The Little Coal Creek is the northernmost access trail for the 29-mile Kesugi Ridge Trail, one of Alaska's most stunningly beautiful thru-hikes. But this trail also makes a fine day hike in its own right, and once you break out of treeline the views are nothing short of spectacular.
The high point of the ridge ascent makes a good turnaround point, before the trail turns south and descends toward a boulder-hopping creek crossing.
If you want to do the entire Kesugi Ridge thru-hike, be prepared for sudden and sometimes violent stormy weather on the exposed ridge. You'll need to set up a vehicle shuttle too, or do an Internet search for shuttle services; they are sometimes available.