![]() | Pinnell MountainBrochure |
Brochure of Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail (NRT) in Alaska. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
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Safety
The Trail
Offering an escape to a unique and remote section
of the Steese National Conservation Area, the Pinnell
Mountain National Recreation Trail winds through
a visual feast of sweeping mountain vistas, brilliant
wildflower displays, and the unceasing light of the
midnight sun. Pinnell Mountain, the highest point
along the trail at 4,721 feet (1438 m), was named
for Robert Pinnell, who died while climbing nearby
Porcupine Dome.
The Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail
traverses the high ridges between the White Mountains
and the Crazy Mountains. Storms moving through the
Yukon or Tanana valleys reach this high ground and
stall. The results are windy conditions, low clouds,
ground fog, rain, hail, or snow. Temperatures can drop
below freezing in April, while highs can reach to the
middle 80’s in July. Be prepared for snow at any time
of the year.
The trail is 27 miles (44 km) long and traverses
a series of alpine ridge tops that are entirely above
timberline. Mileage is measured from Eagle Summit
(mile 0) toward Twelvemile Summit (mile 27). Where
terrain makes the trail difficult to follow, rock cairns
and wooden posts areas indicate the trail. Many parts
of the trail require good navigational skills, especially
when visibility is poor.
There are two shelter cabins located on the Pinnell
Mountain National Recreation Trail. The Ptarmigan
Creek Shelter Cabin is located near mile 10.1 (16.2 km)
in a saddle just below Pinnell Mountain. The North
Fork Shelter Cabin is located at mile 17.8 (28.6 km)
on the back side of a hill. These small cabins provide
emergency shelter, away from strong wind and
blowing rain or snow. They operate on a first-come,
first-served basis. Hikers should always have tents
and be prepared to use them in case the shelters are
occupied.
Hikers using the Pinnell Mountain National
Recreation Trail should expect a physical challenge.
Most of the trail has at least an 8 percent grade and in
many sections the grade exceeds 25 percent. At Eagle
Summit, Pinnell Mountain, and Table Mountain, the
trail features long switchbacks with 600-foot (182 m)
elevation changes over a distance of one-half mile
(0.8 km).
The Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail is
closed to summer use of motorized vehicles, and pets
must be under control at all times. All visitors should
have detailed USGS maps covering the trail: Circle B-3,
B-4, C-3, and C-4.
For more information, contact:
Bureau of Land Management
Eastern Interior Field Office
1150 University Avenue
Fairbanks, Alaska 99709-3844
907-474-2200 or 1-800-437-7021
www.blm.gov/ak
All of Alaska is bear country. Remember to watch
for bears and other wildlife. Cooking should take
place outside the shelter cabins so that animals are
not attracted to them. Cook food away from sleeping
areas and downwind from tents. Always keep a clean
camp. Human waste should be buried at least 200 feet
(60 m) from water sources, and all garbage, including
toilet paper, should be hauled out. Please do not leave
food in the cabins for the next people to pack out.
Remember – “If you pack it in, pack it out.”
Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail
BLM
Pinnell
Mount ain
Water is available at both shelter cabins from a
catchment system constructed to collect melting snow
and rain. All water should be treated before cooking
or drinking. Other water sources can be found in
small ponds scattered along the trail, and in the early
summer, snow may be melted. Carry plenty of water,
even if you are only doing a day hike.
Arctic Sandwort. (Minuartia arctica) Pink Family.
Forms large mats of white, five-petaled flowers.
National Recreation
Trail
Arctic Forget-Me-Not. (Eritrichium aretioides)
Borage Family. Bright blue flowers on short, dense
clusters of branching stems.
Ptarmigan Creek Shelter Cabin.
Vegetation
Spectacular wildflowers and shrubs are a highlight of
hikes along the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation
Trail. Depending on when you visit, many different
kinds may be in bloom. Here are just a few of the types
of vegetation you will find along the trail.
Bistort. (Polygonum bistorta) Buckwheat Family.
A spike of bright pink flowers on single stalks with
long, pointed leaves.
Crowberry. (Empetrum nigrum) Crowberry Family.
A mat-forming, evergreen shrub with small, narrow
leaves and maroon flowers, producing an edible berry.
Frigid Shooting Star. (Dodecatheon frigidum)
Primrose Family. Look for drooping, magenta flowers
on short, single-stalked plants with large basal leaves.
Alaska
Arctic Bell Heather. (Cassiope tetragona) Heath
Family. A dark green, dwarf shrub with scale-like
leaves and white, bell-shaped flowers.
Mountain Cranberry. (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)
Heath Family. An evergreen mat-forming shrub with
glossy, ovoid leaves and pinkish, bell-like flowers that
produce an edible berry.
Other rock types are visible in different areas along
the trail. The area surrounding the North Fork Shelter
Cabin is composed of granite. On the eastern side of
Table Mountain, the trail parallels an intrusion of light
gray rhyolite.
The trail is also an excellent place to view unusual
landforms created by Alaska’s cold climate. The most
visible of these formations are solifluction lobes,
which look like draped fabric or ripples on the tundra.
Look for them on steep slopes, where freeze-thaw
cycles in zones of discontinuous permafrost allow the
vegetative mat and top layer of soil to slide downhill
over the bedrock.
Other permafrost-related features include polygonpatterned ground fissures and “seas of rocks,” created
over thousands of years as frost pushes fractured rocks
to the surface.
Alpine Azalea. (Loiseleuria procumbens) Heath
Family. Forms mats of many light pink, five-petaled
flowers.
Purple Oxytrope. (Oxytropis nigrescens) Pea
Family. A tiny, grayish-leaved plant with dark purple
flowers that produce a seed pod.
trail. This schist dates to the Precambrian-Cambrian
periods, 700 million to 2 billion years ago, when only
the simplest life forms flourished.
Marmots. Hoary marmots (Marmota caligata)
live in rock outcrops and rubble fields, including
those around the North Fork Shelter Cabin. They feed
on grasses, flowering plants, berries, roots, mosses,
and lichens. Marmots are social animals that live
in colonies. When startled, hoary marmots usually
sound a loud whistle, explaining their nickname,
“whistling pig,” but they also hiss, squeal, growl, and
yip. Enjoy their presence, but respect their “wildness”
by maintaining a reasonable distance. Grizzly bears
prey on marmots, so watch for bear signs and be alert
around marmot habitat.
Pika. The northern or collared pika (Ochotona
collaris), known as the “rock rabbit,” is closely related
to hares and rabbits. Listen for their shrill bark around
rock slides or talus slopes. They are remarkable for
their well-developed hay-making or grass-collecting
behavior. Consider yourself lucky if you see these
highly alert animals.
Caribou. Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are unique
among the deer family in that both females and
males have antlers. Males shed their antlers after rut
(breeding) while some pregnant females carry their
antlers all winter and shed them in late spring. Caribou
eat lichens, willows, scrub birch, grasses, sedges, and
cottongrass. They also eat mushrooms when available.
Caribou have been described as having “universal
tastes” because they eat a wide variety of plants as they
migrate great distances between traditional calving
grounds and winter feeding areas. Watch for cow and
calf groups and stay well away from them.
Arctic Sandwort growing on the rock scree.
Geology
Hikers on the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation
Trail walk across some of Alaska’s oldest rocks. Schist,
the predominant rock type, forms the prominent tors
jutting from narrow ridge tops on sections of the
Wildlife
Solifluction lobes found in the Pinnell Mountain area.
Ptarmigan. There are two species of ptarmigan
living along the trail: rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus)
and willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus). Both are
close relatives of grouse, but unlike their cousins,
ptarmigan turn from brown to white with the seasons,
making them difficult for predators to see.
Hoary Marmot living among the tundra and rock
scree.
Plover. The lesser golden plover (Pluvialis
dominica) can be found on the drier hillsides with
nests in the tundra moss. These speckled and brown
birds are well camouflaged on the tundra. Their winter
grounds are in Argentina. Plovers eat mainly insects
but also like crowberries and blueberries.
Northern Wheatear. The northern wheatear
(Oenanthe oenanthe), also known as the old-world
thrush, is found in rock fields and rock ridges, where
it builds nests in cavities between the rocks. They
migrate to eastern Asia for the winter.
While hiking, watch for young birds and animals on
the trail. Chicks find it easier to run on the trail surface
rather than among the tundra vegetation. Caribou
calves may be just days old when you see them.
Respect all wildlife and give them the right-of-way.
Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail
Trail Characteristics
Global Positioning System (GPS) Coordinates
Porcupine Dome
4915 ft.
• Eagle Summit: N65°29.087', W145°24.869'
• Ptarmigan Creek Trail Shelter: N65°30.186', W145°37.728'
• North Fork Trail Shelter: N65°28.733', W145°49.043'
• Twelvemile Summit: N65°23.865', W145°58.376'
These coordinates (in WGS84 datum) are approximate and
should not be used as your only means of navigation.
Trail Information
• Trail Length: 27.3 miles (44 kilometers).
• Elevational Change: 1,691 feet (515 meters).
• Time needed to hike the trail: 3 to 5 days.
Grade
Average 12%, 82% exceeds 8%. Maximum
section is 39% for 38 feet.
Pinnell Mountain
4934 ft.
Cross Slope
Average 8%.
Width
Minimum 4 inches wide, average 24 inches.
Surface
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Rock
Uneven rock surface.
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Scree slopes.
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Legend
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North Fork
Shelter Cabin
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Eagle Creek
Table
Mountain
4472 ft.
Alaska
No
Go
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River
Access
Location of area shown on map
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Hiking Trail
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Fis
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Information
Trail
Shelter
Milepost 107.3 - Elev. 3,624 ft.
Pta
92% natural surface, 6% wooden planking,
10-12 inches wide, 2% very soft – bog.
Eagle Summit Wayside
Ptarmigan Creek
Shelter Cabin
Swamp Saddle
3500 ft.
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For
Fishing
ust
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Fairbanks
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Anchorage
Vault Toilet
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Wil
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Mileage
Marker
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Reed Creek
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Twelvemile Cre
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Stee
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Bu
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Cr
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White
Mountains
National
Recreation
Area
k
k
Steese National
Conservation
Area
Upper Birch Creek Wayside
Milepost 94.1 - Elev. 1,900 ft.
Twelvemile Summit Wayside
Milepost 85.5 - Elev. 3,150 ft.
So
ork
F
h
ut
Birch Creek
National Wild River
Corridor
Pinnell
Mountain
Trail
ation Area
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C
tional
Steese Na
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South Un
Steese National
Conservation
Area
Chena Hot Springs
Caution: This map should be used for general trip planning only.
Use USGS inch-to-the-mile maps for detailed trip planning.
The National Trail System
The Pinnell Mountain Trail was established by Congress in 1968 and nominated as a
component of the National Trails System in 1971. The trail is one of the few maintained
primitive hiking trails in interior Alaska. It is managed for a primitive experience, where
users feel isolated from the sights and sounds of man, encounter a high degree of risk
and challenge, and use outdoor skills. On the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail
you can experience the remote backcountry areas of the Steese National Conservation
Area and enjoy outstanding views of the White Mountains, the Crazy Mountains, the
Alaska Range to the south, and the surrounding Yukon-Tanana uplands and Yukon
River valley.
BLM/AK/GI-11/008+8351+F0000 Rev 2011