Dragonfly Creek Waterfalls Trail
Just Outside Denali National Park
Epic Overview
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4/7
The Northern Epics Quality Score is our trail rating system. We only list and review trails that we personally have hiked. Fortunately, as a guided hiking outfit, we hike a lot.
Why is the Northern Epics Quality Score out of 7 instead of 5 or 10? Because we wanted to. 7 is a fun number!
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~300 ft.
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~0.25 miles
Dragonfly Creek Waterfalls Trail Description
Dragonfly Creek Waterfalls is more of a “pull over and explore something awesome” stop than a full-on hike. Right off the George Parks Highway near Healy, the route drops from the road down into a tight creek corridor where two decent-sized waterfalls tumble through layered schist bedrock. The rock here is soft, banded, and sculpted in a way that makes the falls feel way bigger and more dramatic than you’d expect from such a short outing.
The first part of the walk is often lined with raspberries in July and early August. Feel free to snack as you walk! From here, pick your way downhill toward the creek. There isn’t one single “official” path the whole way — there are several faint paths that braid together — so it’s a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure. Some lines are steep and scrambly, but with good route-finding you can keep it reasonable; generally, staying more to the left (facing downhill) gives you the gentlest descent.
Once you hit the creek, you can linger around the waterfalls or keep wandering downstream. If you continue farther, faint user trails lead all the way to the Nenana River — a fun extension for people who want to turn this quick stop into a longer mini-adventure. When you reach the Nenana, you’ll be right alongside Cable Car Rapid (Class IV) and you might even get lucky enough to see one of the rafting trips go through!
Dragonfly Creek Waterfalls Trail Map
Park at a long pullout on the side of the highway closest to the Nenana River at Mile 242 of the George Parks Highway. This pullout is just south of the small bridge crossing Dragonfly Creek. Hike to the north end of the pullout and hop the guardrail onto a trail leading towards the creek. Take a left when possible to continue downhill. There are several trails that weave in and out of each other, but they all go to more or less the same place (the waterfalls!)
Getting to Dragonfly Creek Waterfalls Trail
Make it a Tour!
Hiking in Denali on your own is beautiful; hiking with Northern Epics is meaningful. We’ll help you notice what most people walk right past—wildlife signs, edible plants and berries, glacial scars, and the living story of this place.