Park Rangers are on hand to answer questions and to help observe wildlife. You didn’t have to look too far, as there were Dahl sheep just above the visitor center easily observable without binoculars. Also, the Park Rangers had an exhibit set up to discuss animal identification and the surprising interesting subject of Moose scat which my youngest daughter found to be very amusing. Below Eielson there is a short walking loop which is a good option to take if after the long drive you need a few minutes to enjoy the peace and tranquility in the shadow of North America’s tallest mountain. If you have more time and the kids need to burn off some energy, there is a hiking trail up Thorofare Ridge, which on the day we were there was very popular as it was in the general direction of the sheep, which were perched above Eielson, seemingly enjoying the views of Mt. McKinley as well.
For our family, Eielson was a worthwhile stop and one of many highlights of our trip into the Park. While in the Park, my daughters took many more photos of the wildlife, the park’s scenery as well as of the Eielson Visitor Center. Our day in Denali turned out to be a highlight of the summer, and a great place to explore and experience as a family.
Over 550 photos were submitted for our 2010 Alaska Travel Photo Contest. Our staff and several other Alaska travel industry managers have spent the last month judging which photo would be selected from among many amazing photos depicting Alaska’s wildlife, scenery, people, and adventure. This year the photograph Denali Cow and Calf in Amber by Edward Krumanaker has been selected as the Contest’s grand prize winner.
Ed Krumanaker is a resident of Eagle River, Alaska and came to Alaska with the U.S. Air Force in 1989. When I spoke to Ed, he explained that he knew soon after arriving in Alaska that he wasn’t ever going to leave and he told his wife that as well shortly afterwards. She agreed, and Ed has since retired from the Air Force. Ed works part time as a Physicians Assistant but his passion is photography and traveling in Alaska. The Krumaker’s spends most of Alaska’s long summer days exploring their favorite places such as Homer, the Kenai National Wilderness Refuge near Cooper Landing, and Denali National Park. Originally from Northern Wisconsin, Ed is comfortable in cold weather and loves to photograph winter’s Northern Lights but says that in recent year’s it has been difficult to do so as atmospheric conditions have reduced the aurora activity so there hasn’t been very many sightings.
Ed took the photo of the moose cow and calf in Denali National Park at dusk, allowing the evening sun to provide the amber glow highlighted in the photo. As the winner of the contest, Ed will receive a one ounce gold medallion valued at approximately $1500 minted in Anchorage at The Alaska Mint.
For the past five summers I have been visiting Denali and enjoying the locally owned restaurants. When you arrive in the Denali National Park area you find several large lodges and of course each of these has one if not multiple restaurants, ranging from casual cafés to more upscale restaurants. These restaurants are great but somtimes you want to explore the local fare, and there are several located within a few miles from the Denali Park entrance.
In the area known as the Denali Canyon you will find a full service restaurant & bar, a fish and chips restaurant, two beer and pizza joints, a hot dog stand and, and a burger joint with the best views in the canyon. The Denali Park Salmon Bake is located across from the Denali Princess Lodge and serves a hearty breakfast, has a full service bar and has a great lunch and dinner menu with local favorites such as Salmon Quesadillas and Halibut Tacos.
Another great place is The Fish and Chips, Co., opened in 2007; it is located across from the McKinley Chalet Resort and has gained popularity for serving unique fish and chips, anything from classic beer battered halibut to coconut crusted salmon. A very casual atmosphere with large picnic tables and a small deck for sunny days, this is a great stop for a quick bit of fresh local salmon and halibut.
Located next to The Fish and chips, Co, is the newest Denali dining establishment called Prospectors Pizza. This pizza joint with dozens of pizza choices as well as 49 beers on tap was opened in 2010. Featuring a décor of old prospecting days the aptly named restaurant offers a new and unique dining facility that will cater to every pizza lover. Beers on tap range from the standard domestic beers to local Alaskan brews such as my favorite, Glacier Brewhouse Oatmeal Stout.
The Overlook Bar and Grille is situated on the side of a cliff overlooking the canyon area. Dubbed the best burgers in Denali, this bar and grill offers a wide array of burgers and sandwiches all day long as well as a dinner menu with items such as King Crab legs and steaks. The Overlook is located just below the Denali Crow’s Nest Cabins.
If you have your own car, possibly Denali’s best restaurant is worth the short drive south on the Parks Highway, about 9 miles south of the Denali National Park entrance. This locally owned restaurant is named 229, for the mile marked on which it sits. 229 is a favorite for locals, and is a great place to find organic and free range menu items. My personal favorite menu item is the Scallops with potatoes, crispy prosciutto and crème fraiche. A great wine and dessert selection offers a perfect end to a fantastic meal.
The Denali National Park area is home to many restaurants, the few mentioned above are some of my favorites. Great food, drinks and views these are restaurants not to be missed.
Last winter my husband had business he had to travel for to Fairbanks, Alaska. At first the thought of going to Fairbanks in the winter was not too thrilling to me since temperatures can be extreme that time of year but we decided to gather up our family as well as my cousin’s and make the trip north with him. Fairbanks is just over 300 miles from our home in Chugiak via the scenic George Parks Highway (Hwy #3). Traveling this road in the summer you will find many activities and places to stop at and visit but in February most services are closed but it is still a very scenic road to travel, regardless of what time of year it is. The ride up to Fairbanks took us about 7 hours and as we made our approach into the city we were fortunate to witness the Aurora Borealis in the night sky. It is incredible to see the colorful mysterious lights dancing in the skies. We do get to see the Northern Lights at our home but as you go further north into Interior Alaska they appear more often.
In Fairbanks we stayed at the new Holiday Inn Express. Great value and located in an area where there is plenty of shopping and places to eat. Rooms were clean and breakfast was an added bonus each morning.
The World Ice Art Championships are held each year in late February and March and draws international competitors from all over the world. The timing of the event is important as it celebrates the coming of spring to Fairbanks. The Ice Carving Championship is a month long event that involves over 70 teams that carve artworks out of huge blocks of ice, sometimes weighing as much as 30,000 pounds and as large as 30 feet tall.
Many years ago we were stationed in northern Japan and went to many snow/ice competitions so we anticipated that the teams entering the Championships in Fairbanks would be just as talented. The competition is held at Ice Park next to O’Grady Pond where the large blocks of ices are harvested. There is a minimal fee to get in but it is worth it to go beyond the ice walls and see the intricate displays of ice within the park. We attended a few days prior to the judging so we watched in awe as the artists carved their ice masterpieces. Each team of artists had a sketched out diagram of their final proposed carving and watching each one go from a simple block of ice to their creations was remarkable. Some of these carvings were so large that they were using heavy equipment to move pieces of ice into place.
We often get asked, “how do you get around in Denali if we don’t have our own car?” Well, it is fairly easy with a little planning and knowledge of the transportation options to get to Denali. Our recommendations include the Alaska Railroad and the Park Connection Motorcoach. Once in Denali, there is a network of National Park Service shuttles and local Denali hotel and tour operators that provide complimentary services to prospective clients. The next key to visiting Denali National Park without your own car is to select a hotel which provides a shuttle service into the Denali Park entrance area and to the Alaska Railroad Depot.
If you don’t have your own car in Denali, we recommend you stay in the Denali Canyon area located just outside the Park entrance. Most of the Canyon hotels do provide either regular scheduled shuttles, or a shuttle on request into the Park. Although there are some fine hotels in the Denali Village area which is located 6 miles south of the Park Entrance, without your own car your options can be limited and you may feel a little isolated if you don’t have your own transportation. Here’s a list of Denali Canyon hotels that we work with that provide complimentary shuttles to the Denali Park facilities for their guests: Denali Bluffs Hotel, Denali Crow’s Nest Hotel, and the Grande Denali Lodge. In addition, both the Denali Princess Lodge and the McKinley Chalet Resort have shuttles but charge a fee to use them. The Denali Princess Lodge charges $5 per guest to use their shuttle that you purchase from their front desk, and the McKinley Chalet Resort automatically adds $6 per guest to their reservation cost for use of their shuttle and transfer service. If you take the Alaska Railroad to Denali, all of these hotels will have their shuttles and staff at the Denali Depot to greet you upon your arrival.
In addition to the hotels, almost all of the local tour operators such as Denali Raft, Husky Homestead Kennel Tours, Era Helicopter Tours, as well as some of the local restaurants also provide complimentary transfers to their businesses from area hotels as well as the Alaska Railroad Depot.
After utilizing your hotel’s shuttle to get into Denali Park, The National Park Service provides free scheduled bus shuttles within the park entrance area to facilitate visitor travel between the various visitor facilities. The primary locations to pick up the Park Service shuttle system are – the Wilderness Access Center and the Denali Park Visitor Center. There are three shuttles’ you’ll want to be familiar with – the Riley Loop Shuttle, the Savage River Shuttle, and the National Park Services’ Dog Kennel Shuttle.
The Riley Creek Loop Shuttle provides a somewhat circular, regular service between the Denali Visitor Center, the Murie Science & Learning Center, the Riley Creek Mercantile, as well as the Wilderness Access Center. It also stops at a few locations for hikers in the entrance area such those wanting to take a stroll down Horseshoe Lake trail.
The Savage River Shuttle travels 14 miles into Denali Park to the Savage River Rest Area, a perfect location for a short hike, picnic, with limited but possible wildlife sightings in the area. This is a nice option if you have a young family who want to take a bus ride, but aren’t ready for a full or half day Park Tour, or if you’ve been into the Park already but want to explore on your own. The bus ride is about 1 hour each direction.
The Park Dog Kennel Shuttle takes visitors to the Park kennels located about 3 miles into Denali Park. The Kennels offer a brief talk on the Park Service’s use of dog sleds for transportation in the winter and you can observe their sled dog demonstration. The Dog Kennel Shuttle departs from the Denali Visitor Center bus stop. You will want to check in with the Denali National park Visitor Center staff for more information on the dog sled presentation.
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