Hiking Along the Savage River

September 3. After doing some short hikes around the visitor center, we decided to drive as far as one is allowed to go through Denali National Park, which is about 15 miles along the only road in the park. The road is paved until the Savage River, where we decided to go for an out and back hike of about a mile each way.


We kept our eyes peeled for moose as we drove slowly along the road through prime moose habitat. For five miles, there were signs saying that the area on both sides of the road were prime moose rutting territory and was off limits to hiking, but our bad luck continued and we did not see any moose. So far, in our seven days in Alaska, the largest terrestrial animal we had seen was a red squirrel. But at least the tundra in its fall colors was beautiful:

The Savage River was the end of the paved road, and as far as people who are not driving an RV to a campground can drive in the park. It was a pretty spot for a hike, with a rough trail along the river. I guess we could have walked for many miles through the wilderness, but we went about a mile and then turned around. We stopped many times to "glass" the surroundings, but did not see any wildlife, much less a moose or a grizzly. "I don't think Alaska really has moose," I groused. Here are some photos from our hike:

The Savage River:

There were many interesting rock formations in the area:

As well as some nice fall colors:

The river ran swift and cold:
The river valley was often steep sided, and the country was very rugged: