I've Found *MY* Park - Denali National Park

Photo of our RV at TEK in 2014

I feel incredibly lucky to have first experienced Denali National Park during a work trip back in 2006.  At the time while serving as the executive director of a national association, our western states' affiliate was holding their annual meeting and conference in Anchorage.  I convinced David that this would be our "trip of a lifetime" to Alaska and that we should make the most of it.

We arrived several days before the conference to take in some sights down on the Kenai Peninsula and stayed longer over the July 4th holiday weekend to stay near Denali National Park for a few more days.  During that one 10 day trip, we jammed as much as humanly possible into the days we had to experience as much as we could.
Since that fateful experience, my passion and lust for Alaska has only grown stronger.  I still laugh about what was expected to be a once in a lifetime experience since this trip in 2016 was my ninth to Alaska . . . spanning a total of nearly 100 days!

This year is the US National Park Service's Centennial Year, culminating later this month in the 100th anniversary of the NPS.  I have long been a supporter and fan of our national park service.  I think they do an exceptional job at preserving the history of our country, while telling the story of our nation.  Denali National Park was providing such experiences to visitors decades before Alaska became our 49th state.

This trip of 2016 would be our fourth time to Denali National Park together, and my fifth overall having done a solo trip back in September 2011 during the Road Lottery weekend.  Whether or not you are blessed to "see the mountain out" when Mt. Denali is in view from several vantages points throughout Alaska's interior and within the park, or not . . . the experience is awe inspiring and majestic.  In spite of the continued rain we experienced for our six days in the park, there was no place on earth I would have rather been.

There are several options for visitors planning time at Denali NP.  Unfortunately far too many get their "one and only" experience as part of a cruiseline land tour.  I understand that for some, it may seem the easiest and best way to make the trek up to Alaska's interior.   And perhaps it is easier.  But please trust me when I say it is not the best way to have an enjoyable experience; and it is certainly not the most affordable option available to travelers!  I could go on and on about the virtues of do-it-yourself planning but frankly don't want to waste my time here blogging about it.

If you want to know why I have such a strong opinion on this subject and want help in planning your own trip to this special place, please feel free to write in the comments section here on my blog and I will respond to you directly.

Since we have the RV, camping at Teklanika Campground (TEK CG) INSIDE the park at roughly mile marker (MM) 29 of the Park Road.  The benefits are many, including saving roughly two and a half hours (per day) driving the first 30 miles of the Park Road.  Additionally, campers at TEK CG can purchase a shuttle bus ticket good for the duration of their camping stay at TEK CG, traveling the entire length of the Park Road from MM 29 for the same price of a one-day shuttle ticket to the Eielson Visitor Center (MM 66).

For us, we used the shuttle bus system to Wonder Lake (MM 85) twice and to Eielson Visitor Center and the "End of the Road" at Kantishna once a piece.  The cost of four individual days on the shuttle would have been $179 per person but the TEK Pass was just $34 each!

The downside to staying at TEK CG is that it is a remote location in the park with no services other than vault toilets and a spigot for fresh potable water.  For those in a motor home or trailer or self sufficient roughing it for a few days, it is a fabulous way to experience Denali National Park.  Keep in mind however, that once you arrive at TEK CG, you may not leave the campground until you are exiting camp and the park.  It takes some planning, particularly regarding food and supplies you will need while camping without electricity and limited use of generators.

So about our four days aboard the park shuttle bus system . . . many visitors lament "who needs more than one long ass day on a school bus?" and to those folks I would say "You probably can save yourself and others, the aggravation of the experience if that is how you view it."  For many, it may not be an enjoyable way to spend a day on vacation.  Often I've seen tourist from other countries literally sleep six of the ten hours aboard the bus.  And for them, nap time may as well have been out in their comfy cruise-sponsored resort in Glitter Gulch.

I would also offer caution to families traveling to Denali.  Children under about the age of eight, and adults over the age of 75, don't seem to do very well with the time spent on the bus.  I know I'm making some generalities here; the point is to be honest as you consider how well your family members will endure what can be a grueling day.

For those interested in seeing nature at its most primitive and unaltered state, riding the bus is really the only way to have an opportunity for an up-close and personal experience with the flora and fauna of Alaska.  I have never been inside the park and not seen bears and other animals.  Some years moose, caribou and fox have been sighted.  One year we were fortunate to see a wolf on two different occasions.  REALLY lucky visitors have seen lynx inside the park.

The bottom line to any wildlife viewing experience is this . . . the more times you venture into the park and the more time you spend patiently waiting to see what you may be blessed to experience . . . the more likely it will be that you will witness amazing things!

With the rain comes the need to squeegee the windows

This year during our four trips beyond TEK CG and MM 29, we saw quite a bit of wildlife, but unfortunately most sightings were at some distance from the road.  With the low visibility of rain and fog, many were not close enough to get decent photographs with amateur equipment.  I did what I could with what I had and have a lot of photos to share.

That said, regardless of the quantity or quality of the photos I was able to take, I had a wonderful experience being graced by the miracle of life all around me!