HT Travel Blog

Denali (formerly known as Mt. McKinley) is truly a sight you can’t comprehend until you see it with your own eyes. Standing at 20,310 ‘ft, “The Great One,” is the tallest peak in North America. Due to cloud cover, it’s also something that roughly only 30% of visitors get to see when visiting Denali National Park in Alaska. I was one of the lucky ones and got to see Denali on a clear day, enjoy the vast wilderness of the park, and see tons of wildlife!

After spending the night at Denali Bluffs Hotel overlooking the Nenana River, we started the day bright and early on a bus tour of Denali National Park. Keep in mind when visiting that cars are only allowed to Mile 15 of the park road, so it’s highly recommended to book a bus tour! You can hop on/off the bus at any time if you plan to enjoy a small hike or get outside to get some fresh air – just don’t forget your bear spray! Within the first 15 minutes of the bus tour, we saw a bull moose grazing on shrubs on the side of the road. About another 15 minutes later once you’re out of the forest, you’re greeted by the most amazing views of the park. Tundra, mountain peaks, and streams flowing through the valley are truly a sight to behold. At this point if you’re lucky like I was, you’ll get to see a clear view of Denali too! Further along we saw more moose, a small herd of caribou, and Dall sheep grazing on the side of the mountains. Due the Pretty Rocks Landslide, we were only able to go to Mile 43 before having to turn around.

Once we got back to our hotel, we went out for a late lunch at Denali Doghouse. This place may top the list as the best hot dog I’ve ever had, so I highly recommend if you’re looking for a quick meal! After lunch and checking out of our hotel, we hopped in the car and made the 4-hour drive back to Anchorage. On a warm, clear, sunny day, we made stops at the South End Denali viewpoint, Talkeetna, and Houston on the way home. Don’t forget to stop at Miller’s Market in Houston on your way back for the best soft serve ice cream and stop to take in all the views Alaska has to offer!