Deer Mountain Trail
Roots, boardwalk, steep forest, muskeg, and subalpine terrain compress several Southeast Alaska environments into a short horizontal distance.
Artwork inspired by Byron Birdsall
A rainforest stair-step climbs from Ketchikan to muskeg, alpine ridge, and island views. Roots, boardwalk, steep forest, muskeg, and subalpine terrain compress several Southeast Alaska environments into a short horizontal distance. The summit is only safe when cloud and footing cooperate.
Treat the first overlook as a valid destination, then reassess fog, wind, snow, and turnaround time before continuing upward. The trail is steep, muddy, and often snowy well into summer; low cloud can erase route cues above treeline. The essential insight sits in the relationship between rainforest ascent and muskeg openings, not in collecting a single perfect photograph.
- Distance
- About 6.7 miles round trip
- Gain
- About 2,600 feet
- Forest
- Tongass
Quick guide
- Start with
- Treat the first overlook as a valid destination, then reassess fog, wind, snow, and turnaround time before continuing upward.
- Look closely at
- Pause where rainforest ascent and muskeg openings meet; that transition explains why the place is distinctive.
Know before you go
- Start with
- Treat the first overlook as a valid destination, then reassess fog, wind, snow, and turnaround time before continuing upward.
- Look closely at
- Pause where rainforest ascent and muskeg openings meet; that transition explains why the place is distinctive.
- Connect the story
- Roots, boardwalk, steep forest, muskeg, and subalpine terrain compress several Southeast Alaska environments into a short horizontal distance. The summit is only safe when cloud and footing cooperate.
- Plan around
- Allow 3–8 hours. The trail is steep, muddy, and often snowy well into summer; low cloud can erase route cues above treeline.
Good to know
The trail is steep, muddy, and often snowy well into summer; low cloud can erase route cues above treeline.
Notice these
- rainforest ascent
- muskeg openings
- Tongass Narrows view