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The name Savage River is deceptive. Rather than a wildly cascading raging river, we found a bubbling stream inside Alaska’s Denali National Park. The river was named for Tom Savage. The park is one of nature’s masterpieces painted across six million acres of wild land.

Private vehicles can only access the first 15 miles of the park’s only road. The trailhead marker for the 3.2 km Savage River Loop Trail sits at mile marker 15, accounting for its popularity.

We opted to leisurely explore one side of the river, and return along the opposite bank, all the while in awe of the Alaska Range as a backdrop.

Savage River Trail Denali Alaska
Away from the trailhead, we enter the true wilderness of Denali National Park.
View of the Savage River Trail Denali National Park, Alaska
It is an easy tundra hike hugging the river most of the time, while a few areas are just above river level.
Rocky cliff along Savage River in Denali National Park, Alaska
Hiking off-trail in this area is allowed, and our girls scampered up a few of the rock formations.
Savage River at mile 15 Denali National Park, Alaska
The weather seemed to change quite a bit while we hiked and we were glad we had been told to bring jackets.
Lion Rock seen on Savage River Trail in Denali Alaska
We called this “Lion Rock.” Can you see it?
The bridge allows hikers to explore both sides of Denali's Savage River in Alaska
The bridge built to allow hikers to explore both sides of the Savage River is at the halfway point.
Some of the oldest rock formations on the North American continent surround Savage River. Some estimated to be 600 million to a billion years old.
Savage River Trail Denali National Park, Alaska
In some areas, it was easy to see where the river had carved a canyon between Mount Margaret, to the west, and Healy Ridge, to the east.

Viewed from the Savage River Trail Denali National Park, Alaska

A seafaring bird in Alaska
We were surprised to see what looks to me like a seafaring bird so far from any ocean. More typical wildlife would include Dall sheep, marmots, caribou and, if you hike off trail to the north, even bears.
Family photo at Savage River Trail head in Denali Alaska
A family shot while we waited for the return bus back to the Visitor’s Center.
Moose crossing the road in Denali National Park, Alaska
Wild animal sightings are always special. This moose crossed right in front of our bus.

More Information:

    • Denali is in the south-central portion of Alaska, and accessible via train, bus, or private vehicle. The Alaska Railroad from Anchorage rewarded us with eight hours of spectacular views.
    • Access into the park beyond the 15-mile mark is by bus booked either in advance or at the Visitor’s Center. There is an hourly free shuttle bus making several stops during a 2-hour loop from the Visitor’s Center. This is how we accessed Savage River.
    • If you want to see more wildlife and wilderness, it is recommended to take one of the buses further into the park.
    • Denali National Park is home to North America’s tallest peak. Unfortunately, clouds and weather prevented us from seeing Mount McKinley while we were there. Mount McKinley can be seen on clear days from a short walk below the nearby Savage River campground, but not on the loop trail.

PRO -TIP: If we were to do this trip again, we would have flown to Fairbanks and taken the train to Denali from there, continuing to Anchorage, rather than a return trip from Anchorage. We would have seen more for the same expense.

Have you hiked the Savage River Trail? Have you been to Alaska?

PS: Denali is one of my favourite places in the USA.

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This is one of several photos as we hiked the 3.5 km Savage River Trail in Denali National Park, Alaska

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Comments

    • July is the perfect time to go. We arrived in Anchorage on 3 July, which is the night they had their big celebration. If you are sailing out of Anchorage and thinking about taking the train to Denali, I would recommend flying first to Fairbanks and taking the train down from there. We did the round trip from Anchorage, which is a silly use of time. I wrote a lot about our cruise, and different ideas in different ports.

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  5. Definately not a savage river lol. The scenery is totally beautiful. I love the shot with the river running through the middle. Great post I love all the tips at the end.

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  6. It’s so amazing to think about just how old those rocks and mountains are! They certainly are beautiful though. And I would have been surprised at seeing that bird too. I would think I was back home in Miami! lol

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  7. Alaska is such a beautiful place! I was there a few summers ago to fish the salmon run and loved it. We didn’t make it to Denali National Park, but did a boat tour of Kenai Fjords National Park and it was so amazing!

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  8. What an amazing experience to hike inside Denali National Park! I visited there with my family when I was in my teens. We were in a bus the whole time, but still got to see quite a lot of wildlife. I would love to go back and hike the Savage River trail!

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  9. Brings back such fond memories! We drove into Denali and camped, which was nice because the camping permit meant we got to go past Savage River with the car. Sadly we were a little light on wildlife sightings during our time, though that’s nature for you – never know what to expect! Love the area though 🙂

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    • I am not a tent camper, so we stayed in a lodge just outside the park. We also didn’t have a car in Denali, but I can see where driving in beyond Savage River could be useful. Sorry about your lack of wildlife.

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  11. What a fascinating hike. I like how you can explore both sides of the river and the views look amazing. I love to hike and pinned this for later use. Alaska is on my bucket-list. Great photos and thanks for sharing 🙂

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  12. The scenery there is unmatched! We did the whole day bus tour, but were too chicken to get off and hike after all the grizzlies we saw!

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  13. Alaska is a fabulous place and great to know that you were treated by its amazing views on your train journey for 8 hours. Even I was hoping to see something very dramatic when I read the name Savage river trail. Stunning views!

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  14. I have been to Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan last 2013. It was an amazing experience. I bought a lot of local chocolates and ate them right away. Alaska is just magnificent. I have seen some seafood restaurants but I did not have a chance to eat. I wish that I can go back to Alaska and probably visit Denali.

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  16. How lucky you were to have such great weather in Denali. There was a winter storm (in August) when we reached Denali and couldn’t do any hiking. Beautiful pictures, as always.

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  19. Despite being pretty well traveled in the US, I have yet to visit Alaska – sheer effort has prevented it thus far. However, a big Alaskan swing is at the top of my bucket list and a visit to Denali is a required part of the itinerary. I want to see a moose on the road!!! Thanks for reminding me about how amazing this place is

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  20. I would love to hike by the Savage River in the Denali Natural Park. The scenery in Alaska is breathtaking. It is a pity you didn’t get to see Mount McKinley. Maybe next time.

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  21. What a gorgeous place! You have a talent for finding these super beauty places. I have seen a lot of stunning places (I can say that about National Parks) but I know Alaska is in its own league. Not sure if I prepare for it. #TPThursday

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  23. The Denali Star is on my to do list – and Anchorage is somewhere I have wanted to visit for a long time (I have a vision of me listening to Michelle Shocked singing Anchorage while landing at the airport! One day! Lovely photographs!

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  25. Looks like a great hike. Is there a worry of running into bears? I’ve always wanted to visit Alaska. It’s the only state I haven’t been to.

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    • There is always a worry of running into bears, but a bit less here than in most of the park. However, they advise ir you head off the trail, especially to the North, that you are noisy.

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  26. Oh man, I miss Denali so much! We used to go up every year just before opening. Savage is so beautiful. Thanks for sharing and bringing back there Rhonda!

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    • If you are cruising and including Anchorage with a side trip to Denali, I would recommend taking the train either to or from Fairbanks. It’s eight hours from Anchorage to Denali, and to do it return costs more than continuing on to Fairbanks, and you get to see another city that way.

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  28. I’ve never been to Alaska! I would love to go. It’s funny how the name of this river sounds scary but it’s just someone’s name! I would love to do a cruise!

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  30. 6 million acres! That’s blowing my mind, this park must be colossal! And yet I’ve never heard of it before. The hiking looks fantastic, the views spectacular and you saw moose – what a bonus. Fantastic photographs. #Wkendtravelinspiration

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  33. Alaska is on top of my bucket list! I’d love to visit Denali and go hiking one day! I’m actually headed to Svalbard this summer and really hope that it’ll be similar 😉

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  34. We have some friends that are newly retired and are moving to Alaska soon. They just purchased a home and are selling their house here. It’s been a dream of theirs for years. They talk about Alaska just like you depicted in these pictures.

    Beautiful shots and a place that hubby would love to visit.

    Have a fabulous day, Rhonda. ☺

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  35. It’s really spectacular, isn’t it? I saw the lion! I wonder how may tourists come and expect to see a “savage” river. Love your girls “scampering” up the rock formations. I don’t scamper anywhere anymore. Oh, to be young again…

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  37. What a beautiful hike! It reminds me of several I did while I lived in Montana…and actually I have some pictures I could turn into a blog post…. hrmmm #wkendtravelinspiration

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  50. I have never been to Denali and it is very hard to choose which of these beautiful pictures I like the best.

    Reply

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