Rock Creek to Roadside Trail Loop
Denali National Park
Epic Overview
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5/7
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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~400 feet
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~4.6 miles
Rock Creek Trail Description
This is one of the best front-country hikes near the Denali Visitor Center. It’s a forested loop that still affords some great views, and goes through many of Denali’s main ecosystems. The route starts out mellow and mostly flat, then settles into a steady, gentle-to-moderate climb through rich boreal forest. Early on, you’ll reach a small overlook with a bench that delivers the best view on the whole loop — a perfect excuse to pause, look out over the valley, and take in the scale of the place.
As you climb, the trail shows off Denali’s ecological story: smaller pipe-cleanerish spruce trees, thick sphagnum moss, and dwarf birch give way to much taller, thicker spruces, grasses, willows and small flowing rivulets for a short time. Why? Take a hiking tour with us to find out!
After crossing the powerline cut, you’ll get a few more open views before ducking back into an aspen-heavy stretch that feels calm and tucked away. This section is especially lovely for sound-soaked hiking — Canada jays chirping overhead, horsetail carpeting the forest floor, and the soft hush that makes people accidentally start whispering.
Near the high point, the trail offers another view through the trees before descending via a short series of switchbacks. Rock Creek then meets the Denali Park Road and links to the Roadside Trail, which parallels the road back toward the Visitor Center through mixed spruce-aspen forest. The full loop is a classic Denali “sampler”: viewpoints, forest immersion, and a satisfying climb without committing to a big mountain mission.
Rock Creek Trail Map
Getting to Rock Creek Trail
The trailhead is located near the Denali Visitor Center, starting out of Lot 3. Lot 3 is the parking area closest to the Denali Park Road, and has a pedestrian crosswalk located on the west side. Cross the road and follow the Taiga Trail, taking a left at the first intersection about 40 feet in, then a right at the next one 40 feet later. Continue straight until you reach a bench with a beautiful view. Here, turn right, and you’ll be on Rock Creek Trail! Once Rock Creek reaches the Denali Park Road, continue onto Roadside Trail and follow it back to the visitor center.
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.
Similar to Rock Creek: 3-Hour Naturalist Walking Tour
This walk often takes place on Rock Creek! We don’t usually do the whole trail, since this is more of a slow-down-and-notice-everything kind of Denali hike. Along a beautiful, approachable trail, your Northern Epics guide will bring the landscape to life—reading wildlife signs, spotlighting edible tundra and forest plants, and sharing the natural and human stories that shaped this land. You’ll leave not just having seen Denali, but having understood it.
This is an easy walk. Want something harder or off-trail? Click here