Denali National Park

the Denali Park road had a rockslide at mile 43 in 2021 which likely won’t be fixed this year. The Eilsen Visitor Center and Wonder Lake will not be reachable in 2022. See much more info from the park here.

Best time to visit: Summer

Recommended Hikes: Savage Alpine Trail, Mt Healy, Eielson Alpine Trail

Ideal For: Hiking, Back-country camping, Wildlife Viewing, Flight-Seeing, Mountain-Climbing

Where to stay: Campgrounds in the park, Towns of McKinley Park and Talkeenta

Park Website - Park Map

Far and away the tallest and most imposing mountains in North America - Denali National Park is a vast, pristine wilderness. The southern half of the park is made up of jagged peaks and glaciers, including the 20,310 foot Denali. The northern half is mostly tundra, home to all of Alaska’s famous wildlife. Summer is the best time to visit Alaska to take advantage of good weather and super long days.

What to Expect from Alaska:

• Drive times are brutally long. Expect traffic delays throughout the state due to road construction during summer.

• Always be prepared for rain. Weather patterns change quickly and forecasts are often wrong even one day in advance.

• Lodging is expensive and generally not luxurious. Campgrounds are abundant and far more affordable.

• Don’t try to see too much. If something in Alaska is a must-see for you, budget extra days in that area and consider skipping attractions that aren’t nearby.

Denali - Must See Attractions:

Talkeetna - This awesome little town is basecamp for mountain climbing and flight seeing in Denali National Park. Talkeetna is just 60 miles south of Denali’s peak, and on clear days, the sight of it from town is jaw-dropping. Activities in Talkeetna include Denali Flight-Seeing, river rafting, fishing excursions, ATVing, and jet-boating. I recommend Talkeetna Air Taxi if you are interested in flight-seeing.

video from a flight with Talkeetna Air Taxi in Denali National Park

Denali Sled Dogs (closed for Summer 2021) - The sled dogs of Denali spend the winter patrolling the park and the summer entertaining park visitors. The daily demonstrations are closed for 2021 due to Covid, but visitors can still stop and see some of the dogs and speak with park rangers.

Denali Bus Tour - The northern tundra area of the park is accessible via park bus tours and it offers the best chance to see Alaska’s wildlife. The tour busses can be reserved online here. There are two types of tours - the less expensive one is the better option (in my opinion). Both tour types will stop for any and all wildlife sightings.

Eielsen Visitor Center and Wonder Lake - These are the last two stops on the bus tour and they offer the best views of Denali’s north face - the “Wickersham Wall” - which is the highest continuous mountain rise in the world. The bus tours start running to these destinations in early June and close in mid September.

Denali State Park - About halfway between Talkeetna and the National Park entrance. There are two major viewpoints of Denali in the State Park, and a couple of nice lakes. Kesugi Ridge is a popular backpacking destination in the area.

Where to Stay:

There are a lot of lodging options in the town of McKinley Park near the park entrance. The hotels are all pretty expensive.

There are six campgrounds in the park, and several more private campgrounds in the area surrounding McKinley Park. Camping is much more affordable than the hotels. Campgrounds in the park can be reserved online here.

Hiking in Denali:

The park is famous for “off trail” hiking. You are allowed to hike anywhere across the tundra, except for certain wildlife closures. There are also a few official hiking routes in the park, discussed below:

Mt Healy - A popular trail near the parks entrance - the hike climbs 1,700 vertical feet for a great view of the mountains in the area, although there are no views of Denali. The bottom half of the hike is below the treeline, making it potentially dangerous for moose and bear encounters. Read more about the hike here.

Savage Alpine Trail - This trail runs from Savage River to the Savage River Campground, but the best part of the trail is right near the parking area at Savage River. Most of the trail is above the treeline and it offers views of Denali on clear days. Read more about it here.

Eielson Alpine Trail - There is an awesome trail that departs from the Eielson visitor enter and climbs high with consistent views of Denali. The hike is harder to access given it’s at the very end of the bus tour - book an early bus if you want to do this one. Read more about it here.

Katmai National Park

Covid Info: The park is open, but has implemented new capacity limitations. See much more info from the park here.

Best time to visit: Summer (salmon runs peak in July)

Ideal For: Brown Bear viewing

Where to stay: Brooks Camp

Park Website - Park Map

Katmai is the best place in the world to see wild brown bears. There are an estimated 2,200 of them in the park, compared to 300 in Denali and 500 in Yellowstone. They are some of the largest bears on Earth, thanks to abundant salmon runs and total isolation from human development. The most common place to see them is at Brooks Falls, but more adventurous visitors can go deeper into the park. Salmon runs peak in July.

What to Expect from Alaska:

• Drive times are brutally long. Expect traffic delays throughout the state due to road construction during summer.

• Always be prepared for rain. Weather patterns change quickly and forecasts are often wrong even one day in advance.

• Lodging is expensive and generally not luxurious. Campgrounds are abundant and far more affordable.

• Don’t try to see too much. If something in Alaska is a must-see for you, budget extra days in that area and consider skipping attractions that aren’t nearby.

Katmai - Brooks Falls

Brooks Falls is the world-famous waterfall where bears feed on salmon. There is a platform right next to the waterfall which is open to visitors in 30 minute increments. You can add your name to the list to re-enter the platform as many times as you have time for.

The lower viewing platform is about 100 meters from the falls - you can wait here for your turn on the main platform. There are often bears in the area too, feeding on the scraps floating down from the dominant bears upstream.

The waterfall is about a mile’s hike from Brooks Camp. It is possible that you will encounter a bear on the trail. All visitors go through bear safety orientation which provides advice on how to behave, and it’s worth noting that the bears here are well fed and accustomed to seeing people. Still, it doesn’t hurt to walk with others en route to the falls.

Where to Stay:

Several tour companies offer single day trips to Katmai from Anchorage and Homer. These trips do not stay overnight, so you only have 2-3 hours at Brooks Falls. I did this trip in July of 2018 and it was the highlight of my summer in Alaska. However, if you really enjoy wildlife-viewing, you should consider staying overnight.

There is a rustic lodge at Brooks Camp which can be reserved online in advance here. There is also a campground at Brooks Camp which can be reserved online here. Book early if you plan to visit in July.

Other Attractions:

Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes - there is a shuttle that takes visitors here from Brooks Camp, but you won’t have time to do it unless you are staying overnight. Read more about it on the park’s website here.

Backcountry tours - There are several tour companies that run backcountry trips in Katmai to more remote areas. I imagine they would be awesome, although expensive.