Taiga Trail
Denali National Park
Epic Overview
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1/7
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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100 ft.
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~1 mile
Taiga Trail Description
Taiga Trail goes through Denali’s northern boreal forest, which can also be known as taiga and that’s exactly what this trail feels like — spruce and aspen woods, soft understory, and not much else.
Practically speaking, Taiga Trail is not a destination hike, but more of a connector that stitches together the entrance-area trail network. It’s the trail that allows you to access Rock Creek, Horseshoe Lake, and the Mt. Healy Overlook, or link them together into longer adventures. To be honest, there isn’t much point in hiking it as a stand-alone trail, as there are much better options with similar distance and elevation gain.
The tread is well-maintained and gentle, with minimal elevation change, and it is a good connector trail. In fall, low-bush cranberries and mushrooms pop up along the edges. Keep an eye on the white and black aspen bark — someone’s been snacking.
Taiga Trail Map
Getting to Taiga Trail
The Taiga Trail connects the Denali Visitor Center to the Horseshoe Lake Trail. It’s usually accessed from the Denali Visitor Center. From the main visitor center building, head south, then take an immediate right at the first intersection of trails. Follow the trail across the Denali Park Road, then take another right. Go straight until you reach the Rock Creek Trail, taking a right to stay on Taiga. Stay right again at the next intersection with the Healy Overlook Trail, then continue to Horseshoe Lake!
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 Taiga Trail: 3-Hour Naturalist Walking Tour
The approachable, easy nature of Taiga Trail is in line with our Naturalist Walking Tour. In fact, we often use it as a connector trail on our tours! The Naturalist Walking Tour is 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