Sweeping mountain vistas and brilliant wildflower displays under the unceasing
light of the midnight sun, the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail
offers an unforgettable experience whether your visit lasts a few hours or a
few days.

Located approximately 100 miles (161 km) northeast of Fairbanks, this 27-mile
(44 km) hiking trail traverses a series of alpine ridge tops entirely above
timberline. The trail was built for hikers, but is open to all forms of non-
motorized use.

The Pinnell Mountain Trail is marked with rock cairns as it crosses open
tundra with views north to the Yukon River and south to the Alaska Range.
Wooden posts along the trail show the mileage from the start at Eagle Summit
to the trail's end at Twelvemile Summit. Two shelters provide refuge from
storms, but hikers should come prepared for unpredictable, dramatic alpine
weather. Finding drinking water along the trail can become difficult later in
the summer, when snowfields and small ponds dry up. Water is generally
available at both shelter cabins, where catchment systems collect melting snow
and rain.

An accessible interpretive loop trail leads to an observation deck near the
Eagle Summit Trailhead.

Sweeping mountain vistas and brilliant wildflower displays under the unceasing light of the midnight sun, the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail offers an unforgettable experience whether your visit lasts a few hours or a few days.Located approximately 100 miles (161 km) northeast of Fairbanks, this 27-mile (44 km) hiking trail traverses a series of alpine ridge tops entirely above timberline. The trail was built for hikers, but is open to all forms of non-motorized use. The Pinnell Mountain Trail is marked with rock cairns as it crosses open tundra with views north to the Yukon River and south to the Alaska Range. Wooden posts along the trail show the mileage from the start at Eagle Summit to the trail's end at Twelvemile Summit. Two shelters provide refuge from storms, but hikers should come prepared for unpredictable, dramatic alpine weather. Finding drinking water along the trail can become difficult later in the summer, when snowfields and small ponds dry up. Water is generally available at both shelter cabins, where catchment systems collect melting snow and rain. An accessible interpretive loop trail leads to an observation deck near the Eagle Summit Trailhead.

Three separate images of hikers on The Pinnell Mountain Trail. The mountainous area has low alpine grasses and flowers with long open views of distant mountain ranges.

Pinnell Mountain national Recreation Trail

Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail

A half day’s drive northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, the Steese National
Conservation Area (NCA) offers stunning scenery, peaceful solitude, and
outstanding opportunities for year-round recreation. The 1.2-million-acre NCA
was designated by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980
to protect the area’s special values, particularly Birch Creek Wild and Scenic
River, and caribou habitat.

The NCA plays a major role in the annual life of cycle of the Fortymile and
White Mountains caribou herds, offering migration corridors, summer crucial
calving grounds in high alpine tundra, and winter ranges among black spruce
boreal forests. A few areas provide year-round habitat for Dall sheep, an
uncommon species in Interior Alaska.

Summer visitors to the NCA, backpack, hike, camp, fish, pick berries, and hunt
under Alaska's 'midnight sun.' Located in two units straddling the remote
Steese Highway, the NCA offers primitive, remote recreation opportunities with
few encounters with others. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound – raptors,
upland birds, moose, fox, caribou, and bears are just a few of the mammals
that may be spotted while recreating along Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River,
the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail, or one of the many travel
routes that access the NCA.

Except for the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail, both winter and
summer routes within the Steese NCA are unmaintained and unmarked.
Restrictions on off-highway vehicles apply to some areas. (See the Off-Highway
Vehicle page for more information).

The BLM does not maintain any winter trails in the SNCA, so visitors must be
prepared for challenging trail conditions that may include drifted snow, poor
visibility, extreme cold, and thin ice on frozen rivers and streams.

A half day’s drive northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, the Steese National Conservation Area (NCA) offers stunning scenery, peaceful solitude, and outstanding opportunities for year-round recreation. The 1.2-million-acre NCA was designated by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980 to protect the area’s special values, particularly <a href="https://blm.gov/node/101214" rel="nofollow">Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River</a>, and caribou habitat.The NCA plays a major role in the annual life of cycle of the Fortymile and White Mountains caribou herds, offering migration corridors, summer crucial calving grounds in high alpine tundra, and winter ranges among black spruce boreal forests. A few areas provide year-round habitat for Dall sheep, an uncommon species in Interior Alaska.Summer visitors to the NCA, backpack, hike, camp, fish, pick berries, and hunt under Alaska's 'midnight sun.' Located in two units straddling the remote Steese Highway, the NCA offers primitive, remote recreation opportunities with few encounters with others. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound – raptors, upland birds, moose, fox, caribou, and bears are just a few of the mammals that may be spotted while recreating along Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River, the <a href="https://blm.gov/node/101174" rel="nofollow">Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail</a>, or one of the many travel routes that access the NCA. Except for the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail, both winter and summer routes within the Steese NCA are unmaintained and unmarked. Restrictions on off-highway vehicles apply to some areas. (See the Off-Highway Vehicle page for more information). The BLM does not maintain any winter trails in the SNCA, so visitors must be prepared for challenging trail conditions that may include drifted snow, poor visibility, extreme cold, and thin ice on frozen rivers and streams.

No fee for personal recreational use. Commercial guides are required to obtain
a Special Recreation Permit from the BLM.

Bird's eye view of the park

Steese National Conservation Area

Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River flows from the windswept ridges and alpine
tundra of the Steese National Conservation Area into the broad expanse of the
Yukon Flats in central Alaska. The river offers one-week float trips notable
not only for scenery and remoteness but for convenience -- floaters can access
both ends of the Wild River segment from BLM recreation sites along the Steese
Highway.

The BLM manages 110 miles of upper Birch Creek as a wild river as a component
of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The river continues through
state, private and Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge land for a total of
344 miles before emptying into the Yukon River about halfway between Fort
Yukon and Beaver.

Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River offers outstanding recreation opportunities
for float boat use for those experienced with canoe, kayak, or raft. Float
trips usually take about 50 hours of actual water time to travel the 110 river
miles between BLM's put-in and take-out waysides, both located on the Steese
Highway. A leisurely trip requires 7 to 10 days. The water is predominately
Class I, but there are some Class II and Class III areas.

Although visited primarily in summer, Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River offers
many winter activities for those wanting a primitive backcountry experience.
Snowmobiling along the creek is popular in March and April as the days get
longer and temperatures start to rise. For a few days each February, the Yukon
Quest International Sled Dog Race between Fairbanks and Whitehorse makes
portions of Birch Creek busy with dog teams and mushers. Dog mushing,
trapping, and cross-country skiing are popular winter activities along the
frozen river.

## Monitoring River Levels

A stream gauge near the put-in at the Upper Birch Creek Wayside at Milepost 94
Steese Highway reports water stage, water temperature, air temperature,
cumulative precipitation and water turbidity at 15-minute intervals. Current
observations are available on the National Weather Service's
Hydrometeorological Automated Data System (HADS) website
(https://hads.ncep.noaa.gov/charts/AK.shtml).

To view the data, from the station list find station **BCTA2 - Birch Creek
above Twelvemile Creek** , select a time interval, and press "Decoded Data" to
view the tables and graphs of observations. For current river stage
conditions, look at the River Height (HG) data.

  * Stage of less than 1.0 feet is very low flow, meaning difficult floating, especially for rafts.

  * Stage of 2 feet is moderate flow --good float conditions.

  * Stage of 3 to 3.5 feet or above is considered high water; be prepared for fast current, floating logs, flooded campsites, and potentially dangerous conditions.

## Hazardous river channel in upper Birch Creek

In late July 2023, a new, hazardous river channel was discovered at **Latitude
N 65.331462, Longitude W -145.745712,** a few miles downriver from the Upper
Birch Creek Wayside. At the time of discovery, during the low flow stages of
late July, the entire river flowed into a log-jam and debris-choked channel,
requiring a ¼ mile portage through the original, dry river channel. Visit
BLM.gov to view the map for the new channel.

At higher river stage levels, we don't know what this hazard means for
boaters. Boaters should plan to scout the hazard and be prepared to portage
gear around the hazard.

New river channels can take years to clear debris and become safe to float
through.

Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River flows from the windswept ridges and alpine tundra of the <a href="/node/9064" rel="nofollow">Steese National Conservation Area</a> into the broad expanse of the Yukon Flats in central Alaska. The river offers one-week float trips notable not only for scenery and remoteness but for convenience -- floaters can access both ends of the Wild River segment from BLM recreation sites along the Steese Highway.

The BLM manages 110 miles of upper Birch Creek as a wild river as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The river continues through state, private and Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge land for a total of 344 miles before emptying into the Yukon River about halfway between Fort Yukon and Beaver.

<a href="/node/14405" rel="nofollow">Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River</a> offers outstanding recreation opportunities for float boat use for those experienced with canoe, kayak, or raft. Float trips usually take about 50 hours of actual water time to travel the 110 river miles between BLM's put-in and take-out waysides, both located on the Steese Highway. A leisurely trip requires 7 to 10 days. The water is predominately Class I, but there are some Class II and Class III areas.

Although visited primarily in summer, Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River offers many winter activities for those wanting a primitive backcountry experience. Snowmobiling along the creek is popular in March and April as the days get longer and temperatures start to rise. For a few days each February, the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race between Fairbanks and Whitehorse makes portions of Birch Creek busy with dog teams and mushers. Dog mushing, trapping, and cross-country skiing are popular winter activities along the frozen river.

<h2>Monitoring River Levels</h2>

A stream gauge near the put-in at the Upper Birch Creek Wayside at Milepost 94 Steese Highway reports water stage, water temperature, air temperature, cumulative precipitation and water turbidity at 15-minute intervals. Current observations are available on the National Weather Service's Hydrometeorological Automated Data System (HADS) website (https://hads.ncep.noaa.gov/charts/AK.shtml).

To view the data, from the station list find station BCTA2 - Birch Creek above Twelvemile Creek, select a time interval, and press "Decoded Data" to view the tables and graphs of observations. For current river stage conditions, look at the River Height (HG) data. 

<ul>
<li>Stage of less than 1.0 feet is very low flow, meaning difficult floating, especially for rafts.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Stage of 2 feet is moderate flow --good float conditions.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
<li>Stage of 3 to 3.5 feet or above is considered high water; be prepared for fast current, floating logs, flooded campsites, and potentially dangerous conditions.</li>
</ul>

<h2>Hazardous river channel in upper Birch Creek</h2>

In late July 2023, a new, hazardous river channel was discovered at Latitude N 65.331462, Longitude W -145.745712, a few miles downriver from the Upper Birch Creek Wayside. At the time of discovery, during the low flow stages of late July, the entire river flowed into a log-jam and debris-choked channel, requiring a ¼ mile portage through the original, dry river channel. Visit <a href="/node/410573" id="menurguj" title="/node/410573" rel="nofollow">BLM.gov</a> to view the map for the new channel.

At higher river stage levels, we don't know what this hazard means for boaters. Boaters should plan to scout the hazard and be prepared to portage gear around the hazard.

New river channels can take years to clear debris and become safe to float through.

No fee for personal recreation use. Commercial guides using the river need to
obtain a Special Recreation Permit from the BLM.

Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail

Directions

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Nearby Parks

Steese National Conservation Area

Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River