Alaska Trip: Day 25, 26 and 27 – Denali Village/Denali Park, AK

Saturday-Monday - July 24, 25, and 26

Denali National Park is Alaska’s number one visitor attraction. Within the Park is Mt. McKinley at 20,320 feet. It is the highest mountain in North America and is also known by the name given to it by the Athabascan native people, Denali “the Great One.”

In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson established Mt. McKinley National Park. It was expanded in 1932 and expanded again in 1980. It was renamed Denali National Park and Preserve in 1980 under the Carter Administration.

8-Hour Bus Ride on Denali Park Road to Mile 66

at Eielson Visitor Center

(photo from a park info board)

A lot of the Park road looks like it did when it was built in 1938.

In 1956, the Park service began to widen and pave the road because of increased visitor traffic. Conservationists challenged the decision. Eventually the paving stopped at Mile 15 and the widening stopped at Mile 30.

In some places these buses could barely meet - Yikes -!!

Our driver (on the left) is from Colorado.

This was her 4^th year driving at Denali Park.

The tourist season runs mid-May to med-September.

We saw lots of Dall sheep.

This guy was the top model for the day!

A couple of good looking tourists!

We saw a fair number of caribou.

A Learned Fact – both males and females can grow horns.

One of the more strange looking caribous!!

Don’t these seats look comfortable?

(Fortunately we made lots of viewing stops along the way.)

Wildflower from the day's trip - Whitish Gentian - Found on the alpine hillside at Mile 66.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

Cheesecake served at the Denali Grande Lodge – outside the park.

A well deserved treat after a long bus ride - don't you think?

Talkeetna, AK

“river of plenty”

Located about 125 miles south of Denali National Park and Preserve

Because of the clouds and rain, the flightseeing trip over The Mountain never happened. We were able to get a brief glimpse of it once on a morning drive on the Denali Park road before the clouds and rain moved in.

We drove to Talkeetna where the flight was to originate from. With the flight canceled, we spent the day checking out the shops, restaurants and history.

Talkeetna, population 850, has an intimate two-block downtown area and serves as the base camp for those attempting to climb Denali.

The climbing season runs March 15^th through the end of July. A Park Ranger said that each year ~1200 people attempt the climb but only half of them are able to reach the summit with 1-3 deaths.