Ermine Hill Trail is a 6.9 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Denali National Park, Alaska that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Denali State Park charges a $5 daily parking fee. You can also purchase an annual parking pass for $60.
October 21, 2020Awesome clear crisp winter day.
September 5, 2020Great hike, beautiful views
August 28, 2020July 4, 2020Beautiful hike but more challenging than we anticipated. We did ermine to beyers lake from about Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. Swimming in skinny lake after a long morning in the sun was one of the most refreshing moments ever and the views of Denali from the ridge are unbeatable. Delightful trip. But tough! (And SO MANY BUGS)
June 26, 2020Awesome.
June 8, 2020Beautiful View from top- Backpacking this weekend was a little in comparison to a Jumanji adventure starting out. It was an obstacle course climbing over large fallen trees and then smaller Poplar trees, and then a bridge that is sturdy but tilted across a large creek. Then we saw a dead moose right off the trail w bear scat around it. (It has been there over a week.) As we were going higher up in elevation the thunder and rain hit hard for an hour and then also hail. There are a few large areas of snow to trudge through and then finally you are at the most amazing views at the lake and the end of Ermine. There are camping areas or you can continue right or left to other trails. At the fork there is even a toilet. The sun cleared out at 4:30 when we got to the top near the lake. Blue sky and a light breeze dried out our gear and we had an amazing evening hanging out at the site. The bear bin was needed, not so much for the bears, but the ground squirrels who tried to take a snack of trail mix. In all it was incredible and the lake, mountain views and hike were awesome! Not a hard hike even if a few obstacles were in the path.
June 3, 2020June 3, 2020A great hike. Definitely a challenge with snow and fallen trees. But the view was definitely worth it!
October 11, 2019Amazing trail- went in early October, so no bugs, no other hikers, and exposed trail was no problem because of clouds and low temp. So beautiful for seeing fall colors! Hardest stretch is after the switchbacks before the lake but nothing anyone couldn’t handle if they have made it that far already.
July 21, 2019Went in the beginning of June. Super buggy in the beginning, but once you break past the trees it isn’t bad.
July 10, 2019Beautiful views, even through the smoke it was beautiful. The trail has sections of severely exposed roots and other sections that are sloughing away. This trail is rated moderate but because of the reasons just mentioned, I would rate it as moderate/experienced. Bugs weren’t bad for us but we also sprayed with bug spray before we left the car. There will be times during the hike that you will look up the trail and think “I’m not going up there!!” Don’t give up, it’s worth it. :-). Be safe and have fun!
June 30, 2019beautiful views of denali on the trail, nice lake at top to swim in. lots and lots of bugs!! faster you hike the better the bugs stay away.
June 22, 2019Such an awesome hike! We even took a long swim in the lake at the top and it was perfectly refreshing on a warm summer day. Look out for bugs though—we were eaten alive!!!
June 18, 2019One of the best views of the Alaska Range. Cool wind erosion on the granite tors on top. Before descending towards Skinny Lake, explore the top of the hill, but try to not mash up the delicate lichens too badly. Lots of blueberries in September.
July 20, 2018Great trail with a lot of relatively safe off-trail opportunities. Swam in a lake (very cold), hiked up a bare face of a mountain and saw some ermine. Only complaint was the mosquitoes at the beginning of the trail, but if you stick with it, it is absolutely worth it
July 17, 2018Starts off flat and descends. Prepare to get eaten alive by huge mosquitoes. Well they help keep you at a good pace I suppose. Then around 1.5 miles you start ascending. Around 2.5 miles you start going up the hill but the trail never leads to the top. It takes you back down to a lake. Very anticlimactic. Two stars for the nice view on the way to the top of the hill that you will never reach. Only wildlife we saw was a wild chicken. It is the state bird of Alaska.
June 9, 2018We just did this trail a couple days ago. The snow is mostly gone off the trail now and we didn’t see any bears so we were happy! A great afternoon hike with great views of the valley.
June 6, 2018Very nice trail - lots of tree roots on the trail (can be good and bad). Lightly populated and beautiful. Trees, creek, nice beaver-made pond. Didn’t see any wildlife besides birds though. Inclines can be steep. We hiked with kids to the pond and back - totally worth a visit. One footbridge needs a little repair, but happy it was there nonetheless.
October 15, 2017Great views when it’s clear out. Either way it’s gorgeous. Started off going downhill then turned into an incline with lots of switchbacks, got easier towards the end. Some interesting rock formations too. Absolutely beautiful and totally worth it. Saw lots of bear so be prepared. Went during fall and it was perfect for blueberry picking. Would highly recommend!
September 6, 2017You GOTTA get on the ridge and see the rock formations at the junction. September overnight trip from ermine to skinny lake. Gorgeous.
August 12, 2017
First to ReviewNice moderate trail -- not too strenuous, and we even took the root ladder up. Nice views, think it would be super spectacular on a day when Denali is out!
September 30, 2020September 14, 2020
