Alaska Range

The Alaska Range is a major mountain chain in southcentral Alaska, notable for containing North America’s highest summit. The range extends for roughly 650 kilometers (about 400 miles) and is a defining geological feature of the state.

The range contains large glaciated peaks, alpine routes and backcountry wilderness; the most visited area is the region around Denali, where climbing, fixed-wing and flightseeing tours, and park road access concentrate visitor activity. Numerous glaciers and high cols offer technical climbing and multi-day ski or glacier trips for experienced parties.

Many visitors also travel to view extensive glacial systems, including broad valley glaciers and steep icefalls, and to photograph wildlife in lower-elevation valleys. The range’s mountains provide both long-distance trekking and technical climbs with routes that can exceed several thousand meters of vertical gain.

The Alaska Range was formed by tectonic uplift related to the interaction of the Pacific and North American plates and has been sculpted by repeated glaciation. Indigenous peoples have long used valleys and low passes for travel and hunting; the range was mapped and surveyed during Russian and later American explorations, and scientific mapping intensified in the 20th century.

The chain runs across southcentral Alaska roughly south of the Alaska Interior and north of the Alaska Peninsula area, with major access points from nearby transport hubs such as Anchorage and Fairbanks. Large portions lie within protected areas and national parks that straddle the interior and southern flanks of the range.

• Highest peak: Home to North America’s highest mountain, standing at 6,190 m (20,310 ft).
• Access and gateways: Accessible from the transport hubs of Anchorage and Fairbanks with trailheads and guided trips centered on the national park and mountaineering base camps.

What to See#

• Denali (Mount McKinley): The highest peak of the range, rising to 6,190 m (20,310 ft) and located within a large national park that provides the main access routes for mountaineers and visitors.
• Ruth Gorge: A steep, glacial-carved canyon popular with technical climbers and noted for its sheer granite walls and hanging glaciers.
• Mount Foraker: One of the range’s major peaks at 5,304 m (17,400 ft), frequently climbed by experienced mountaineers as part of expeditions to the central Alaska Range.
• Mount Hunter: A prominent peak at 4,442 m (14,573 ft) noted for technical alpine routes and glaciated faces.
• Kahiltna Glacier: A large valley glacier that serves as a common approach route for climbers attempting nearby high peaks.

• For mountain viewing and access, plan visits in late spring to mid-summer (May-July) when snowpack and road closures are least likely and daylight hours are longest for approach and reconnaissance.
• If your interest is Denali or the high peaks, use Denali National Park's visitor services and transit bus system as the main access route - the park's shuttle buses and ranger information help you reach good viewpoints without needing a private road permit.
• Book flights, guided climbs or air-taxi glacier landings well in advance for the season; many services operate on limited schedules and weather cancellations are common, so keep flexible travel plans.