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Denali / Mount McKinley

Tips for visiting Denali National Park:

• For convenience, you can train and bus from Anchorage without needing to rent a car (but you won't be able to stop and explore in between, so I recommend renting a vehicle).
• Driving distances:
  
• From Denali, driving to Valdez via Fairbanks is the same distance (489 miles) as to Valdez via Palmer.
• Denali Park to Fairbanks (121 miles) to Valdez (368 miles)
• Denali Park to Wasila (195 miles) to Palmer (12 miles) to Valdez (262 miles).
• The best value for flightseeing over Mount McKinley/Denali is from Talkeetna Airport, which services both climbers and flightseers.
• Timetable for Denali National Park wildlife, mountain views, and Alaska’s fall colors:

• *** Best fall colors & moose watching are in late August. 
• Weather: Mt. McKinley (20,320 ft) is only visible 1 out of 3 days. Rain falls half of the summer days, as light showers or drizzle. Least cloudy time is early morning, which requires overnight tenting at Wonder Lake.
• Photography is best on Denali National Park’s road at early or late daylight hours since Denali is backlit much of the afternoon (but it is nicely front lit from Denali State Park).
• Early September, moose bash antlers amongst the spruce & willow shrubs, hoping to win breeding rights, along the first 15 miles of Denali Park Road & on Horseshoe Lake Trail hike. In early September, temperatures are in mid-30’s to 60’s, averaging 58°.
• Dall sheep: Spot Dall Sheep around Polychrome Pass (hiking) & Igloo Creek Campground (mile 34). Shuttle bus required.
• We saw 15 brown bears on each of two days riding the Green Shuttle bus.
• Starting August 20 to the last few days of August & early September = Denali’s peak fall colors! Color varies greatly around the park (& changes faster than in northeast/NY USA). There are two different color peaks:
• Peak #1: August 28 = the usual peak date for tundra colors/reds at >2500' elevations, and in some years colors may already be gone in Highway Pass. The tundra peak usually lasts until ~ September 3-5, depending on wind and rain. Some color persists longer in Wonder Lake & lower Savage longer than this, but colors are usually gone after Sept 5.
• ** Denali NP Fall red color hikes: landscapes from Highway Pass/Stoney Hill, Polychrome Pass.
• Peak #2: September 10 = the usual color peak of aspen along Nenana Canyon, plus/minus two or three days; quite dramatic but are mostly gold, with no reds in the trees.
• In early September, a week after Denali park’s peak color: **Chena River State Recreation Area, east of Fairbanks, reportedly has great red tundra colors in the fall.
• Yellow tree leaf fall colors on Kenai Peninsula change a few days after Denali, with aspen golds usually peaking Sept 15-18th. Glenn Highway has great gold aspens against rugged mountain background. Just a few days after Kenai comes the Anchorage area’s color peak, the last in south-central AK.
• Third week of September: snow closes Denali Park Road.

• Denali National Park's Green Shuttle Bus:
  
  • To travel past Mile 20 on the Denali Park Road, you must ride one of the several types of shuttle bus (Green, Camper, or Tour). The Green and Camper buses are cheapest and most flexible, plus you get more of a tour.
  • Denali National Park's Green Shuttle Bus takes 11 hours round trip from the Wilderness Access Center (WAC, near park entrance) to Wonder Lake, 86 miles one way.
  • From the bus you are likely to see lots of wildlife, including Dall sheep, moose, brown bears (“grizzlies”), foxes, wolves, and so forth. A "Grand Slam" means seeing moose, caribou, wolf & bear on one bus ride (rare)
  • The earliest bus has the best wildlife viewing. For Denali views, sit on left side outbound and right side inbound. There is no time on the shuttle for hikes at Wonder Lake unless you go early, get off for a few hours, then take the last shuttle out, a 14-hour day (or reserve tent camping spot overnight).
  • Riding the shuttle all day is very tiring. My best advice is to get off the bus and walk for a few hours along the road or in the wilderness, or better yet camp overnight.
  • The bus starts at the Wilderness Access Center and picks people up at campgrounds. 2 people per seat, overhead racks for soft & lightweight items & jackets. Beginning at mile 20, a visitor can exit a bus to do some day hiking or exploring, then return to the road when ready and re-board the next shuttle (green) bus that has space available. During peak hours/peak season this can be a wait up to an hour or more. The bus stops every 1.5 hours for restroom break.
  • Tip: Shave 3 hours on the round trip bus to Wonder Lake (make it a more tolerable 8 hours round trip) by staying at Teklanika Campground (requires hard-sided RV & 3 nights minimum stay):

Teklanika Campground, Denali National Park Benefits: Camping at Teklanika makes the shuttle bus round trip to Wonder Lake 3 hours shorter! Plus you experience camping in remote wilderness in the comfort of your hard-sided RV. Teklanika is on the Teklanika River at Denali Road Milepost 29, the furthest that you can drive your private camper into the park (unless you win the end-of-season park road lottery). Rules: 3 nights minimum stay in Teklanika Campground. RV or hard sided vehicle camping only. Once arriving, you cannot move the RV unless exiting (back to Milepost 20 or less towards the park entrance). As of 2006: Daily rate $16 + one time reservation fee of $4. 8 people per site max. Open May 20 – Sept. 17. Use Riley Creek Campground’s dump station before driving to Teklanika. Prior to driving in, you must get Teklanika Pass (“Tek Pass” $24.25) for shuttle bus transportation during your 3-day stay, on an unlimited stand by basis (except your first day’s shuttle is guaranteed). When booking a Teklanika Pass, schedule a Shuttle Bus for your first full day in Denali (the first day you actually “wake up” at Teklanika Campground) – preferably choose a Wonder Lake or Kantishna Shuttle Bus for your Tek Pass. (If you reserve Polychrome, Toklat, Eielson or Fish Creek for your Tek Pass, you will have to switch buses on a space available basis to Wonder Lake/ Kantishna.)

Denali State Park:

• Denali State Park is closer to Anchorage than Denali National Park and gives great Mt. McKinley (Denali) views from the highway or trails.
• *** Hike Kesugi Ridge: At Parks Highway milepost 147, camp at Byers Lake Campground, where trail starts. Hike 8.5 miles RT and 2100 feet up from Byers Lake to Tarn Point. Can also loop Byers Lake. Get USGS 1:63,000 map.
• *** Hike Little Coal Creek Trail at north end of park. Hike any distance 2 to 10+ miles for great views and pretty terrain.
• Denali State Park has dramatic front-lit photography of Mount McKinley, good at both sunrise & sunset (though weather is often better at sunrise).

Right: Grand Tokosha is a sharp 6000 foot peak in the Tokosha Mountains, located in Denali National Park, visible from a roadside viewpoint in Denali State Park.

Denali National Park and Preserve:

Above: dawn light on Mt. McKinley / Denali (20,320 ft), seen from the Park Road about Milepost 15. You can drive your own vehicle up to Milepost 20, after which you must take a shuttle (or else stay at Teklanika Campground).

Left: We rented this 22-foot Recreational Vehicle (RV) from Clippership Motorhomes in Anchorage. A rainbow greeted us on our first day in Denali National Park, here at the Wilderness Access Center (WAC).

Below: the Alaska Railroad train travels from Whittier to Anchorage to Fairbanks, with a stop at Denali National Park. A rainbow brightened our first day in the park.

Dall Sheep:

Above: Nine dall sheep high on a hillside in Denali National Park.

Below: A dall sheep ram in the Alaska Zoo, apparently nose to nose with a young sheep.

Brown bear (grizzly):

Below: A brown bear (called a grizzly in the Lower 48) steps across a log in the Alaska Zoo, Anchorage. The easiest place to see brown bears (grizzlies) in the wild is the Denali National Park Road, where we saw 20 different brown bears including sows with cubs.

Below: A brown bear (called a grizzly in the Lower 48) reclines in the Alaska Zoo, Anchorage.

Ptarmigan:

Husky sled dogs:

Below: Working husky sled dog demonstration in Denali National Park. Since most of the park is designated wilderness, sled dogs are the most ecologically practical way for rangers to patrol the park in the winter.



Left: Five different sled styles support different needs in Denali National Park.

Northern Lights seen from Teklanika Campground, Denali NP:

The Denali National Park Road, via the green shuttle bus:

Above: The green shuttle bus drives through Polychrome in Denali National Park.




Left: colorful hills seen along the Denali Park road.

Fall colors and patterns, in Denali State Park & Denali National Park:

• Starting August 20 to the last few days of August & early September are Denali’s peak fall colors! Color varies greatly around the park (& changes faster than in northeast USA including New York state).
• Denali National Park has two different color peaks:
• Peak #1: August 28 = the usual peak date for tundra colors/reds at >2500' elevations, and in some years colors may already be gone in Highway Pass. The tundra peak usually lasts until ~ September 3-5, depending on wind and rain. Some color persists longer in Wonder Lake & lower Savage longer than this, but colors are usually gone after Sept 5.
• ** Recommended red fall color hikes: landscapes from Highway Pass/Stoney Hill, and Polychrome Overlook on the Denali National Park Road (shuttle bus required)
  
• Peak #2: September 10 = the usual color peak of aspen along Nenana Canyon, plus/minus two or three days; quite dramatic but are mostly gold, with no reds in the trees.
• In early September, a week after Denali park’s peak color: **Chena River State Recreation Area, east of Fairbanks, reportedly has GREAT tundra red fall colors.
• Alaska Aspen Fall Color Schedule: On the Kenai Peninsula, aspen tree yellow & gold leaf fall colors usually peak Sept 15-18th, a few days after Denali National Park. The Glenn Highway (from Anchorage to Glennallen) has great gold aspens against rugged mountain background. Just a few days after Kenai comes the Anchorage area’s yellow color peak, which is the last turning of leaf colors in south-central Alaska.

Left: Aspen leaves turning yellow at the entrance to Denali National Park.




Left: mushrooms at Wonder Lake, Denali National Park, Alaska.

Below right: An orange and green leaf rests on polygons of orange and gray lichen in Denali State Park.








Below right: an aspen leaf rests on an orange fungus.



Below right: grass seed heads.

Talkeetna:

• The small town of Talkeetna was the inspiration for the television series "Northern Exposure", and has a good view of Mt. McKinley in the distance (above).
• The best value for Denali flightseeing (see images further below) is from Talkeetna Airport, which services both climbers and flightseers.

Below: Boats cruise on the Talkeetna River within view of Mounts Foraker, Hunter & McKinley/Denali in the Alaska Range.


Below: Mount Foraker at sunset, seen from Talkeetna, with the Talkeetna River in the foreground.

Flightseeing Over Mount McKinley / Denali:

• The best Mount McKinley/Denali flightseeing value is from Talkeetna Airport, which services both climbers and flightseers:
• Expect $150 to $300+ per person for 1 to 3 hours. I highly recommend the Grand Circle Denali with a glacier landing if you can afford it (a glacier landing adds $65~75). Here are some flightseeing operators at Talkeetna Airport:
  
• **** Talkeetnaair.com gave us an excellent & experienced pilot with feather-smooth landings. The plane provided clear bubble windows through which you could easily look out and down.
  
• flyk2.com: 800-764-2291, 907-733-2291
• Hudson Air Service.
• Flydenali.com
• Talkeetnaaero.com 1-888-733-2899
• Flightseeing Denali from Anchorage costs about $100 more because of the extra flying distance:
• www.flyrusts.com
• www.alaskaairtaxi.com

Below right: A forest grows on top of a large glacier, which melts into this large sink hole.


Left: We fly over a huge glacier, towards the Alaska Range, Alaska. From left to right are Mounts Foraker, Hunter & McKinley/Denali.

Below right: Mount McKinley/Denali, Alaska.


Left: Mount McKinley/Denali, Alaska.



Left: The shadow of our small airplane is visible on the Eldridge Glacier, which will be our makeshift landing field.

Below right: Our small airplane lands on the Eldridge Glacier, in the Alaska Range, on a rare clear day.





Left: Mt. Foraker (17,400 feet), seen from a small plane.






Left: Flying over the Alaska Range: My wife Carol photographed this image with a pocket-sized Canon Powershot SD500 Digital ELPH, which takes great images which can often be enlarged up to 16 inches.



Below right: This aerial view looks north towards Wonder Lake in Denali National Park.


Left: View of the north face of the Alaska Range from the air.


Left: Large glaciers flow from Mount McKinley/Denali, Alaska.


Left: The immense Ruth Glacier flows from the Alaska Range.


Left: The Alaska Range rises steeply above the Ruth Glacier, forming one side of the Great Gorge.

Below: Tokositna Glacier merges at the foot of the Alaska Range.

Maps:

Map of our 2006 RV driving trip, about 2300 miles:
Map of Alaska:

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