Denali National Park

Alaska, the last frontier, the place with the midnight sun, home to expansive mountains, glaciers, and wilderness, where you can feel so small and completely surrounded by nature.

When we first decided to hit up Alaska we had no clue what the expect or what to do, all we knew was it was a beautiful and wild place we were dying to explore.

After landing into Fairbanks, experiencing the midnight sun (with it setting exactly at 12:00am), and breathing in all the fresh alpine air, we headed off to Denali National park. Located just 2-hrs from Fairbanks, this 7408 square miles of the Alaskan mountain range is the third largest National park in the USA, home to the tallest mountain in North America and offers incredible animal siting, including grizzlies, moose, caribou, black bears, and wolves.

With only one road into the park, only the first 15 miles being paved and accessible by private vehicles, and tons of encouragement to go off and make your own paths, it is easy to leave behind the modern world and get lost in the nature that surrounds the park.

For the “true” Alaskan experience we decided to camp during our time there. With 6 different campsites all offering different views and are located at different points along the road (including further into the park), it is a great way to really enjoy the park at a different level. We stayed at the first campsite, Riley Creek, located at the entrance to the park. However, if you desire to go deeper into the park, there are camper buses that can bring you to your campsites that are past the private vehicle access point. Or if you want to really be with nature, they do offer backcountry permits, and you can forge your own path.

Near to Riley are the majority of the only 12 maintained trails in the park. Since the sun never really sets in the summer, we decided to do a bit of exploring on our first night there. We took a hike around horseshoe loop trail, which included a view of a lake and a beaver dam in the area.

Once done we explored the river near to our campsite, made our dinner, and prepped for bed (which involved needing an eye mask to convince ourselves it was dark enough to sleep). Being that Denali is home to both black bears and grizzlies, we had to ensure all of our food and scented items remained either in the car or the bear lockers they provide. And it was especially important because there had been a baby bear siting in the area, and due to problems that arise with bears eating human food, leaving food out would cause a need to put the bear down 😞.

The next day was an early start to head on the bus to mile marker 66, eielson visitor center.

Since the park is not accessibly by car, they offer buses to take you to different points in the park, from the end of the road to wonder lake, and the visitor center, there is several options for each guest. Though be warned, the time you spend on the bus can range from an 6.5 roundtrip (with restroom breaks and animal spottings) to 12 hour roundtrip

at the end of the road. While going in you must take the bus you are scheduled to take, but on your way back you can always tell the driver to drop you off at any point, you can explore that area, than flag a bus down when you’re ready to return to the entrance/your campsite.

There are the options to take a narrated bus too, though unlike the first bus, those buses don’t allow you to stop off during the trip.

Once we made it to our destination, we hopped off the bus and decided to take the hike that brought your incredible views of the mountain range, the glacier, and while not super clear (due to cloud cover) Mt Denali. It was also a time to make our own trail, when the trail ended we headed a bit further to the west to enjoy the views and take a mini break before heading back down and back to our campsite. At the visitor center there was also other trains, including on that took you down to the river bed.

Along our journey back we made several stops to watch as caribou passed in front of the road, bears dug for roots, and moose chilled on the hillside. Needless to say the entire trip was beyond any expectations we could’ve even had, and the raw beauty and wildness of the park left us all in awe.

That evening we decided to venture to the closest town, which is where most of seasonal workers stay at, and check out the local brewery. It was a neat atmosphere, with a nice outdoor place, and a warehouse turned into a restaurant/bar area.

While Denali National park is quite secluded and there is not reception in much of the park, there is a little boardwalk and a grocery store in the area for tourists to grab the basics.

Our last day in the area started off with me encountering a mamma moose and her two babies (definitely froze and let them pass out of fear) and ended with us hiking up Mt. Healy, a breathtaking lookout point near to the park entrance. And even as we quickly ascended up, the view just got better and better.

That afternoon we said our goodbyes to the area and headed back to Fairbanks to spend our last day and half exploring that area.

But as we drove away, still in awe by all the beauty, we all agreed that Denali is one of those places everyone must check out.