Visited: Sept 2021
Nearby towns: Denali Park, AK; Healy, AK; Talkeetna, AK
About halfway between Anchorage and Fairbanks lies the magnificent and majestic wilderness of Denali National Park.
At over 6 million acres, Denali National Park is one of the largest parks in the NPS and is larger than the state of New Hampshire. The centerpiece of the park is the mighty mountain itself, Denali. At 20,320-ft, Denali is the tallest mountain in North America and is one of the most prominent peaks in the entire world. The natives long referred to the mountain as "Denali" (a Koyukon Athabaskan word meaning "the high one" or "the tall one"). In 1896, a gold prospector named the mountain McKinley, after the Republican President who championed the gold standard in the then-recent election. Denali National Park was established in 1917. In 2015, the US Department of Interior officially designated the name of the mountain as Denali.
Millions of tourists head to Denali each year hoping for a chance to see the mountain. Only about 30% of visitors get an opportunity to see the peak. The peak is usually obstructed by clouds. Our adventure to see the peak will be chronicled in a future blogpost. This post is going to instead focus on our visit to the park itself. We we're able to see a *little* bit of the mountain from the park, but the peak was mostly hiding behind the clouds during our stay.
We stayed at the Grizzly Bear Resort, and had a nice, modest cabin. This resort was only a few miles south of the Park Road entrance.
view from our cabin
saw this moose right along the road
Grizzly Bear Resort
our cabin
Take some time to get acquainted with the history of the park at the Visitor Center. There is one road that goes into the interior of the park. The 92-mile Denali Park Road is an out-and-back that heads all the way to Kantishna, an old gold-mining camp. During the summer months, you can take a private car up to the the Savage River trailhead at milepost 15. If you want to explore beyond that point you need to take a Bus Tour provided through the Park. Green buses are hop-on and hop-off at different spots along the road, while Tan buses provide a little more structured tour program and are intended for people to stay on the whole time. Either way you go, you're bound to see plenty of wildlife, and if your lucky, offer some fantastic views of Denali. Even if you don't see Denali peak, you are guaranteed to see impressive views of the Alaskan Range along the drive.
Unfortunately, a few days before our visit, the Denali Park Road closed at mile 43 due to a massive continuous rockslide at Polychrome Overlook. Warming temperatures have caused the road to shift alot and it simply wasn't safe to proceed through the pass anymore. The Road is closed at that milepost for the foreseeable future, but the Parks are working on putting a permanent bridge through that section so it can be reopened. It will be a major construction project and the complete road to Kantishna is scheduled to fully re-open in Summer 2024. One can still visit Kantishna via a small plane. Even if you aren't able to explore the entire Park Road, visiting Denali is still worth it. There is plenty to do.
We took a Green Bus to the Teklanika Rest Stop (mile 30) and also a tour bus through our Resort to Polychrome Overlook (mile 43). We were lucky to visit in September where there is a brief time-period where the countryside explodes in a beautiful array of fall colors. The greens, yellows, reds, and oranges were very vibrant and memorable. An unforgettable vista no matter where you looked. We also saw lots of wildlife along the road: including moose, caribou, and a couple of grizzly bears.
moose along the park road
incredible autumn colors
Teklanika River
the park road
Green Tour Bus
Savage River and the morning fog
hard to believe this is a real photo ... it looks like a painting
kind of hard to see...but there's a grizzly bear back there
nearing the closure at Polychrome Overlook
this large grizzly bear walked along the bus for quite a few miles
We stopped at the Savage River and did the Loop Trail that runs along the river. It's about 1.7 miles. We then climbed up and did the more strenuous Savage Alpine Trail. This 4-mile trail (one-way) offered specatcular views. It was also very windy, so dress warmly. 😀
all decked out for the hike 😁
Ptarmigan along the trail
Tara on bridge over the Savage River
starting the climb up on the Savage Alpine Trail
Bigfoot! ... no...it's just Paul 😆
Near the visitor center, make sure to check out the Sled Dog kennels, watch a demonstration, and learn about this mode of transportation which is crucial to getting around the area in winter. We went at feeding time, and the dogs were very excited to get their food. 😀
Tara liked this sculpture of a bear at the Visitor Center. I would not recommend getting this close to an actual bear ... 😆
puppies taking a nap
dog sled
A mile or so before the Savage River Trailhead, stop at the Mountain Vista picnic area. This is the first spot along the Denali Park Road where you can see Denali way in the distance on the horizon (on a clear day). We we're able to see Denali poking out from behind the clouds. Also take a short hike around the area and down by the river. It is beautiful.
There she is...Denali
As we stood by the river taking in the views, all of the sudden a big caribou with enormous gorgeous antlers emerged from the bush and walked through the river RIGHT in front of us. No one else was around. It was amazing. One of those experiences in nature that you dream about. Denali's little gift to us.
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Denali poking out from behind the clouds
Horseshoe Lake dwarfed by towering Mt. Healy
beaver dam at Horseshoe Lake
the trail to Horseshoe Lake goes along the rails. Train from Anchorage is a popular way to visit Denali.
Another shot at this beautiful entrance sign.
Make sure to spend some time at Denali Park Village just outside park boundaries. We floated along the Nenana River through a local outfitter, Denali Raft Adventures. We opted for a tour where the guide does all the paddling, so we just sat back, relaxed, and soaked up the views. There's also lots of fun shops and restaurants.
Prospector's Pizzeria was very popular
Pizza topped with reindeer sausage at Prospector's Pizzeria
We also ate at Moose-Aka's. This place was amazing. Serbian (Eastern European) food. Very fun atmosphere and great, unique cuisine.
schnitzel at Moose-Aka's
Tara liked this fabric store
Denali Raft Adventures was a great choice for a beautiful and thrilling ride along the Nenana River
views along the Nenana River
It's impossible to take a bad picture in Denali ... impossible 😀
Moose's Tooth Root Beer
an original park tour bus
We had a fabulous time at Denali National Park. But stay tuned for a future blogpost detailing more adventure of a flight-sightseeing tour around Denali itself.
Even though half of the park road was closed, we still had an amazing time at Denali and tons of unforgettable experiences. And, it only means we'll have to go back to get the full experience of the Park. I felt so blessed to visit at this time of the year (September) to see the incredible fall colors. Truly a life-changing experience. Can not wait to return to Denali.
More info here: https://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm
