Highway Pass

A beautiful day on the tundra at Highway Pass

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Mile 58.7, Denali Park Road

Amenities

1 listed

Scenic View/Photo Spot

Highway Pass is the highest point along the park road at 3,980 feet (1,213 m) in elevation. This area of alpine tundra offers open views and frequent wildlife sightings.

In addition to being the highest point along the Denali Park Road, Highway Pass is the third highest maintained road pass in Alaska. Higher road passes include Atigun Pass on the Dalton Highway at 4,739 feet (1,444 m), and MacLaren Pass on the Denali Highway at 4,086 feet (1,245 m).

Geology

This area is unusual because an unnamed creek flowing from the south onto the top of the pass forms an alluvial fan that occasionally switches which watershed it feeds. If the main channel of the fan flows to the east, the water drains into unofficially named Highway Creek, which is a tributary of the Toklat River. If the main channel flows to the west, the water drains into Stony Creek, which is a tributary of the Clearwater Fork of the Toklat River. Regardless of which direction the water flows, it always meets back up at the same location approximately 30 miles (50 km) downstream in the Toklat River.