Denali, Alaska
“Absolutely Beautiful Park!” …“ Denali is my favourite National Park” …“ Denali is a must”… “ Amazing”…
Is Denali all these things? Can it be as great as what everyone seems to say? This is what we really wanted to know. Truth be told we weren’t sure whether we were going to make our way to this very popular destination spot but in the end, we decided we’d regret not going given all the positive reviews and recommendations.
After crossing the USA/Canadian border into Alaska, we headed to Tok, the first place most people stop to regroup, restock and refocus. Although the drive from Haines Junction to the border isn’t great with its unbelievable frost heaves, the section from the border to Tok (and beyond) not only has heaves to contend with but one must also avoid the hundreds of crater size potholes or risk blowing one or more tires. A few swear words were definitely spoken.
Once we got to Tok, we managed to staple our kitchen cupboards together that fell apart on the road and settled in for a much needed drink. Thank you Crown Royal.
The next day, we proudly drove into the small town of Delta Junction; the official end of the Alaskan Highway at Historical Mile 1422. It took us 12 days to get here and it was a proud moment. We survived the road conditions, mosquitoes and each other; barely at times. But we did it.
We spent a bit of time at the The Delta Junction Visitor Center for a much needed photo op and a quick read about the history of the famous highway, the pipeline and the significance of the agricultural industry in the area.
After a quick bite at the local fair, we drove another 153 km for a night’s rest in Fairbanks before moving on to Denali National Forest.
If you want to camp right in Denali Forest, make sure you make a reservation well in advance. Remember, this is an international destination spot. True to our nature, we just winged it, but we still got a nice camp spot at Denali RV Park and Motel located about 15 minutes North of the Park. It was a great base to explore the area.
Denali National Park is 6 million acres and home to the highest peak in North America coming in at 20,310 ft. Although we only saw a marmot, apparently it has an abundance of wildlife and if you’re an outdoor enthusiast, you’ve come to the right place as there is plenty of hiking, mountaineering and biking.
If you are coming to Denali, I suggest becoming familiar with the website Denali National Park for lots of detailed logistical information on camping, trails and transportation. You can only go so far into the park by car and parking is limited so you may want to consider a bus tour or shuttle. We took the free shuttle but the other buses go further into the park so you may see more wildlife. Who knows? Nature will present itself when it damn well feels like it.
It was a windy, rainy day when we went to the Park. We ended up hiking the Savage River Loop, a gentle, relatively flat trail around the Savage River, followed by the Savage Alpine Trail with strenuous sections of 25% grade. Thank God I’ve been incorporating squats into my daily workouts because this little 10 km was tough, but so worth it and rewarding to finish.
In the end, I’m glad we went to the Denali area even if we didn’t see the ginormous Denali - only 30 to 40% do in the summertime. I appreciate the beauty and vistas although I’m still bias to its counterpart, Mount Logan, in Kluane National Park in the Yukon. It must be my Canadian roots!
For more visuals of our trip, here is our latest Youtube Video:
