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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.

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The Denali Borough is partnering with Alaska DOT&PF on securing funding and executing design, engineering, and construction of segments of a separated path along the Parks Highway. Check out the full project vision and the status of funding for different segments of the Parks Highway Separated Path Project.

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CURRENT PROJECT SEGMENTS UNDERWAY:

1.    Healy Area School Paths - 

Visit Alaska DOT&PF's  Healy Area School Paths webpage for up-to-date project information and timelines.

2.    Carlo Creek to Crabbies Crossing (MP 224-231)

3.    Antler Ridge Trailhead to Stampede Road (MP 245-251)

Visit Alaska DOT&PF's project website for up-to-date project information and timelines. 

 
Project Funding:

The Denali Borough received $2.18 million in funding through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) in the federal FY23 appropriations bill for pedestrian pathways along the Parks Highway. The Denali Borough and Alaska DOT&PF have an agreement established where DOT&PF will perform the design and engineering work.   Denali Borough was recently awarded a Transportation Alternative Program award to fund the construction of the separated facility from Suntrana Road to the Antler Creek trailhead and parking area.   

Project Scope:

The CDS allocation will fund the design and engineering of separated nonmotorized pathways in the Denali Borough that have a "federal nexus". Separated path segments from the 2022 Planning and Environmental Linkages Study that connect local communities to Denali National Park recreation opportunities include Parks Highway Antler Ridge Parking Lot to Suntrana Road, Parks Highway Suntrana Road to Stampede Road, and Parks Highway Carlo Creek to Crabbies Crossing. Denali Borough plans on being the future maintenance entity of these paths, and winter maintenance of these paths (i.e., snow removal) is not anticipated.  Project Description: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) proposes to design separated paths at the following proposed locations in the Denali Borough: Parks Highway Antler Ridge Parking Lot to Suntrana Road, Parks Highway Suntrana to Stampede Road, and Parks Highway Carlo Creek to Crabbies Crossing. This work will encompass all environmental, permitting, design, and agency coordination required to complete Plans, Specifications & Engineer's Estimate (PS&E) sufficient to advertise for a construction contract. Work activities include drainage improvements (culverts and ditch grading and shaping), roadside hardware (signs and guardrail), potential utility relocation, and pedestrian intersection crossing improvements.   

Purpose and Need: 

Increasing visitation to the Denali Borough, due to the attraction of Denali National Park, translates to an increase in pedestrian tourists and seasonal workers who use this section of the Parks Highway. The community connector pathways would accommodate these visitors in a manner that sets them away from the roadway. This would improve the pedestrian experience and increase safety for pedestrians and vehicular traffic. Additionally, communities along the Parks Highway would have a safe trail system for recreation and transportation purposes. These separated pedestrian pathways would connect residential areas, community services and buildings, local businesses, seasonal restaurants and lodging, employee housing, and recreation opportunities.  Specific benefits include:

• Improve safety
• Improve mobility for all transportation modes
• Balance the needs of all users (includes local residents, visitors/ tourists, through travelers, freight, non-motorized, and recreational uses)
• Separate motorized and non-motorized uses where reasonable
• Accommodate increased recreation and tourism demands, in turn to support the economic vitality of the region
• Create a segment of the Alaska Long Trail, a 500-mile proposed continuous trail, through Denali Borough

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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. 

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