Triple Lakes Trail

Triple Lakes is Denali’s longest maintained trail and one of the best ways to get a full “cross-section” of the park’s front-country ecosystems in a single hike. The trail runs point-to-point between the Denali Visitor Center area and the Tsenesdghaas Na’ Trailhead near the Parks Highway. You can hike it end-to-end or choose a shorter out-and-back from one side.

If you start from the southern trailhead, you’ll gain more elevation early and reach the three lakes sooner — a nice payoff if you want scenic stops earlier in the day. From the northern (Visitor Center) side, the first few miles are gentle and offer little elevation change, following Riley Creek. This makes Triple Lakes North a great option for less advanced hikers or folks with mobility issues who still want to get a few miles of walking in. Riley Creek is beautiful, and the suspension bridge across it is a really cool feature as well!

The trail’s high point is at about halfway, and while you’ll get good mountain views, you unfortunately won’t be able to see Mt. Denali itself. After that, it bends and drops toward the lakes, weaving through ridge forest and then descending into the quieter lake basins. All three lakes are in the southern half of the trail, so if you’re hiking from the north, don’t plan on seeing any lakes unless you’re doing the whole trail.