Horseshoe Lake Loop

The Horseshoe Lake Loop offers a unique view of not only Denali's beautiful scenery and wildlife, but also forest disturbance in progress.  Observe moose prints, beaver chew, and squirrel middens along the trail and consider how forest change may affect animal movements.

Along the Horseshoe Lake trail, visitors are surrounded by mixed spruce forests— ecosystems adapted for high severity fire. In 2024, the Riley Fire, visible on the hillside above, burned nearly 500 acres. Watch as the forest recovers from this disturbance and also is subjected to another. Tree mortality caused by the native spruce beetle is prominently displayed along the trail and on the hillside above. Your participation in capturing images will help us track the pace of change in this area. 

For more info on fire, spruce beetles,  and other forest disturbance in Denali visit: https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/living-with-fire.htm