Page 16 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! September/October 2015

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Denali National Park – Much More Than a Mountain
TM
by Craig Haberle, CTC
Denali National Park, featuring its famous eponymous mountain also known as McKinley, is among the major attractions enticing travelers to Alaska. When visiting this park, everyone wants a
clear and complete view of the tallest mountain in North America. Truth be told, due to dynamic weather conditions, only about 33% of visitors are fortunate to secure a superb sighting of the massif stretching up
to its 20,320-foot summit. For the other 67% who see just snow-covered lower slopes or get a partial peek at the peak, the park’s six million acres offer considerable consolation prizes that, for many, are equal to clicking that perfect portrait of the trophy mountain. Your
trek to Denali can be rewarded also with espying equally inspiring natural wonders including wildlife
in action, native flowers in bloom, and glistening glaciers in summer sunshine.
Bears, moose, caribou, mountain sheep, wolves and eagles, and their endearing youngsters, are on the “want to see” lists of most visitors to Alaska. Your chances are good for gaining a glimpse or even enjoying an extended observation of these native species in Denali National Park. Just remember, these are wild animals and they do not make appearances based on a schedule or a cue from a guide. Nevertheless, traveling with a guide along a route or path to a particular place he or she knows
is periodically populated by these creatures and whose habits the guide has studied as potentially leading to public appearances, greatly increases your probability of seeing and snapping that favorite photo to post on Facebook or feature in next year’s holiday greeting card.
As savvy travelers know, there are excellent tours available in Denali National Park that are conducted aboard purpose-built vehicles, similar to a school
bus, although usually painted in a color that is more compatible with nature than high-visibility yellow. Some of these tours take an easy look with several stops not too far from the park entrance and last only a few hours, while other tours travel to the heart of
the park with multiple vista stops on an excursion of several hours. Only a few tours penetrate all the way to the end of the road, some 92 miles one way, on a 5- to 6-hour expedition from the park entrance. There is just one road in this national park and it serves as the only artery to deliver travelers as well as supplies, whether to photo stops, visitor centers, or remote lodges.
All these well-arranged tours are led by remarkable guides who combine a devotion to Denali with a broad and deep knowledge of the park’s flora and fauna, geology, glaciers, natural history and cultural history. Serving also as your vehicle driver, your guide is the key to seeing Denali from the perspective
of an expert. They have the well-practiced eyes of trained trackers and adept photographers, and
know the locations where
it is most likely for you to spot mammals and birds, find rare plants, and shoot pictures of the mountain, the Alaska Range, and the park’s glaciers. The hours enjoyed with this guide, your new best friend in Denali, will enrich your personal experience of the park, its unique environment, and the exceptional elements that make this slice of Alaska such a natural and national treasure.
You will find highly
qualified counterparts
to these Denali park tour
driver-guides while engaging in other activities
in this national park. River rafting, fly fishing, and flying in light aircraft on “flightseeing” tours also are notably enhanced by the guidance, instruction or commentary provided by professional guides and pilots. Their local knowledge contributes immeasurably to the experiences they lead in your behalf. The National Park Rangers at the park’s Sled Dog Kennels (tours are available) and two Visitor Centers offer insightful interpretation of Denali and how they and the dogs
work to preserve the park for
everyone’s enjoyment.
Another important part of visiting Denali is getting there, which is easy, comfortable and scenic when traveling aboard the Alaska Railroad route north from Anchorage or south from Fairbanks. The glass-domed bi-level rail cars are specially- designed with luxurious
seating on the top level and a full-service restaurant down below. Several hours of riding on the train to the park translate to time for trackside and far-distant views of central Alaska’s communities and undeveloped expanses. Keep your eyes peeled for sightings of wildlife, including moose feeding in kettle ponds and eagles perched on treetop nests.
So remember, when planning your vacation in
Alaska, have your AAA Travel Agent include several days in Denali National Park, where you can pursue that perfect view of the mountain. By reserving seats in advance, you can be certain of securing your choice of the guided tours on a park bus, aboard which you will be awestruck by the richness of nature so abundantly displayed in Denali. If
you follow these suggestions, Mother Nature and friendly Alaskans will reward you with exceptional experiences to cherish forever.
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
Now!