Community and Outdoor Recreation Projects and Planning

A partnership project is underway to establish a new parking lot, facilities, and new trail connections at Antler Ridge. 

Project Purpose

The purpose of this project is to improve access to Mt. Healy for recreational purposes. The current location of the Bison Gulch parking lot used to access Mt. Healy is on the east side of the Parks Highway and causes pedestrians to cross the highway in a location positioned in the center of horizontal and vertical curves, resulting in poor sight visibility. By relocating the parking lot onto the west side of the Parks Highway closer to Antler Ridge, trail users will have direct access from a parking area to a new trailhead location.  This project has been funded in two phases through the Federal Lands Access Grant Program (FLAP). Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program worked with the Denali Borough to execute two successful FLAP applications; this assistance was made possible through RTCA's technical assistance grant. 

   
Antler Ridge Trail

The new trail connection and formal construction of the first-ever Denali Borough maintained trail at Antler Ridge will begin in the summer of 2024. In the meantime, the Denali Borough is working to make the new parking lot functional to access the Antler Ridge social trail.  The Denali Borough is partnering with RTCA and the Denali National Park trail crew to establish a functional trailhead to depart the parking lot and connect with the existing social trail. For trail users - this continues to be an unmaintained social trail. Please enjoy, be safe, and practice Leave No Trace principles.  A vaulted toilet was constructed and open for use in 2024.  Trail construction is anticipated for the summer of 2025.   

Visit the Alaska DOT&PF Project Page for more details on phase one (the parking lot) of the project, completed in the fall of 2021. Click here to watch the Project Model video.

In June 2025, the Denali Borough Assembly established a standing Community and Outdoor Recreation Committee (CORC) to serve as an advisory body to guide recreation improvements, review and provide recommendations regarding Borough recreation facilities, and assist in the implementation and future revision of the Community and Outdoor Recreation Plan.

The Denali Borough's Community & Outdoor Recreation Plan was approved by the Denali Borough Assembly in February 2025. The Denali Borough’s Community and Outdoor Recreation Plan (the CORP) is a dynamic document designed to enhance local recreation opportunities for residents, businesses, and visitors. The CORP includes the layout and demographics of the Borough’s communities, details about land managers in the area, current conditions of local recreation, the purpose of the planning process, and public feedback on proposed concepts and projects. The collaborative planning process included municipal staff and volunteer committee members made up of local residents—with input from community surveys—over two years.