  Denali National Park and Pre...
Click to get the inside scoop from
real travelers here at VirtualTourist. See the Denali National Park and Preserve Travel GuideInside advice from real people on:Overview, Hotels, Things to Do, Restaurants, Nightlife, Shopping, General Tips, Transportation, Off the Beaten Path, Tourist Traps, Warnings or Dangers, Local Customs, Packing Lists or Sports Travel.
 341 Denali National Park and Preserve Tips.536 Denali National Park and Preserve Photos.0 Denali National Park and Preserve Videos. Denali National Park and Preserve Pages by goingsolo
| Page Views: 1,531 Last Visit to Denali National Park and Preserve: August, 2002 | Denali Backcountry and the Nenana River by goingsolo - last update: Sep 24, 2008 |
The sun will come out.... tomorrow? Denali is perceived as the true wilderness. Unlike most national parks, there is no road winding around and providing turn offs for the major sights. Visitors can only drive several miles into Denali. Tour buses can venture a bit farther. But even with the almost 90 miles of road that these visitor shuttles are allowed to traverse, the vast majority of Denali is roadless and trailless. The real explorers simply start bushwacking their way through the shrubbery while keeping a watchful eye out for bears and any residue those not so friendly animals may have left behind.
Denali is one of the only places in the United States where grizzly bears are located. In addition, black and brown bears, moose, sheep, foxes and mountain lions all call Denali home. If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of one of these animals. If you're even luckier, you might catch a glimpse of the mountain for whom the park is named. Most people don't as the Alaska weather makes it difficult. The massive mountain also makes its own weather and, even on clear days, remains stibbornly hidden behind a layer of clouds. Lucky are those who get to see the mountain on a short excursion here. As you can see from my photos, I wasn't quite so lucky.
I made a three day excursion into Denali National Park. The weather did not cooperate, although on day three it reduced to a light drizzle instead of the all out rain that pelted me for two days. I opted not to do the popular all day tour on the park's only road and instead made a limited excurion into the Denali backcountry and floated by some spectacular scenery on a white knuckle rafting trip on the just above freezing Nenana River. I also made new acquaintences on an early morning hike along one of the few trails in the park (see travelogues). |
| Denali backcountry safari |
|  | Denali Backcountry Safari I wanted to do something off the beaten path for this trip. Since I was exploring a rather remote park, it seemed the fitting thing to do. But since I was travelling solo and under a fear of encountering a grizzly (which is something I'd like to do, but not before I do everything else I want to do in case I don't live to do the other stuff). So I opted for the Denali Backcountry Safari. This company operates tours by special permit through some backcountry areas. We rode in a monster truck, as shown in the photo and looked for animals. Actually, we mostly tried to avoid the rain. But we did encounter some wildlife and saw young black bears at a distance. |
This is a place I plan to return. We joke about climbing The Great One someday, but I doubt we will do it. But there is so much of this great park left to explore and I intend to do it at some point. For now, feel free to take a look at some of the wonders of the best wilderness in the National Park System. |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Pros: | "0ne of the most remote wilderness areas of the country" | | Cons: | "0ne of the rainiest areas of the country" | | In A Nutshell: | "worth a visit even when you can't see the mountain" |
goingsolo's Denali National Park and Preserve Travel Tips
 goingsolo's Denali National Park and Preserve Travelogues | | | |
|
 Comments for goingsolo about Denali National Park and Preserve | | | | |
wcph Sat Aug 27, 2005 23:27 UTC
Another fascinating page. Hope to visit the park someday. | Ben-UK Sun Aug 7, 2005 14:03 UTC
With no real roads or trails this looks like a true hiking experience -- at least we don't have problems with grizzlies when hiking in England! -- bulls are about the worst we get .... | hussamhuba Fri Jul 15, 2005 14:21 UTC
ohhh it's wonderful i'm keen to see it. | Stephen-KarenConn Sun Dec 19, 2004 22:27 UTC
Interesting pages. Sorry you didn't get to see the mountain. Neither did I on my first trip to Denali, but on the second - many years later - it was glorious. |
|
Best Denali National Park and Preserve Travel Deals
Denali Park Lodging
Affordable lodging and delicious Alaskan cuisine
Free Air To Alaska
Regent Seven Seas Cruises Free Air Plus $100 Shipboard Credit
Red Roof Official Site
Rooms Starting as Low as $39.99 - Book Now and Save at Red Roof Inn!
Sponsored Links |
email me
add as friend
