If you can only go to one place in Alaska, make it Denali National Park - and don't scrimp on the time there. You will be lucky if visibility is good half the days, so being able to be flexible with your tour days is a plus.
MT MCKINLEY (Denali)
We were extremely fortunate when we drove from Anchorage to Denali. The visibily was amazing. In fact, a tour guide at a viewing location for Mt. McKinley said it was the best he had seen it in 30 years! The following pictures were taken when we were still about 50 miles from the mountain!
CARLO CREEK CAMPGROUND
While in the Denali area, we stayed at Carlo Creek Campground. This can accomodate RVs, campers, and has cabins.
Entrance to Carlo Creek Campground, the Office, Our Cabin
A cache, Cabins viewed from the creek, Sandy panning for gold
VIEWING DENALI
There is one main road that lets the tourist experience Denali. Private vehicles can drive the first 15 miles, but to go the entire 60 miles it is necessary to go via a tour bus. This reduces congestion, plus keeps the tourists away from the wildlife. As a result of limited harassment from tourists, the wildlife usually just ignores them. This makes for some good photo-ops.
Some of the pictures in this section were taken while we were on bus tour, the others were taken when we drove by ourselves.
Views In Denali
Denali Fall Foliage
Wildlife in Denali
Wolf, Ground Squirrel
Dahl Sheep
Grizzly
Golden Eagle fledgling trying out its "new" wings
HIKE TO HORSESHOE LAKE
We went on a ranger guided hike to Horseshoe Lake
HIKE FROM PARK HEADQUARTERS
Aspen scrapped by moose, Burl, Dick with Burl
Pumpkin Berries, Pumpkin Berry, Crow Berries and more
Crow Berries, Fireweed
DOGSLED HEADQUARTER'S
Since snowmobiles are not allowed in the wilderness area of Denali, dogsleds are still an important mode of transportation in the winter time. We went to the dogslead headquarters where the dogs are housed in the summer. They like the dogs friendly, so socialization by tourists is an asset, especially to the litter of puppies they have there each year.
The ranger below explained the happenings at dogsled headquarters, then helped harness the dogs to a sled, and gave a demonstration ride.
