Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail — Nome Creek Trailhead

The Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail is one of Alaska’s premier alpine ridge walks — 27 miles point-to-point across open tundra above treeline between Eagle Summit and Twelvemile Summit on the Steese Highway. The Nome Creek end of the corridor puts overlanders at the doorstep of this trail. At Milepost 85.6 on the Steese, the Eagle Summit trailhead is the most-used access, but the surrounding ridgeline is visible and accessible from Nome Creek Road high points. Wildlife is dense up here: caribou, Dall sheep, arctic fox, and golden eagles are all legitimate sightings, not checklist hopes.

The trail itself is hut-to-hut with two emergency shelters, but no water on the ridge — carry everything in. Snow can linger on north-facing slopes into June. This POI anchors the larger White Mountains / Steese overland circuit perfectly as an above-treeline reference and wildlife watch point.

Alaska ridge walk above the Arctic loop.