While visiting Denali National Park, we camped at the Savage River Camp Ground. In the Savage River Area there are 2 hiking trails that we explored. The first is the Savage River Loop. An easy 2-mile loop that starts and ends at the Savage River parking lot and shuttle stop. The second is the Savage Alpine trail. This is a much more strenuous 4 mile hike that includes more that 1600ft of elevation change. We hiked both Savage River Area trails and enjoyed them both, but for different reasons.
In This Guide
Savage River Campground
We camped in the Denali Savage River Campground. This is the furthest campground in the park that you can drive to. It’s located 13 miles into the park. We had a rental car and drove here however you could take the train to the park station and then use the Savage River Shuttle to get to the camp ground.
The Savage river campground was a great location to camp and had lovely hiking in the vicinity. Denali National Park allows off trail hiking and while we did a little of that, we mainly hiked on marked trails.
Savage River Loop
The Savage River Loop Trail is a mild 2-mile loop that starts and ends at the Savage River parking lot and shuttle stop. To get here from our camp site we took the Savage River Shuttle. The Loop Trail is almost like an out and back hike, except it goes down and back on separate sides of the Savage River. There’s a bridge a the one mile mark that you can use to cross the river and head back to the shuttle on the other side.
The Savage River Loop is mostly flat as it runs within sight of the river. There are some small hills and lows to cross, but it’s not strenuous. The trail is well marked and traveled so navigating is easy. This is an area that bears are known to travel so as always, use appropriate bear sense. This area also has moose and wolves, and while we did see some moose tracks in the river banks, we didn’t get a glimpse of any.
Walking along the Savage river is beautiful. Lots of amazing scenery in the valley the river flows through. It’s mid-September and the weather is cool but not cold yet. The days are starting to get a little short, but there are no bugs to deal with. The tall grasses along the river often hide the view of the water, but here in Denali it’s ok to head off the trail and hike along the water’s edge.
At about 2-miles, the Savage River Loop is an easy 1 hour trip at a walking pace. If you want to stop and take some photos, walk in the river, or eat lunch as we did, 90 minutes is a good estimate for end to end travel time.
We hiked the Savage River Loop on our arrival day at Denali National Park after setting up our campsite. Mostly as a way to get our bearings and learn how the Savage River Shuttle works. Then we headed back to camp to make dinner and enjoy a little time around the fire.
Savage Alpine Trail
The next morning, we wanted to hike the Savage Alpine Trail. We made some breakfast tacos at our camp site before heading out for the day. The Savage Alpine Trail runs between the Savage River Campground (where we are staying), up 1500ft over 4 miles, then back down again to the Savage River Shuttle Stop. This isn’t a mild and easy trail, there’s a lot of elevation to climb and then a technical decent cut through the rocks. At first we wanted to hike this in the opposite direction, start at the Shuttle Stop and end at our camp site, but we decided to go the other direction. So we started at the Savage River Campground and Ended at the Savage River Shuttle Stop.
Starting at the Campground the first mile of the Savage Alpine trail is a slight up hill that starts in the forest and follows a river’s edge until you gain enough altitude to be above the tree line. At this point it becomes steeper but not unmanageable. This isn’t an easy hike through the woods, not crazy, but you’ll need to be prepared with enough water and snacks. This area also isn’t as trafficked and while we didn’t see any bears, we did see their scat, especially right around the tree line. It’s important to follow all the wildlife precautions on the Savage Alpine Trail.
We gained more altitude and the trees, that had turned to bushes, had now turned to grass and moss.
Luckily the weather was again perfect and as we took a few minutes for a water break, we got to admire the amazing view of Mount Denali. There was some cloud cover but even so, the view was breathtaking and well worth the hike.
Up here on the top of the Savage Alpine trail, there’s not much more elevation gain. Just a nice trail that windes its way back towards the Savage River. At this point of the trail it becomes very technical.
We’ve gained our 1500ft of elevation but we need to give it all back before getting back down to the River. I wouldn’t say it is as technical as Angel’s Landing in Zion, but it’s very close. No chains to hold, but plenty of steep drops alongside narrow rocks. The Savage River Alpine Trail is an amazing hike, strenuous with its elevation change, challenging with the technical rocky descent, but the views are unbelievable. The hike took us about 2.5 hours.
Once back down at the river we headed towards the shuttle bus pickup area. The Savage River Shuttle would drop us off right back at our Camp Site.
Savage River Area Hiking Final Thoughts
The Savage River area in Denali National Park offers some great hiking and camping. The very relaxed and mellow Savage River Loop is an easy hike that is mostly flat and offers great views. At just about 2 miles it’s great because it starts and ends in the same place, without being boring. You can also explore off the trail and down in the water.
The Savage Alpine Trail is certainly the more difficult trail and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The 1500ft of elevation gain is tiring and the cliff face descent is tricky. The views from the top though are incredible, we got lucky with the weather and really enjoyed this rewarding hike.
Now for another night in the tent back at the Savage River Campground.
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