Twelvemile Summit

The feel

Twelvemile Summit is a 3,190 foot pass on the Steese Highway, about midway between Fairbanks and Circle. The wayside sits at milepost 85.5, with alpine tundra views from the pullout.

This is also where the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail ends. The 27-mile trail runs along alpine ridge tops entirely above timberline, marked with rock cairns across open tundra. Views run north to the Yukon River and south to the Alaska Range.

What to expect

What it is

A 3,190 foot pass and wayside on the Steese Highway at milepost 85.5, and the end of the Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail.

Parking

A parking area on the right gives access to the Pinnell Mountain trail and the Circle-Fairbanks Historic Trail.

Hazards

High winds and rapidly changing weather. Thunderstorms and mountain fog are common in summer. Blowing snow sometimes closes this portion of the highway.

Bathrooms and water

Drinking water along the trail is limited later in summer, when snowfields and small ponds dry up.

Season and access

The Twelvemile Summit Wayside is at Steese Highway milepost 85.5. The trail is closed to motorized vehicles.

Mingo says

Check the sky before you leave the pullout, because conditions here can change fast. The whole ridge sits above timberline, so there are no trees to shelter you from wind.

Before you go

• Carry your own drinking water for the ridge, since the trail water runs low late in summer.
• Treat any water from the North Fork Shelter, 9 miles up the trail, before you drink it.
• Bring a regular bike, not an e-bike, and expect to walk several steep sections.

Written October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.