Hi Schmeck--

I haven't been to Denali in ~2 years, so things may have changed. But I'll do my best.

If you want to stay in the park, you have two options: first, to stay in a campsite and second, to stay in the backcountry. The campsites have some facilities, I think they have running water and some sort of toilet facility. The campsites hold between ~7 and ~30 tents but are pretty spread out so you're not camping on top of your neighbor. If you want a campsite, you have to reserve it (and pay for it), and you can leave your tent there for up to 2 weeks and hike around during the day. The backcountry permits are free, but true wildnerness. No maintained trails or campsites, and they are first come-first served, no reservations accepted.

In the backcountry, it is unlikely that you will see another human. Even on a maintained trail, you probably won't see anyone. It's a real hassle to get in to/around the park, but it really helps to preserve the wilderness feel.

1. You can pick a unit but you can't reserve it in advance. If your unit is full, you can usually pick from whatever is open. There are really no "bad" units, they are all HUGE and have a wide variety of wildlife and terrain. If you can find out where the caribou are (they tend to migrate around the park), that would be good for photography. I saw a pack of wolves try to take down a caribou once. That was fascinating... and disturbing (winner=caribou).

2. If you want truly outstanding scenery, pray for good weather. The weather is often cloudy, but when the sun comes out, it's magnificent. I think for photography, you should consider the bus-- it stops at the most scenic places. If you see a vista you really like, stay at that stop until the light is to your liking, and then hop on the next bus to the next scenic overlook. But the bus is definitely the fastest way to see a lot of the park.

3. If you reserve a campsite and change your mind, I think you're only out the ~$5 reservation fee. But this might have changed.

4. The bushwacking thing is inevitable in the backcountry. There are TONS of marked and maintained trails (still hiking trails, they're not paved pedestrian superhighways or anything) if you're not so into suffering. There are always game trails through the brush which are interesting (caribou are lousy civic planners). If you find yourself in a unit that does not have thick trees/bushes, you will probably be hiking on tundra which has really interesting (and fragile) ground cover. It is also squishy and uneven. Either way, it is a struggle (but a good one).

5. Not sure about the bear containers. Sorry.

6. Denali-bound climbers usually fly into basecamp from a small town called Talkeetna. If you take the train or bus from Anchorage, you'll probably stop there. Its a little "old west" style town. There are several tour companies that offer flight-seeing tours in Talkeetna and most will fly you over Denali basecamp if you're interested. Very $$$ but fun. Getting to the base of Denali on foot from Denali park is attempted only by true maniacs.

Cheers.