Welcome back to my Alaska California Hawaii (ACH) trip! Today we will be going from Fairbanks, AK to Denali National Park.
It was interesting to never see the sun set even in the middle of the night.
After some great sleep at the LaQuinta Fairbanks Airport it was time to go to Walmart and get some supplies before my dad and I headed down to Denali.
It was a scenic two hour drive from Fairbanks to Denali.
After about an hour of driving the mountain came in our sights.
At Denali National Park I decided to stay at the
Denali Bluffs Hotel due to good ratings, location (less than 2 miles from the park entrance), and price.
When booking hotels, I usually book using Priceline or another 3rd party booking tool. In this case I used Hotels.com since I got an extra 10% off through a private sale.
I booked this February 27, 2021 almost three months before I checked in. I think I got a pretty good deal, essentially paying $150/night as rooms at this three star hotel would normally go for over $200/night.
The hotel sits on a cliff near the park. The arrow shows where my room was. An excellent view of the park. Photo from Hotels.com.
Great view from our room.Be careful when booking trips to Alaska as many hotels and attractions are seasonal, including this one.
After checking in, my dad and I decided to explore the park. Technically opening day of the park was May 20th, so we got there a day early. This was great timing since once the park opens, private vehicles are not allowed on the park road past mile marker 15. However, before the park opens, private vehicles are allowed on to drive the whole road.
Photo from National Park Service. In spite of our rental car agreement, which prohibited driving on the Denali Park Road, we drove to mile 15, and turned around.
Had to get a pic in front of the National Park Sign!
After the brief roadtrip I went back to the hotel, to grab my bag, and get ready to go hiking.
I loved the view from my room!
View from the hike!My dad and I finished the hike around 8pm and went to the
Black Diamond Grill in Healy, AK about 15 miles north of the park, which I highly recommend.
At 10:30PM I tried to go to sleep, but it’s hard in Alaska because during the summer the sun barely sets. Luckily, most hotels in Alaska have blackout blinds for this reason. The experience is not unlike staying at a hotel in Times Square or the Vegas Strip where blackout blinds are required.
The next morning we woke up early at 9AM to catch the Tundra Wilderness Tour.
The Tundra Wildreness Tour (TWT) runs 63 miles approx 2/3rds down the park road and turns around at that point.
As you can see, I paid $281.50 for two adult tickets which comes out to $140.75 per person. Less than the $192.30 list price.
The bus picked us up right at the hotel and included a small lunch. I’d recommend bringing your own lunch too since it is not a lot of food for an 8 hour trip.
The trip was great and I got to see a lot of wildlife including a bear and a mountain goat.
If you look closely you can see the bear in the top right.
The bus driver had digital binoculars so he could point out animals from a distance and show us using the screens on the bus.
Mountain Goats!
Throughout the trip we stopped for restrooms and stretch breaks around once every hour and a half.
We went as far as the Eielson Visitor Center where there was a small gift shop and bathrooms.
Statistics of climbers currently on Denali.
The eight hour trip was great. It was long and some took the opportunity to sleep on the three hour drive back.
Our driver Steve was a 30 year veteran and funny enough was originally from Naperville a suburb of Chicago just like me. He knew a ton about the park and was an amazing guide.
After I finished the tour, I went back to the hotel and took a nap. At 7pm I hiked the Mount Healy Overlook Trail .
I got back at 9:30PM had dinner and went to bed.
Stay tuned for part 3 on my last day at Denali and driving to Anchorage and Seward!
Thanks for coming along.
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