway from Paxson, offers modern amenities amid a wilderness setting without high-end lodge prices. In winter, the Denali Highway is not plowed, so it becomes a winter trail. Lodge owners on the highway along with Denali Snowcat Services work together to groom the entire distance — Paxson to near-Cantwell — with PistenBully machines at least once a week, so the trail is a nice winter route, good for a variety of activities, including skiing, fatbiking, skijoring, mushing, and snowmachining. And if you catch it right, you can get some nice, wide corduroy.

That distance is not bad for snowmachiners and mushers, but 22 miles is a hefty distance for human-powered transportation, especially when you consider the route on the way in also has nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Why would you make the effort?

Well, if the weather is nice, you can get stunning views of the Alaska Range for almost the whole way. If you are lucky, you might get to see a herd of caribou close to the road or maybe a covey of ptarmigan. You’ll certainly see signs of animals in the snow.

When you get to the lodge, you get hot meals, heated cabins or rooms off a bunkhouse, and running water (including showers).

If you do want to ski or bike, but that distance seems too far to with all your gear, you can always try to find a friend with a snowmachine and sled to carry the gear (or maybe even yourself). If you’d like that kind of support but don’t have a snowmachine-owning friend available, call lodge owners Dave and Tawnia. They don’t have a formal shuttle service for gear or people, but they are flexible and will try to make accommodations. They welcome all users, but they are making a special effort to accommodate non-motorized users, since they are the closest lodge to a trailhead. And they are skiers and bikers themselves, so they enjoy seeing people get out and doing those activities.

Starting next winter, Dave plans to start grooming some nearby trails that head off the highway to give visitors some more variety. And Tawnia is an excellent cook and loves to try to accommodate special requests, such as for meals and desserts. Just make sure to call ahead far enough in advance as they don’t have easy access to special supplies.

There are some caveats about skiing or biking on the highway. The trail surface can vary. And it gets plenty of snowmachine traffic, especially on nice weekends. Sometimes that can provide a good surface for skiing or biking, but sometimes it can be a little rough (though usually you can find portions of groomed trail less used by the snowmachines). And there are no cut tracks for classic skiers.

While the noise of snowmachines is something many skiers and bikers try to avoid, the machines tend to pass quickly and then you’re back to some impressive winter solitude. Do take care, though, and keep an eye and ear out for machines coming from behind. If you are out in the middle of the trail, veer over to the side so they can pass at a safe distance.

Tangle Lakes Lodge opened in winter for this first time this year. It plans to open next year around Valentines Day. The Denali Highway first starts getting plowed in mid-April and starts getting full-time service at the start of May. Depending on conditions, you could drive to the lodge and do your activities from there. But if you want to plan a trip in later April or early May, check with the lodge first, to see what the conditions are like.

For a report of four Fairbanksans — one skier and three bikers — who recently did a two-night trip to the lodge, see this blog post at tinyurl.com/58p59aad.

If you are looking for something a little more expeditionary but still with those nice amenities, consider lodge hopping. Mclaren River Lodge (generally open Feb. 1) is another 20.5 miles down the Denali highway/trail. And Alpine Creek Lodge (open all year) is another 25 miles toward Cantwell. After that, there are no lodges open in winter until you get to Cantwell, which would require another 60 or so miles of trail and several more miles of plowed road. (Though Susitna Adventure Lodge just 10 miles from Alpine lodge offers some high-end stays.) You could do an out-and-back. With the highway/trail being groomed regularly, it makes for an interesting mix of backcountry and civilized experience.

Follow the Denali Highway Trail Club on Facebook to see trail updates at tinyurl.com/2xazf2kt.

Find out more about the lodges at their websites:

• Tangle Lakes Lodge, www.lodgeattanglelakes.com.

• Mclaren River Lodge, maclarenlodge.com.

• Alpine Creek Lodge, alpinecreeklodge.com.

Eric Troyer is a biker, skier, and trails advocate who lives in Fairbanks.