Trail Overview
The Roosevelt Lake trail brings adventurers deep into the back country of the Alaska Range. A 20-mile one-way offroad trail that is moderately maintained by the mining companies. The trail starts just off the Denali Highway east of the Susitna River and climbs into the Alpine zone before venturing deeper into the mountains. With multiple river crossings and higher elevation, this trail is best run in July and August, but beware as a rainy summer means higher water crossings that can leave you stranded on the other side. Within the first mile of the trail, drivers will encounter a moderate water crossing. This will be the shallowest of the river crossings, and if drivers are unsure of their ability to cross safely, they should not proceed further. Plan on the journey taking 2-5 hours one way as the variety of river crossings and scenery will have you stopping to take pictures and immerse yourself in the surroundings.
Difficulty
This trail is a standard rating 4. However, because of the rainy season and the potential for a late thaw, this trail can end up as a 6 simply for the water crossings alone. There are multiple water crossings where the water is at least 2 feet deep with potential for strong currents due to high elevation snow melt late into June and July. This trail on average sits within the 4-6 rating scale.
