3rd day in Denali vs. day in Anchorage?

[bbjaspan]

We're doing a NB Celebrity cruise ending in Seward, followed by 6 nights on land on our own with rental car. Thought I had our land itinerary pinned down, but now I'm wondering. This is our plan:

 

Friday - dock in Seward, day in Seward/Kenai, overnight in Seward

 

Saturday - day in Seward/Kenai, evening train to Anchorage for overnight

 

Sunday - pick up rental car, spend day driving south to Portage Glacier & return, second overnight in Anchorage

 

Monday - drive to Denali, afternoon at Denali (visitor center, 15 miles w car, day hikes near entrance, etc.), overnight in Healy

 

Tuesday - all day Denali shuttle bus, second overnight in Healy

 

Wednesday - another day at Denali???, third overnight in Healy

 

Thursday - drive from Healy to Anchorage, 11pm flight home

 

Question is: What should we do Wednesday in or around Denali? OR Would we be better off driving back to Achorage on Wednesday (anything special we should see along the way?), and spending all day Thursday, before our flight, in or around Anchorage (doing what?)

 

Thanks

[ghouck2532]

On Wednesday, you could drive toward Anchorage, stop in Talkeetna and take a flightseeing tour of Denali with Talkeetna Air or Talkeetna Aeor. Tour Saver has 2 for 1 coupons. You could choose among several flights, circle Denali with or without a glacier landing, Summit Denali (fly over the top of Denali). Continue south on the Parks Highway. Visit Independence Mine. Part of the road is unpaved so there are restrictions for rental cars.

 

In Wasilla there is the Iditarod Museum/Headquarters. Wheeled sledrides. Closer to Anchorage is the Musk Ox Farm and Eklutna spirit houses. If you take the Richardson Highway past Palmer you can hike the Matanuska Glacier with MICA guides. You could stay over near Palmer Wednesday night and split up the activities over two days.

[fti]

You could do what ghouck2532 mentioned in his post. But you could definitely spend another day at Denali. You could stop in Talkeetna on your way to Denali - if you are doing flightseeing I would definitely recommend that because weather might cancel your original booking and you could try to reschedule a flight for your return trip. Talkeetna would easily be visited on a stop en route from Anchorage to Denali. You could have lunch there and walk around town.

 

It sounds like you might enjoy hiking since you mentioned the day hikes near the park entrance. There are Discovery Hikes that rangers lead each day. They are several hours long (2-4 hours each I think) plus the bus ride to get to the area they hike in (hikes and locations change daily). The first day that you arrive you can inquire about these hikes at the wilderness access center. They require advance reservation and you only pay for the bus ride (about $25). I have never done these but am planning on doing one next summer.

 

You can take the shuttle bus into the park the second day on your own. Get off anywhere along the park road and do some hiking them catch a different shuttle bus back. You can hike anywhere but some good places are near Wonder Lake (McKinley Bar Trail is the only formal trail inside the park not near the entrance). This takes a couple of hours round trip and is a pretty hike. You could hike near Stony Hill which is also very nice and is near the turnaround for the Fish Creek shuttle, so catching another shuttle back should be easy. You can hike near the old Eielson Visitor Center. There is some construction there now as they build the new center, but hiking from there to the river bar is also a nice day hike.

 

You never know if you will see the Mountain if you are on the bus only one day, so spending two days in the park increases your chances. Plus, you will see different/more wildlife by going a second day.

 

You didn't say which month you are going in but I assume it is on/after June 1. The park road is not open very far before then.

 

If you are driving from Denali to Anchorage for an 11pm flight, you can easily stop in Wasilla on the way back. You would not need to be at the airport until 9pm at the earliest and the drive from Denali to Anchorage is 5-6 hours.

[bbjaspan]

On Wednesday, you could drive toward Anchorage, stop in Talkeetna and take a flightseeing tour of Denali with Talkeetna Air or Talkeetna Aeor. Tour Saver has 2 for 1 coupons. You could choose among several flights, circle Denali with or without a glacier landing, Summit Denali (fly over the top of Denali). Continue south on the Parks Highway. Visit Independence Mine. Part of the road is unpaved so there are restrictions for rental cars.

 

In Wasilla there is the Iditarod Museum/Headquarters. Wheeled sledrides. Closer to Anchorage is the Musk Ox Farm and Eklutna spirit houses. If you take the Richardson Highway past Palmer you can hike the Matanuska Glacier with MICA guides. You could stay over near Palmer Wednesday night and split up the activities over two days.

 

Wow! Thank you for helping me think outside the box! I took your suggestions and started working with them. Leaving the Denali area on Wednesday and finding new things to do and see elsewhere is obvious (but wasn't so obvious to me). First, varying from your suggested route, I got VERY excited about the idea of driving the Denali Highway (fantastic scenery, views, wildlife) from Cantwell, through Paxson, to Glennallen, and around to Palmer. THEN, I read that the Denali Highway is an unpaved road and not allowed by rental companies. :-(

 

I'm sure the flightseeing would be spectacular but DH has heard about the plane crash there this year and doesn't want to leave the ground. So my current plan is to drive from Healy to the Palmer area on Wednesday, and spend Wednesday and a good part of Thursday dayhiking in the area and hiking near or on the Matanuska Glacier with MICA guides, as you suggested. Actually, we are planning to do a Mendenhall Glacier trek in Juneau, so I'm not sure how much this would duplicate. Or, maybe we should go whale-watching in Juneau instead, but then I don't know how the Matanuska Glacier compares to the Mendenhall. Such wonderful decisions.

 

Thanks for your help!

[bbjaspan]

You could do what ghouck2532 mentioned in his post. But you could definitely spend another day at Denali. You could stop in Talkeetna on your way to Denali - if you are doing flightseeing I would definitely recommend that because weather might cancel your original booking and you could try to reschedule a flight for your return trip. Talkeetna would easily be visited on a stop en route from Anchorage to Denali. You could have lunch there and walk around town.

 

It sounds like you might enjoy hiking since you mentioned the day hikes near the park entrance. There are Discovery Hikes that rangers lead each day. They are several hours long (2-4 hours each I think) plus the bus ride to get to the area they hike in (hikes and locations change daily). The first day that you arrive you can inquire about these hikes at the wilderness access center. They require advance reservation and you only pay for the bus ride (about $25). I have never done these but am planning on doing one next summer.

 

You can take the shuttle bus into the park the second day on your own. Get off anywhere along the park road and do some hiking them catch a different shuttle bus back. You can hike anywhere but some good places are near Wonder Lake (McKinley Bar Trail is the only formal trail inside the park not near the entrance). This takes a couple of hours round trip and is a pretty hike. You could hike near Stony Hill which is also very nice and is near the turnaround for the Fish Creek shuttle, so catching another shuttle back should be easy. You can hike near the old Eielson Visitor Center. There is some construction there now as they build the new center, but hiking from there to the river bar is also a nice day hike.

 

You never know if you will see the Mountain if you are on the bus only one day, so spending two days in the park increases your chances. Plus, you will see different/more wildlife by going a second day.

 

You didn't say which month you are going in but I assume it is on/after June 1. The park road is not open very far before then.

 

If you are driving from Denali to Anchorage for an 11pm flight, you can easily stop in Wasilla on the way back. You would not need to be at the airport until 9pm at the earliest and the drive from Denali to Anchorage is 5-6 hours.

 

So many good choices! :) Too bad we have to make all these decisions in advance (accommodations, buses, etc.). So much easier once we get there and see the "lay of the land." Our cruise ends June 15 in Seward.

 

Re day-hiking on our own, how safe is that? I'm concerned about meeting bears, etc. We sure want to see a lot of wildlife, but not up close when we're hiking.

 

We will definitely make our day-2-in-Denali bus reservation far in advance, but would we have to make the reservation for the bus for the ranger-led hikes far in advance too?

 

Thanks for your tips!

[ghouck2532]

The helicopter glacier treks in Juneau are often canceled due to weather. They won't fly in rain or fog. The hike around Mendenhall won't afford you access to hike on the glacier, only around the glacier. If you're intent on trekking on a glacier, MICA is a good option. It can't be canceled and it's only $70.00 per person for a 3 or 4 hour hike compared to $400.00 for the helicopter treks. Both are worthwhile. The Juneau helicopter trips are worth it for the scenery. Juneau port days on the one way cruises tend to be long. You should have time for whale watching and the helicopter tour.

[bbjaspan]

The helicopter glacier treks in Juneau are often canceled due to weather. They won't fly in rain or fog. The hike around Mendenhall won't afford you access to hike on the glacier, only around the glacier. If you're intent on trekking on a glacier, MICA is a good option. It can't be canceled and it's only $70.00 per person for a 3 or 4 hour hike compared to $400.00 for the helicopter treks. Both are worthwhile. The Juneau helicopter trips are worth it for the scenery. Juneau port days on the one way cruises tend to be long. You should have time for whale watching and the helicopter tour.

 

Our Juneau plans are for a hike and glacier trek with Above & Beyond Alaska, not a helicopter tour, which we read about from 'cruising dfl' on this board. His/her description sounded great. Not sure if we can do that and the whale watching. I'm wondering if we might get to see whales on a Kanai Fjiords tour.

[ghouck2532]

With 12 hours in port, you should be able to do a glacier hike and whale watching. The Above and Beyond Tour looks like a long hike before you get on the ice. You could combine a helicopter trek with Coastal with Orca Enterprises (Captain Larry). Coastal could drop you at the boat harbor saving an hour in transportation.

 

Kenai Fjords doesn't guarantee whales. Better whale watching out of Juneau.

[bbjaspan]

With 12 hours in port, you should be able to do a glacier hike and whale watching. The Above and Beyond Tour looks like a long hike before you get on the ice. You could combine a helicopter trek with Coastal with Orca Enterprises (Captain Larry). Coastal could drop you at the boat harbor saving an hour in transportation.

 

Kenai Fjords doesn't guarantee whales. Better whale watching out of Juneau.

 

Good idea, but as I mentioned previously, DH is keeping his feet on the ground -- no helicopters or planes. So I guess we have to choose between whales and glacier trekking.

[ghouck2532]

Depending on Captain Larry's or another whale watching tour's schedule, you should still be able to do both. A small company like Harv and Marv could probably work around your schedule.

[bbjaspan]

Depending on Captain Larry's or another whale watching tour's schedule, you should still be able to do both. A small company like Harv and Marv could probably work around your schedule.

 

Okay! I will not give up on doing both. Will try to work them in. When do you think these tours need to be booked? We're leaving on another trip in 3 weeks and will not be back until after Thanksgiving. Think we can wait until December? Thank you!

[fti]

Re day-hiking on our own, how safe is that? I'm concerned about meeting bears, etc. We sure want to see a lot of wildlife, but not up close when we're hiking.

 

We will definitely make our day-2-in-Denali bus reservation far in advance, but would we have to make the reservation for the bus for the ranger-led hikes far in advance too?

 

Thanks for your tips!

 

Day hiking on your own is relatively safe especially in small groups. Hiking alone is not recommended. There were 4 of us at first then we split up two and two. Actually we saw a bear within the first 15 minutes of our hike but he was 50 yards away and didn't see us. We just moved out of his way quickly. It made us realize that we needed to be looking left & right and not just straight ahead as we were hiking. Bring a camera for great photos and binoculars to be scouting the area for wildlife. If you hike on the tundra, it is very low to the ground so visibility is good.

 

You can not make reservations for the ranger-led hike far in advance. They only take reservations on the spot 1-2 days in advance.

 

Budget Queen recommended a book that I recently bought. If you like hiking you might consider buying the new edition of Hiking Alaska by Dean Littlepage. The second edition was published in 2006. I haven't spent a lot of time reading it yet but it looks excellent.

[ghouck2532]

I think December would be fine. Most of those who are going to Alaska on cruises next year haven't thought twice about what they're going to do off the ship. We cruise critic habitues are far more obsessed than the average cruiser.

[bbjaspan]

Day hiking on your own is relatively safe especially in small groups. Hiking alone is not recommended. There were 4 of us at first then we split up two and two. Actually we saw a bear within the first 15 minutes of our hike but he was 50 yards away and didn't see us. We just moved out of his way quickly. It made us realize that we needed to be looking left & right and not just straight ahead as we were hiking. Bring a camera for great photos and binoculars to be scouting the area for wildlife. If you hike on the tundra, it is very low to the ground so visibility is good.

 

Okay, let's say we're hiking along and see a bear, close enough that we don't even need binoculars, and the bear sees us -- what do we do???

 

You can not make reservations for the ranger-led hike far in advance. They only take reservations on the spot 1-2 days in advance.

 

But do you need the bus reservations for the ranger-led hike earlier than the hike reservation? Or do they always have room on the bus for the ranger-led hikers?

 

Budget Queen recommended a book that I recently bought. If you like hiking you might consider buying the new edition of Hiking Alaska by Dean Littlepage. The second edition was published in 2006. I haven't spent a lot of time reading it yet but it looks excellent.

 

Will definitely take a look at it.

 

Thanks

[bbjaspan]

I think December would be fine. Most of those who are going to Alaska on cruises next year haven't thought twice about what they're going to do off the ship. We cruise critic habitues are far more obsessed than the average cruiser.

 

Good. I'd hate to miss something I really want to do/see on what may be my only trip to Alaska.

 

Thanks

[fti]

Okay, let's say we're hiking along and see a bear, close enough that we don't even need binoculars, and the bear sees us -- what do we do???

 

Any time you do anything with a ranger, they give you the "what do you do if you see a (fill in the blank) animal. Here is a link to some bear info. Especially scroll down to "Backcountry"

 

http://www.nps.gov/archive/dena/home/visitorinfo/bearsafety/home.html

 

But do you need the bus reservations for the ranger-led hike earlier than the hike reservation? Or do they always have room on the bus for the ranger-led hikers?

 

Good question. They have separate busses for the Discovery Hikes as they are called. So you sign up for both the bus and the hike at the same time. You pay the fee for the bus when you make the reservation. I am not sure if you already have a bus shuttle ticket if you can transfer it to a Discovery Hike bus.

[bbjaspan]

Any time you do anything with a ranger, they give you the "what do you do if you see a (fill in the blank) animal. Here is a link to some bear info. Especially scroll down to "Backcountry"

 

http://www.nps.gov/archive/dena/home/visitorinfo/bearsafety/home.html

 

 

Good question. They have separate busses for the Discovery Hikes as they are called. So you sign up for both the bus and the hike at the same time. You pay the fee for the bus when you make the reservation. I am not sure if you already have a bus shuttle ticket if you can transfer it to a Discovery Hike bus.

 

Your info and tips are extremely helpful! Thank you again...

[Budget Queen]

The helicopter glacier treks in Juneau are often canceled due to weather. They won't fly in rain or fog. The hike around Mendenhall won't afford you access to hike on the glacier, only around the glacier. If you're intent on trekking on a glacier, MICA is a good option. It can't be canceled and it's only $70.00 per person for a 3 or 4 hour hike compared to $400.00 for the helicopter treks. Both are worthwhile. The Juneau helicopter trips are worth it for the scenery. Juneau port days on the one way cruises tend to be long. You should have time for whale watching and the helicopter tour.

 

 

For clairfication, helicopters most certainly DO fly in the rain. It's the visability that ground them.

[mytime53]

It sounds like you'll have a great trip!

Friday - dock in Seward, day in Seward/Kenai, overnight in Seward

 

Saturday - day in Seward/Kenai, evening train to Anchorage for overnight

 

Sunday - pick up rental car, spend day driving south to Portage Glacier & return, second overnight in Anchorage

 

For these first 3 days, there is a lot of backtracking. Are the first 2 days tours through the cruise line? When you say Kenai, do you mean Kenai fjords cruise? Or Kenai the town? If it's the fjords, fine. If it's the town, let us know and we'll help you with a less intensive driving itinerary. Or do you mean the Kenai Peninsula?

 

Monday - drive to Denali, afternoon at Denali (visitor center, 15 miles w car, day hikes near entrance, etc.), overnight in Healy

 

Tuesday - all day Denali shuttle bus, second overnight in Healy

 

Wednesday - Too bad about the restriction on rental cars, as the Denali Highway is a beautiful drive (although many people used to paved roads don't like the drive at all). You can drive up it a little ways, though. I would spend this day meandering south, overnighting in Talkeetna or Wasilla.

 

Thursday - Meander slowly into Anchorage. There is so much to do in the Mat-Su Valley, you could spend a week here, do different things every day, and not repeat yourself. Order a visitor guide here: http://www.alaskavisit.com/

You'll be in Alaska for the prime King salmon fishing, both in the Valley and the Kenai Peninsula. If you want to do that, book early. Kings run larger on the Kenai, but a higher percentage of anglers catch them in the Mat-Su Valley rivers.

Let's see: if your plane leaves at 11, be at the airport at 9...you could eat a late dinner in Anchorage or an early one in the Valley before heading to Anchorage.

 

If you have time in Anchorage, there's the Alaska Native Heritage Center (on my personal list of things to get around to doing one of these days). I hear it's great. You can roam around Anchorage seeing the Wild Salmon on Parade if they're up by then. But I can't really think of anything in Anchorage that is a must do.

[Chat Noir]

So my current plan is to drive from Healy to the Palmer area on Wednesday, and spend Wednesday and a good part of Thursday dayhiking in the area and hiking near or on the Matanuska Glacier with MICA guides, as you suggested.

 

While in the Palmer area, Independence Mine State Park is a wonderful place to visit. It's just west of Palmer before starting up Hatcher Pass gravel road. Nice buildings and history, with some great trails that get you up high for some beautiful views!

[bbjaspan]

It sounds like you'll have a great trip!

Friday - dock in Seward, day in Seward/Kenai, overnight in Seward

 

Saturday - day in Seward/Kenai, evening train to Anchorage for overnight

 

Sunday - pick up rental car, spend day driving south to Portage Glacier & return, second overnight in Anchorage

 

For these first 3 days, there is a lot of backtracking. Are the first 2 days tours through the cruise line? When you say Kenai, do you mean Kenai fjords cruise? Or Kenai the town? If it's the fjords, fine. If it's the town, let us know and we'll help you with a less intensive driving itinerary. Or do you mean the Kenai Peninsula?

 

On Friday, debarkation day, we're planning to visit the Alaska Sealive Center and Exit Glacier.

 

On Saturday, we've signed up for aan 8 hour small boat tour from

Alaska Saltwater Lodge that should include lots of wildlife, maybe including whales, and glacier viewing, including either Holgate and/or Aialik Glaciers.

 

Our Sunday plans were born out of Frommer's Alaska 2006, p. 246, section 8 Out from Anchorage: Turnagain Arm & Portage Glacier -- "One of the world's great drives starts in Anchorage and leads roughly 50 miles south on the Seward Highway to Portage Glacier. It's the trip, not the destination, that make it worthwhile." It goes on the describe 15 mileposts views, stop, hikes, etc. We thought that since we went north Seward to Anchorage on the train (we read that this is the most scenic segment of the train between Seward and Denali), driving south some would not be too much duplication.

 

Monday - drive to Denali, afternoon at Denali (visitor center, 15 miles w car, day hikes near entrance, etc.), overnight in Healy

 

Tuesday - all day Denali shuttle bus, second overnight in Healy

 

Wednesday - Too bad about the restriction on rental cars, as the Denali Highway is a beautiful drive (although many people used to paved roads don't like the drive at all). You can drive up it a little ways, though. I would spend this day meandering south, overnighting in Talkeetna or Wasilla.

 

Good to know! How far do you think we can drive on the Denali Highway?

 

If we want to spend time Thursday in the Mat-Su Valley I think we have to get there by Wednesday night. Or are you saying you think that we're attempting too much and should save the Mat-Su Valley for another trip to Alaska (if there is one)?

 

Thursday - Meander slowly into Anchorage. There is so much to do in the Mat-Su Valley, you could spend a week here, do different things every day, and not repeat yourself. Order a visitor guide here: http://www.alaskavisit.com/

 

Done! Thank you!

 

You'll be in Alaska for the prime King salmon fishing, both in the Valley and the Kenai Peninsula. If you want to do that, book early. Kings run larger on the Kenai, but a higher percentage of anglers catch them in the Mat-Su Valley rivers.

 

Don't think we'll do any fishing, but I'd love to watch other do it. Actually, I'd like to see bears do it. And we're really looking forward to eating some fresh salmon. Not sure where yet.

 

Let's see: if your plane leaves at 11, be at the airport at 9...you could eat a late dinner in Anchorage or an early one in the Valley before heading to Anchorage.

 

If you have time in Anchorage, there's the Alaska Native Heritage Center (on my personal list of things to get around to doing one of these days). I hear it's great. You can roam around Anchorage seeing the Wild Salmon on Parade if they're up by then. But I can't really think of anything in Anchorage that is a must do.

 

Alaska Native Heritage Center has been added to our list.

 

Thanks for all your excellent suggestions.

[bbjaspan]

While in the Palmer area, Independence Mine State Park is a wonderful place to visit. It's just west of Palmer before starting up Hatcher Pass gravel road. Nice buildings and history, with some great trails that get you up high for some beautiful views!

 

Thank you, I've added this to our list. I think we could use another week! :)

[Budget Queen]

 

Good to know! How far do you think we can drive on the Denali Highway?

 

 

.

 

 

From the Cantwell side- only 3 miles.

[mytime53]

If you take the train from Seward to Anchorage, you are parallelling the highway from Portage to Anchorage. Map of RR and Hwy: http://www.alaskarailroad.com/arrc53.html You will see exactly the same thing, you just won't get to stop and view along the way. And that's okay, because you will have many other opportunities to stop. The main things to stop for are beluga whales and Dall sheep, neither of which you can count on anyway. Plus you have a chance to see sheep in Denali. Skipping that drive gives you one more day to go north. There will be many places for you to stop to watch people fish as you drive north. You can actually watch Kings being caught in Anchorage itself, at Ship Creek.

I'm not saying to save the Mat-Su Valley for another trip. Just the opposite. Too many travelers drive right through it, only stopping to get their last bit of fast food and gas up before zipping up to Denali. Personally, my favorite thing to do is to drive up to Independence Mine (already suggested by another person). It isn't the mine that attracts me, but the scenery on the way up. And the previous poster reached it from Palmer, but it is also accessible from the Wasilla side. (Also from Willow, farther north, but that means a gravel road, which you can't even count on being open--due to snow--before July). That's basically a free trip for scenery and/or hiking (but if you want to go in the Park area to see the actual mine buildings, there is a fee. Did you see the opening episode of Treasure Hunters? The 1/2 filmed in Alaska was all filmed in the Mat-Su Valley, beginning with Independence Mine). So pick 1 or 2 things to do, and plan to do them either on your way up to Denali or on the way back from Anchorage.

 

You won't have a problem finding fresh salmon to eat. It will be prevalent in any town you go through. Even chain restaurants frequently serve it in season. Since we always have our own supply, it can sometimes be frustrating to us that the specials of the day when we go out to eat are nearly always salmon or halibut in the summer. You can hit the salmon bakes set up for tourists, or find salmon cooked any number of ways at local restaurants that are open year round.

 

Have fun planning!

[bbjaspan]

I don't know why this font is coming out so large. I composed my message and clicked Preview Post and everything I had written was gone. So I composed it again in Word (so I would't lose it again) and copied it here. I changed the font to Verdana/2, same as the original font seemed to be, but that didn't help.

 

If you take the train from Seward to Anchorage, you are parallelling the highway from Portage to Anchorage. Map of RR and Hwy:

http://www.alaskarailroad.com/arrc53.html You will see exactly the same thing, you just won't get to stop and view along the way. And that's okay, because you will have many other opportunities to stop. The main things to stop for are beluga whales and Dall sheep, neither of which you can count on anyway. Plus you have a chance to see sheep in Denali.

 

Thank you, thank you. This is so helpful! Speaking about the train, can you suggest whether we should request to sit on the right or left side? The lady at the railroad told us that the left side going north faces the water which can be just mud if the tide is out, and the right side faces the mountains.

 

She also told me that we can "rotate" into seats on the upper level – sit a while and then give up the seats to others. Can you suggest which part of the 4 hour ride, 6pm to 10:15pm, would be most beneficial to try and sit up top?

 

As for retracing our route south of Anchorage, first, I was under the (wrong) impression that the train and the road had different views. Also, by driving we thought we would have a chance to hike, stop, see, and photograph at a slower pace than whizzing by in the train. (It’s so difficult to plan from a book!) I understand your suggestion to see something else we have not yet seen instead.

 

Skipping that drive gives you one more day to go north. There will be many places for you to stop to watch people fish as you drive north. You can actually watch Kings being caught in Anchorage itself, at Ship Creek.

 

How can I find out other places to see people fishing for salmon?

 

I'm not saying to save the Mat-Su Valley for another trip. Just the opposite. Too many travelers drive right through it, only stopping to get their last bit of fast food and gas up before zipping up to Denali. Personally, my favorite thing to do is to drive up to Independence Mine (already suggested by another person). It isn't the mine that attracts me, but the scenery on the way up. And the previous poster reached it from Palmer, but it is also accessible from the Wasilla side. (Also from Willow, farther north, but that means a gravel road, which you can't even count on being open--due to snow--before July). That's basically a free trip for scenery and/or hiking (but if you want to go in the Park area to see the actual mine buildings, there is a fee. Did you see the opening episode of Treasure Hunters? The 1/2 filmed in Alaska was all filmed in the Mat-Su Valley, beginning with Independence Mine). So pick 1 or 2 things to do, and plan to do them either on your way up to Denali or on the way back from Anchorage.

 

I'm not familiar with Treasure Hunters. :confused:

 

Actually, I had "take alpine detour on winding road through Hatcher Pass To Willow" in my notes for the trip from Anchorage to Denali or vice versa. But if from Willow "means a gravel road" that might not even be open, we sure can’t do that in our rental car. Do I understand correctly that we would approach the Mine from either Palmer or Wasilla, and then backtrack to the Parks Highway?

 

So you are suggesting that we take 2 days to go north from Anchorage to Denali, perhaps overnighting in Talkeetna? (DH will not do flightseeing after hearing about a crash this past summer.) We will also spend another day at the end driving the same route south. Are you saying that we won’t have enough time to drive to the Mine and still get to Healy the same day?

 

You won't have a problem finding fresh salmon to eat. It will be prevalent in any town you go through. Even chain restaurants frequently serve it in season. Since we always have our own supply, it can sometimes be frustrating to us that the specials of the day when we go out to eat are nearly always salmon or halibut in the summer. You can hit the salmon bakes set up for tourists, or find salmon cooked any number of ways at local restaurants that are open year round.

Have fun planning!

 

Thank you for all your help!