The Akolkolex River Forest Service Road is a well-maintained road used for logging. It offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. Although it is a tree-lined single-lane road, there are several openings in the vegetation that offer great views of the river. The views of the nearby glacier on Mount Darling and Mount Ernest are epic. A few miles into the trail, Echo Lake recreation site is a day-use-only area beside a nice little lake that is popular for paddleboarding.
The last few miles climb up Mount MacKinlay on a logging road. It’s a little rough, but any high clearance 2WD vehicle should be able to handle it. The ride down the short mountain is better than the way up.
This forest road runs through Crown Land, and while there aren’t any campgrounds, you can camp anywhere away from the road for free.