Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly McKinley National Park, is 6,000,000 acres, mostly designated Wilderness, meaning very little man-made alteration is allowed. It truly is a gift to all of us; it's yours and mine to visit but it's home to the animals.
Here's the deal: There is one main park road which is 92 miles and ends at Kantishna where gold was found which was the original impetus for white men to enter what is now Denali, but this incredibly beautiful land also drew others:
www.kantishnaroadhouse.com
"The spring of 1906 brings a remarkable individual to the region, Charles Sheldon. A retired businessman and self trained naturalist, Sheldon comes to the region primarily to study northern sheep (Dall). Well traveled and Yale-educated, he immediately recognizes the uniqueness of the place with the spectacular mountain scenery, Mount McKinley (Denali) the tallest mountain in North America, and the opportunity to see wildlife in such a majestic setting. After a summer exploration with Harry Karstens, another of the Denali greats, he decides to return the following spring. By August of 1907 Sheldon had established his camp along the Toklat river, building a cabin and spending the winter collecting specimens for the Biologic Survey. Noticing the hunting practices of market hunters coming into the area, he realizes that if the animal populations were not protected they would be extripated, hunted out. So begins a colossal fight to protect the animal populations and in turn results in the creation (February 1917) of what eventually becomes Denali National Park and Preserve. A crown jewel in the national park system. Charles Sheldon is considered the founding father and guiding spirit of Denali. He laid out the original park boundary and in his diary on January 12, 1908, presumably in his cabin on the Toklat river, coined the name Denali National Park. Harry Karstens, at the suggestion of Sheldon, became the first park superintendent, and is considered to have set the standard for administration along with being a grand adventurer in his own right, having led a party, the first, to the top of Denali (June 7,1913).
The park however was not immediately available to the general public, in fact it was something of a back water. Even with the completion of the Alaska Railroad in 1923 access to the interior of the park was limited because of the rugged terrain and lack of funding coming from the Department of the Interior to develop an access road. It wasn’t until 1938 after 15 seasons of toil that a road snakes through to the Kantishna district.
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People are pretty much allowed anywhere in Denali as long as they sign up, watch a backcountry safety video, learn how to leave no trace, learn about grizzlies and moose dangers, have the required gear, etc. There are trails to follow or hikers can bushwhack.
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I also made a reservation at the only campground with space available. One can drive a vehicle to the Teklanika camping area well up into the park but must stay a minimum of three days. From a base there, campers just walk out to the main park road and wait for buses to take them wherever they wish.
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| Denali National Park |
We hopped on a new green bus and the driver (Wendy) was wonderful. She came to Alaska 30+ years ago when her Dad worked on the pipeline. I figured she was now in her 50s. In the winter she drives a school bus in Anchorage. She talked the whole way, which was fine as she was funny, helped spot animals (one grizzly, several Dall sheep, moose and caribou) and knew just enough of the geology, flora, and the history of Denali to be interesting. She wasn't required to talk as this wasn't an official informative tour, but she loved doing it. The road was gravel much of the way, a bit precipitous in a few places ("don't look down or move to the other side of the bus if this bothers you") with several pullouts. I had to laugh: on the way back, half the passengers were sleeping or dozing....like this was a tiring experience. We picked up and dropped off people several times. Most were serious dedicated backpackers with their huge loads, girls and guys, fit, healthy, attractive, adventurous.
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| Riley Creek Campground in Denali National Park |
By mid afternoon, we were back and I drove through the campground, picking out a good spot. The young man who registered me warned about moose who wander the campground and who "are calving this time of year. We had to send several people to the hospital last year. If you are charged, just get something between you and the moose and zig-zag." There were absolutely no insects, no moose; the sun was out, the camp sites were all tucked in the spruces. I got a few supplies for dinner and settled in, half reading and half watching the quiet comings and goings of those near me.
As the evening with its forever light progressed, most folks sat quietly around campfires. I debated whether to set up my tent and then did not, due to inertia and the totally comfortable cot in my van. I have a great sleeping bag and slept soundly all night, waking at 0600 and then going back to sleep until 0730. I was warm but reluctant to get out of my sleeping bag as the temperature was in the low 40s. But there was laundry to do....
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