Crown Jewel of the North | Denali National Park
After a day of salmon fishing in Talkeetna we loaded up to head to Denali National Park. This was a 2hr & 45 min drive/164 miles.
In prep for this trip I had researched the farmers almanac & moon phases to predict the northern lights when the flights went on sale. This is why we headed south central then North to inland on this trip- we are chasing the Aurora Borealis. But, aside from physics one of the benefits also coming in August with the moon phases is that the first of our trip we had summer & now Fall weathers You will notice the foliage colors of gold for Fall that we woke up to when we headed North. So the first part of our trip was greens and colors of lush Alaska & today brings in The first of Fall golds. This trip we not only bettered our chances of seeing the Aurora Borealis we benefit the beauty of two seasons in the 49th state.
Thursday we explored Denali National Park & saw some moose. We were limited hiking from plan due to the critical wildlife order & the moose are in rut. But, we still spent time in the National Park making the day absolutely gorgeous.
The sheer untamed scale of Denali National Park is why outdoor adventurers gravitate to the 'Crown Jewel of the North.' If you combined Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon together, Denali would still be greater. Denali National Park is a vast wilderness, six million acres with only one 92 mile mostly gravel road bisecting it. One of the most remote corners of North America and home to its tallest peak, Denali has a primeval quality that pulls real wilderness navigators to it.
The diversity of landscape is visually stunning with taiga forest near the entrance of the park giving way to higher altitude sub-arctic tundra the further you travel in, with an abundance of wildlife such as grizzly bears, Dall sheep, marmots, foxes, caribou, wolves, moose and 160 species of bird.
The diversity of landscape is visually stunning with taiga forest near the entrance of the park giving way to higher altitude sub-arctic tundra the further you travel in, with an abundance of wildlife such as grizzly bears, Dall sheep, marmots, foxes, caribou, wolves, moose and 160 species of bird.
Lodging: Here were met an amazing couple & the professional dog mushing team for two nights of primitive camping in the Last Frontier. This airbnb is not for the soft traveler but to anyone up for a great Alaskan experience- I highly recommend. We were in company of Wildthingz Dog Mushing, a professional sled dog race team and tour company. The tent is not for luxurious travelers, but for those looking for a different experience more off the beaten path.
lodging tip: For those planning to visit Denali- There doesn't seem to be any infrastructure for solo budget travelers- so your options can seem limited in planning this on your road trip. My advice research- with enough research you can find the best of the best to make this stop affordable..
Lodging: Our Airbnb takes it to the bare necessities- literally. My first question was “What have you got us into?” 😂 We got into Denali & settled with our Wildthingz Dog mushing fur buds & feel like we are kids in a fort outside. It was a steep climb up to the top & we do have some cell service.. it’s raining so we are stuck inside until the morning & im playing house like I was 8 in my back yard.
Dog Mushing Experience with Wildthingz: $70/person
Our Airbnb: RUSTIC TENT
🎶 Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life 🎶
Strange AK Fact:
Alaskans don’t call it Mt. McKinley though. It is Denali or “The Great One” and Alaskans have been fighting for the name change since it was called Mt. McKinley in error over 100 years ago
weather: 54/day & 38/night
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