Do you need a permit for the Kesugi Ridge Trail?

I found no backcountry permit for Kesugi Ridge in 2026. You pay to park: a $5 day-use fee or an annual parking pass at the Little Coal Creek, Ermine Hill and Byers Lake trailheads (Alaska State Parks). Skinny Lake has the route's only designated campsite and toilet; elsewhere you camp on durable ground on the ridge.

How long is the Kesugi Ridge Trail?

Alaska State Parks gives 28.9 miles (46.5 km) one way from Little Coal Creek to Byers Lake Campground. My GPS recorded 32.8 miles (52.7 km) and about 5,450 ft of climbing over two days. Most people take three days.

How do you get back to your car after hiking Kesugi Ridge?

It's one way, and the Little Coal Creek and Byers Lake trailheads are about 17 miles apart on the Parks Highway. Leave a second car at Byers Lake, book a shuttle from Talkeetna (Denali Southside River Guides), or hitch, which is what I did.

Can you leave Kesugi Ridge partway?

Yes. The Ermine Hill Trail drops 3.7 miles (6.0 km) from the ridge to the Parks Highway at mile 156.5, roughly halfway along the traverse. You'll need a ride from there.

When is the best time to hike Kesugi Ridge?

Alaska State Parks says late June to mid-September. In early June, when I went, there was still deep snow, snow bridges over streams and trees down across the trail. Expect mosquitoes early in the season and blueberries, and bears, in late summer.

Are there bears on Kesugi Ridge?

Yes, black and brown bears. State Parks closes trails when bears gather, especially near Troublesome Creek during the July and August salmon runs. Carry bear spray, cook and store food away from your tent, and check State Parks' trail conditions before you go.

The Kesugi Ridge film: Denali State Park, Alaska

Denali State Park, Alaska · 2 days · 32.8 miles

Kesugi Ridge Hiking Guide

Little Coal Creek to Byers Lake in Denali State Park, Alaska, in 2 days.

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A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
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The route

My GPS recording of 2 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Kesugi Ridge route: 2 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Little Coal Creek Trailhead, Byers Lake and My camp. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (GMTED) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 2 days
Distance: 32.8 miles
Climbing: About 5,450 ft (1,660 m) up
Route: Little Coal Creek Trailhead to Byers Lake Campground

What's inside

Where things stand. Kesugi Ridge in October 2026: trail status, bear closures, the season and the Parks Highway, checked on Alaska State Parks' pages.
Both days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the route, where to turn back, maps with elevation profiles, and links to that part of my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings of both days, plus the full route with waypoints, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
Getting there. The drive from Anchorage, the trailheads by Parks Highway milepost, and the one-way problem: two cars, the Talkeetna shuttle or hitching.
Other ways to do it. The usual three days with a night at Skinny Lake, half the ridge from Ermine Hill, south to north, and the Byers Lake Loop to Tarn Point.
Bears, weather and safety. Black and brown bears, food storage, fog on the ridge, June snow and snow bridges, and what to do with no phone signal.
Talkeetna, costs and a trip sheet. Where to buy food and gear, Byers Lake camping and cabins, what a trip costs in 2026, one page of checks and a printable summary of the route.

About this trip

In early June 2020 I hiked the Kesugi Ridge Trail alone in Denali State Park, Alaska: up from the Little Coal Creek Trailhead to a camp on the snowy ridge the first evening, then the whole ridge south and west the next day, down the Cascade Trail to Byers Lake just after midnight. It's the trip from my film Hiking the Kesugi Ridge Trail in Alaska. This guide has my GPX files, maps and notes for both days, the 2026 rules and fees, the car shuttle problem and how to solve it, the usual three-day plan and the Ermine Hill halfway exit, Talkeetna, costs, bears, snow and weather, and a trip sheet.

Watch the film on YouTube (295K views).

The Day 2, Kesugi Ridge to Byers Lake page from the Kesugi Ridge Hiking Guide

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Kesugi Ridge to Byers Lake

The whole day page from the guide, as a PDF: the photo, the numbers and what to know. It opens as soon as you sign up, and you'll get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 42-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated October 2026.
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Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
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Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

Do you need a permit for the Kesugi Ridge Trail?: I found no backcountry permit for Kesugi Ridge in 2026. You pay to park: a $5 day-use fee or an annual parking pass at the Little Coal Creek, Ermine Hill and Byers Lake trailheads (Alaska State Parks). Skinny Lake has the route's only designated campsite and toilet; elsewhere you camp on durable ground on the ridge.
How long is the Kesugi Ridge Trail?: Alaska State Parks gives 28.9 miles (46.5 km) one way from Little Coal Creek to Byers Lake Campground. My GPS recorded 32.8 miles (52.7 km) and about 5,450 ft of climbing over two days. Most people take three days.
How do you get back to your car after hiking Kesugi Ridge?: It's one way, and the Little Coal Creek and Byers Lake trailheads are about 17 miles apart on the Parks Highway. Leave a second car at Byers Lake, book a shuttle from Talkeetna (Denali Southside River Guides), or hitch, which is what I did.
Can you leave Kesugi Ridge partway?: Yes. The Ermine Hill Trail drops 3.7 miles (6.0 km) from the ridge to the Parks Highway at mile 156.5, roughly halfway along the traverse. You'll need a ride from there.
When is the best time to hike Kesugi Ridge?: Alaska State Parks says late June to mid-September. In early June, when I went, there was still deep snow, snow bridges over streams and trees down across the trail. Expect mosquitoes early in the season and blueberries, and bears, in late summer.
Are there bears on Kesugi Ridge?: Yes, black and brown bears. State Parks closes trails when bears gather, especially near Troublesome Creek during the July and August salmon runs. Carry bear spray, cook and store food away from your tent, and check State Parks' trail conditions before you go.

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