Denali proved to be an interesting and a learning experience. It is a true wilderness (for the most part) with a historic management objective to keep it that way. The general public areas we found congested and somewhat limiting for our taste. Overall it was a good experience but much different than we originally expected.

There is one road into the park and only one which is 92 miles in length to access the park’s six million acres. The road is highly restricted. The public can only drive in the first 15 miles. There is a campground (Teklanika) at mile 29 which you can drive to but you cannot use your own transportation once you get there. I tried to get a site there about a month ago but none were available for our timeframe. Riding a bus to get anywhere was a major mindset shift for us. It took some time to learn how to deal with it but in the end grew to accept that is the way it is. The For us we did not find the well marked accessible hiking or backpacking trails that you find in the lower 48. There are marked trails near the entrance but for the most part were fairly short and more in the flatlands along the rivers.

There are green shuttle buses which come with drivers that will provide info along the way and will stop to view wildlife. They also will drop you off almost anywhere along the road and then you flag down a bus when you want to return. There are the tan buses which are narrated with different themes and objectives. There were over 40 buses on the road at any one time. We also got to experience the hordes of folks from various bus, ship and train tours near the main visitor center which made it seem more like downtown America.

In retrospect Jan and I both came away glad that we did it. However at this time it is not calling us back. Our recommendation is Denali is something that everyone should experience. There are many other options here in Alaska that can provide for a better “hands on” experience, at least for us. The most exciting part was getting to see and photograph Mt McKinley. However only 30% of the people who visit Denali ever get to see the mountain due to the weather limiting the visibility.

All the shuttles leave from the Wilderness Access center which is different from the main visitor center and run by a concession vendor. We had booked three days on the green buses. The first trip was to Wonder Lake an 85 mile trip one way with duration of 11 hours. The average speed is 20 MPH. At the Wonder Lake destination you are near the base of Mt McKinley. As luck would have it our trip was hampered by all the smoke from the many forest fires, low hanging clouds and rain (we were part of the 70% club). The visibility for the entire day was very limited with no view(s) of McKinley. The word we got from J.J., our bus driver, was the Mosquitoes are the worse that they have ever been in the park and the Wonder Lake experience confirmed the fact. We sat at Wonder Lake for the allotted 20 minutes in the rain and fighting the Mosquitoes…wondering why we were there! At the end of the day we were both exhausted and crashed early that night. The highlight of the day was the interaction with J.J. a young man who truly loves and lives the rustic Alaskan Life-style.

We both agreed that we could not do a second day on the bus. It proved to be a good call as it rained and there was still a lot of smoke. Our third day tickets were to Eielson a visitor center at mile 66 leaving at 6:15am with a duration of 8 hours. Our RV park was 30 minutes out so we had to be out of bed by 4am. The good thing is the sun never sets so it is always daylight so getting going in the morning is easier. It was a windy day which blew away the smoke (and Mosquitoes) and the sun came out for much of the day. This was a totally different experience being able to see and photograph the mountains. On day three we joined the 30% club… Yes, I got the T-Shirt!

Our bus driver on the third day was Kat. She is a transplant from the lower 48. We sat near the front and got to know her quite well. She entertained us all day with her life in Alaska stories. The road can be a scary at times especially when you are on the outside of the road on a cliff with no guard rail. Half of the Park Road is one lane through the mountains with pull outs and switch backs. There are plenty of rustic pit stops along the way. There are designated places to stop to take pictures and the drivers will stop to let you take pictures of wildlife but only out the bus window.

We saw wildlife, many times at a great distance as you can see from the pictures.

The park has 30 sled dogs. They use them to patrol the park as well as take construction supplies to the various sites in the winter. There are three demonstrations daily which are fun and very informative. This is a must do event.

What a difference a day makes! The mountains and rivers are spectacular. I had a picture hanging in my office for many years of the Teklanika River. Getting to see the river in person was rewarding. The other major river is the Toklat. All braided rivers which tend to be shallow with many different streams. The rivers are all fairly white from the silt from the melting glaciers. I took over 500 pictures during our three days in the park. All I can say is Mt McKinley is impressive. The Athabasca’s called the mountain Denali (large one) which is where the Park gets its name. Many locals still refer to it as Denali and not McKinley but that is another story.

What more can I say! The assessment at the end of the day is we have had another great adventure. The sheer size and natural beauty of the park is breathtaking. Jan and I both think visiting the park should be on everyone’s bucket list.

The time has come to move on. The next leg of our journey will be to Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula. Some of the places on the list are Anchorage, Kenai/Soldotna, Homer, Seward and Whittier. We will be on the Peninsula for 19 days with camera in hand; the bikes/kayaks polished and are ready to take on more of the Alaskan outdoors. More to come….

God Bless,

Larry and Jan