Issue #8
November 5th 2007
November 5th 2007
Page 4 of 5
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Denali National Park
(November 5, 2007)
(November 5, 2007)
Lou Says...
I just wanted to make a few additional comments for the benefit of those who plan to visit and camp inside Denali National Park.
We made our reservations, online, at the Aramark Denali web site. I have to say that I have never seen such a complicated reservation system. It took me at least 30 minutes of reading to figure how to make the reservation and then I still was not sure I had done it right. I would have made the reservations by phone but it was after they had closed and I was anxious to get the reservation confirmed as the dates, shown on the Airmark web site, indicated only one camp site at Teklanika was available for the dates we wanted. My suggestion is to make your reservations early and via the telephone.
If you have a Senior Pass or Golden Age Pass you receive a 50% camping discount but if you reserve online you must pay full price then request a refund when you check in at arrival.
The shuttle bus system is also very confusing to understand from just reading about it on the their web site. If you have been there you already know how it works but if this is your first time at the park the following information should help.
You will not be granted a campsite without also purchasing a shuttle ticket for a specific departure time and destination. This sounds restrictive but it really it is not. Once you purchase your shuttle ticket it really does not matter whether or not you actually go on the trip you purchased the ticket for. If you miss your bus, like we did, your ticket is still good, for the length of your stay, and you may still ride to any destination on any bus but only on a space available basis. During peak season you may have to wait for a bus that has space though. We encountered few problems but then we were not visiting in the peak season. Be sure to pick up a bus schedule when you arrive and study it so you understand it.
If you are staying at Teklanika be sure to bring all the food, drinks, snacks, etc. that you will need for your stay because you will not be allowed to drive your vehicle or take the bus back to the park entrance until you actually depart the park. There are no places in the park where any kind of supplies are available.
One last comment about the buses. From Teklanika to Kantishna it is about a 10 hour round trip. The bus we were on had no shocks and the road was very rough. Needless to say it was extremely hard my back. Some buses are better than others. If you have the time I would suggest riding a couple of different buses to see which ones ride better.
One of the most beautiful photo ops in the park is an early morning view from Wonder Lake with Mt. McKinley's reflection in the lake. If this is one of your goals the only way to see this view is to tent camp at the lake so you can get up early. There are no buses that will get you to Wonder Lake at that time. We did not have a tent so this is one photo op I missed.
Enjoy your trip to Denali.
I just wanted to make a few additional comments for the benefit of those who plan to visit and camp inside Denali National Park.
We made our reservations, online, at the Aramark Denali web site. I have to say that I have never seen such a complicated reservation system. It took me at least 30 minutes of reading to figure how to make the reservation and then I still was not sure I had done it right. I would have made the reservations by phone but it was after they had closed and I was anxious to get the reservation confirmed as the dates, shown on the Airmark web site, indicated only one camp site at Teklanika was available for the dates we wanted. My suggestion is to make your reservations early and via the telephone.
If you have a Senior Pass or Golden Age Pass you receive a 50% camping discount but if you reserve online you must pay full price then request a refund when you check in at arrival.
The shuttle bus system is also very confusing to understand from just reading about it on the their web site. If you have been there you already know how it works but if this is your first time at the park the following information should help.
You will not be granted a campsite without also purchasing a shuttle ticket for a specific departure time and destination. This sounds restrictive but it really it is not. Once you purchase your shuttle ticket it really does not matter whether or not you actually go on the trip you purchased the ticket for. If you miss your bus, like we did, your ticket is still good, for the length of your stay, and you may still ride to any destination on any bus but only on a space available basis. During peak season you may have to wait for a bus that has space though. We encountered few problems but then we were not visiting in the peak season. Be sure to pick up a bus schedule when you arrive and study it so you understand it.
If you are staying at Teklanika be sure to bring all the food, drinks, snacks, etc. that you will need for your stay because you will not be allowed to drive your vehicle or take the bus back to the park entrance until you actually depart the park. There are no places in the park where any kind of supplies are available.
One last comment about the buses. From Teklanika to Kantishna it is about a 10 hour round trip. The bus we were on had no shocks and the road was very rough. Needless to say it was extremely hard my back. Some buses are better than others. If you have the time I would suggest riding a couple of different buses to see which ones ride better.
One of the most beautiful photo ops in the park is an early morning view from Wonder Lake with Mt. McKinley's reflection in the lake. If this is one of your goals the only way to see this view is to tent camp at the lake so you can get up early. There are no buses that will get you to Wonder Lake at that time. We did not have a tent so this is one photo op I missed.
Enjoy your trip to Denali.
