Things to do in George Parks Hwy
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Camper Buses
The alternative to the shuttle buses are the less crowded, more informal camper buses, aimed at ferrying overnight campers, backpackers and cyclists, and offering ample space to stow gear. To take these buses you must have a campsite or backcountry unit reserved along Park Rd, or be toting a bicycle. If you don't have a campground reservation, you can't ride out on the camper bus, but you can probably hitch a ride back on one - a recommended course of action.
As with shuttles, it's good to reserve as far in advance as possible.
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Polychrome Pass Circuit
Polychrome Pass Circuit One cross-country route you might consider off Park Rd is Polychrome Pass Circuit, an 8-mile trek that will challenge fit, experienced day hikers. (Less studly souls might want to do it as an overnight, which requires a permit.) This hike traverses one of the park's most scenic areas. The brilliantly colored rocks of Polychrome Pass are the result of volcanic action some 60 million years ago.
Today the multicolored hills and mountains, including Polychrome Mountain (5790ft) and Cain Peak (4961ft), are a stunning sight in the low-angle light of a clear Alaskan summer day.
The route begins on the west side of Park Rd's bridge across East Fork Toklat R…
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Wilderness Camping
For many, the reason to come to Denali is to escape into the backcountry for a truly Alaskan experience. Unlike many parks in the Lower 48, Denali's rigid restrictions ensure you can trek and camp in a piece of wilderness all your own, even if it's just for a few days.
The park is divided into 87 backcountry units, and in 43 only a regulated number of backpackers (usually from four to six) are allowed at a time. You have to obtain a free permit for the unit you want to overnight in. You may spend a maximum of seven nights in any one unit, and a maximum of 30 consecutive nights in the backcountry.
Obtain permits at the Backcountry Information Center, where you'll find wall …
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Mt McKinley
Encompassing both the north and south flanks of the Alaska Range, 237 miles from Anchorage and about half that distance from Fairbanks, Denali National Park is an immense subarctic wilderness centered on Mt McKinley - North America's highest peak and an overwhelming sight when caught on a clear day. At 20,320ft, the peak of this massif is almost 4 miles high, but what makes it stunning is that it rises from an elevation of just 2000ft.
From Park Rd, you'll see 18,000ft of rock, snow and glacier reaching for the sky. In contrast, Mt Everest, the world's highest mountain at 29,028ft, rises only 11,000ft from the lofty Tibetan Plateau.
Mt McKinley is not visible from the park…
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Wildlife Spotting
Because hunting has never been allowed in the park, professional photographers refer to animals in Denali as 'approachable wildlife.' That means bears, moose, Dall sheep and caribou aren't as skittish here as in other regions of the state. For this reason, and because Park Rd was built to maximize the chances of seeing wildlife by traversing high open ground, the national park is an excellent place to view a variety of animals.
Roughly 1800 moose roam the north side of the Alaska Range, and the most spectacular scene in Denali comes in early September, when the bulls begin to clash their immense racks over breeding rights to a cow. Moose are almost always found in stands …
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Mt Healy Overlook Trail
This is the longest maintained trail in the entrance area, and the only one in the vicinity that truly lets you escape the crowds. It's a popular trail among day hikers as it provides a good workout and the reward of fine views over the Nenana River valley, Healy Ridge and other ridgelines. The trail veers off the Taiga Trail and makes a steep climb up Mt Healy, ascending 1700ft in 2½ miles. Plan on three to five hours for the hike.
Once on the trail, you soon cross a bridge over Horseshoe Creek, after which there's a moderately steep climb through a forest of spruce mixed with aspen and alder. After a mile you reach a scenic viewpoint where you can gaze upon Mt Fellows …
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K2 Aviation Flightseeing
K2 Aviation Flightseeing When in Talkeetna, it's pretty much mandatory to go flightseeing around Mt McKinley. It's not cheap, but on a clear day it's so worthwhile that it's one of the best bargains in this expensive state.
There are five local flightseeing operations, all well established, all similar with regards to safety, professionalism and price, and all recipients of fawning reviews from their customers. Most offer three different tours: a circuit of Mt McKinley, a ski-equipped landing on one of its glaciated flanks, and a wildlife tour when the peak is clouded over.
The main difference between the companies is the planes they use: some have small aircraft that sta…
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Hudson Air Service Flightseeing
When in Talkeetna, it's pretty much mandatory to go flightseeing around Mt McKinley. It's not cheap, but on a clear day it's so worthwhile that it's one of the best bargains in this expensive state.
There are five local flightseeing operations, all well established, all similar with regards to safety, professionalism and price, and all recipients of fawning reviews from their customers. Most offer three different tours: a circuit of Mt McKinley, a ski-equipped landing on one of its glaciated flanks, and a wildlife tour when the peak is clouded over.
The main difference between the companies is the planes they use: some have small aircraft that stay below 12,000ft but can …
reviewed
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Talkeetna Aero Services Flightseeing
When in Talkeetna, it's pretty much mandatory to go flightseeing around Mt McKinley. It's not cheap, but on a clear day it's so worthwhile that it's one of the best bargains in this expensive state.
There are five local flightseeing operations, all well established, all similar with regards to safety, professionalism and price, and all recipients of fawning reviews from their customers. Most offer three different tours: a circuit of Mt McKinley, a ski-equipped landing on one of its glaciated flanks, and a wildlife tour when the peak is clouded over.
The main difference between the companies is the planes they use: some have small aircraft that stay below 12,000ft but can …
reviewed
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Talkeetna Air Taxi Flightseeing
When in Talkeetna, it's pretty much mandatory to go flightseeing around Mt McKinley. It's not cheap, but on a clear day it's so worthwhile that it's one of the best bargains in this expensive state.
There are five local flightseeing operations, all well established, all similar with regards to safety, professionalism and price, and all recipients of fawning reviews from their customers. Most offer three different tours: a circuit of Mt McKinley, a ski-equipped landing on one of its glaciated flanks, and a wildlife tour when the peak is clouded over.
The main difference between the companies is the planes they use: some have small aircraft that stay below 12,000ft but can …
reviewed
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Doug Geeting Aviation Flightseeing
When in Talkeetna, it's pretty much mandatory to go flightseeing around Mt McKinley. It's not cheap, but on a clear day it's so worthwhile that it's one of the best bargains in this expensive state.
There are five local flightseeing operations, all well established, all similar with regards to safety, professionalism and price, and all recipients of fawning reviews from their customers. Most offer three different tours: a circuit of Mt McKinley, a ski-equipped landing on one of its glaciated flanks, and a wildlife tour when the peak is clouded over.
The main difference between the companies is the planes they use: some have small aircraft that stay below 12,000ft but can …
reviewed
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Shuttle Buses
Shuttle buses are aimed at wildlife watchers and day hikers. They aren't fancy, comfortable, high-tech wonders but big, clunky school-bus-style affairs. On board, passengers armed with binoculars and cameras scour the terrain for animals, most of which are so accustomed to the rambling buses that they rarely run and hide. When someone spots something and yells 'stop!' the driver pulls over for viewing and picture taking.
The drivers are concessionaire employees, not NPS naturalists, but they provide unofficial natural-history information en route. Some are better at this than others.
Day hikers don't need a backcountry permit and can get off shuttle buses anywhere along Pa…
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Fairview Inn
Closed in 2005, it would be a travesty if the Fairview Inn failed to reopen. Though not an official museum, it might as well be. Founded in 1923 to serve as the overnight stop between Seward and Fairbanks on the newly constructed Alaska Railroad, the inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Its old plank-floored saloon is classic Alaska: its walls are covered with racks of antlers, various furry critters (including a grizzly on the ceiling) and lots of local memorabilia. One corner holds Talkeetna's only slot machine; another is devoted to President Warren G Harding. When the railroad was finished in 1923, Harding arrived in Alaska and rode the rails to …
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Park Rd
Park Rd begins at George Parks Hwy and winds 92 miles through the heart of the park, ending at Kantishna, an old mining settlement and the site of several wilderness lodges. Early on, park officials envisaged the onset of bumper-to-bumper traffic jams along this road and wisely closed almost all of it to private vehicles. With few exceptions, motorists can drive only to a parking area along the Savage River at Mile 14, a mile beyond the Savage River Campground. To venture further along the road you must walk, bike, be part of a concessionaire-run tour, or, most popularly, take a park shuttle or camper bus.
If you're planning to spend the day riding the buses, pack plenty …
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Cemetery
The most solemn way to appreciate the effect of the mountain on Talkeetna is to visit the Cemetery, a restful spot set among tall trees on 2nd St, just off Talkeetna Spur Rd near the airport. Don Sheldon's grave is the most prominent, with the epitaph 'He wagered with the wind and won'. The Mt McKinley Climber's Memorial includes a stone for Ray Genet, despite the fact that his body was never removed from the slopes of Mt Everest.
The most touching sight, however, is a memorial with the names and ages of all the climbers who've died on Mt McKinley and neighboring peaks. Particularly grim was the annus horribilis of 1991, when 11 lives were lost.
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Toklat Ranger Station
During 2006 and possibly 2007, Toklat Ranger Station will feature interpretive displays and offer ranger-led programs, including an hour-long tundra hike at 13:00 daily. To make it here in time for the hike, reserve a shuttle bus leaving the WAC by 09:00. The station is functioning as a temporary visitor center until the overhaul and reopening of Eielson Visitor Center (Mile 66), on the far side of Thorofare Pass (3900ft).
Several day and overnight hikes are still possible from the Eielson area, including one around Mt Eielson and another to Muldrow Glacier.
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Muldrow Glacier
Past Eielson, Park Rd drops to the valley below, passing a sign for Muldrow Glacier. At this point, the glacier lies about a mile to the south, and the terminus of the 32-mile ice floe is clearly visible, though you might not recognize it because the ice is covered with a mat of plant life. If the weather is cloudy and Mt McKinley and the surrounding peaks are hidden, the final 20 miles of the bus trip will be a ride through rolling tundra and past numerous small lakes known as kettle ponds.
Study the pools of water carefully to spot beavers or waterfowl.
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Biking
No special permit is needed to cycle on Park Rd, but biking off-road is prohibited. Camper buses will carry bikes, but only two at a time and only if you have a reservation. Many cyclists ride the bus in and bike back out, carrying their gear and staying at campsites they've reserved along the way. It's also possible to take an early-morning bus in, ride for several hours and catch a bus back the same day.
You can rent bikes at Denali Outdoor Center, for a half day or for a full day. Rates include a helmet, water bottle, tools and lock.
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Sanctuary River Valley
From Savage River, the road dips into the Sanctuary and Teklanika River valleys, and Mt McKinley disappears behind the foothills. Both these rivers are in excellent hiking areas, and three of the five backcountry campgrounds lie along them. Sanctuary River Campground is the most scenic, and it's a good base camp for hiking up Primrose Ridge.
The closed Igloo Creek Campground (Mile 34) lies in spruce woods along the creek. From here you can make an easy day hike into the Igloo and Cathedral Mountains to spot Dall sheep.
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Rock Creek Trail
The moderate 2.3-mile Rock Creek Trail leads west to the park headquarters and dog kennels. It's far easier hiking this trail downhill from the headquarters end, where the trail begins just before Park Rd. From here it crosses Rock Creek but doesn't stay with the stream. Instead, it climbs a gentle slope of mixed aspen and spruce forest, breaks out along a ridge with scenic views of Mt Healy and George Parks Hwy, and then begins a rapid descent to its end at the Taiga Trail.
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Sable Pass
After passing through the canyon formed by the Igloo and Cathedral Mountains, Park Rd ascends to 3880ft Sable Pass. The canyon and surrounding mountains are excellent places to view Dall sheep, while the pass is known as a prime habitat for Toklat brown bears. From here, the road drops to the bridge over the East Fork Toklat River (Mile 44). Hikers can trek from the bridge along the riverbanks both north and south.
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Kantishna Air Taxi Flightseeing
Kantishna Air Taxi Flightseeing flies out of Kantishna and Healy. The company offers hour-long flightseeing excursions around Mt McKinley, direct flights between Kantishna and the park entrance and flights from Kantishna to the park entrance with a 20-minute detour by Mt McKinley. Two versions of a bus-out/fly-back day tour are also available.
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Horseshoe Lake Trail
A few short, maintained trails web the park entrance area. The Horseshoe Lake Trail, accessed at Mile 1.2 of Park Rd by the railroad crossing, is a leisurely 1½-mile walk through the woods to an overlook of an oxbow lake, followed by a steep trail to the water. Follow the tracks north a short way to the wide gravel path.
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Polychrome Pass Overlook
Polychrome Pass Overlook is a rest stop for the shuttle buses and a popular spot for visitors. This scenic area, at 3500ft, gives way to views of the Toklat River to the south. The alpine tundra above the road is good for hiking, as you can easily scramble up ridges that lead north and south of the rest-stop shelter.
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Era Helicopters Flightseeing
Era Helicopters Flightseeing will take you up on a 50-minute Mt McKinley tour (around US$270) or a 75-minute flight that includes a glacier landing (around US$370). Heli-hiking trips are also available. The helipad is on the north side of the Nenana River bridge, at the south end of Glitter Gulch.
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