Mclaren Summit, 37 miles west of Paxson, is the high point of the Denali Highway. The summit is a good jumping off point for ramble across the open tundra. An esker heads north from the road, initially with a fading vehicle track. The track shortly veers off, and hikers can continue along the ridge past a variety of lakes and ponds.

About five miles out, the ridge tops out at 4100 feet, with a panorama of the Amphitheater Mountains and the Alaska Range.