State Route 8 - Denali Highway

Alaska State Route 8 links SR 3 (Parks Highway) near Denali National Park with SR 4 (Richardson Highway) at Paxson. Following Denali Highway, SR 8 travels 134.04 miles east from Cantwell across sparsely populated areas. The road is unpaved east of Drashner Lake and closed during Winter.

SR 8 begins at the intersection with SR 3 (Parks Highway) and Cantwell Road east of Denali National Park. Denali Highway passes south of the Reindeer Hills to Drashner Lake and then east along the Nenana River. The state route heads southeast past Monahan Flat to span the Susitna River. Encircling the Clearwater Mountains, Denali Highway advances east to cross the Maclaren River.

Passing between Whistle Ridge and the Amphitheater Mountains, SR 8 (Denali Highway) traverses High Valley to Downwind Lake. East from Round Tangle Lake, Denali Highway is fully paved on the 21 miles leading to Paxson. SR 8 crosses the Amphitheater Mountains before converging with SR 4 (Richardson Highway) east of Paxson Mountain.

Providing the first road linking to Denali National Park, the Denali Highway was completed 1957. The gravel road originated at Paxson's Lodge on Richardson Highway.¹

East

State Route 8 (Denali Highway) winds 134 miles east across Alaskan wilderness to SR 4 at Paxson, passing through the Monahan Flat and south of the Clearwater and Amphitheater Mountain ranges. 05/09/23

West

While SR 8 concludes its run from Paxson at SR 3 (Parks Highway), Denali Highway continues another 1.7 miles west to Cantwell Lodge and the Alaska Railroad opposite Toklat Drive. 05/09/23

Photo Credits:

05/09/23 by AARoads

Connect with:
State Route 3 - Parks Highway
State Route 4 - Richardson Highway

Page Updated 06-16-2023.