Denali Discovery Hikes with ranger

[bbjaspan]

We are interested in the possibility of doing a Denali hike with a ranger and are trying to figure out if that will be possible for us.

 

Here's our plan for that part of our trip --

 

On Sunday, 6/17, we will drive from Anchorage to Denali (actually Healy), checking into the Denali Lakeview Inn for the next 3 nights. We will pick up our rental car no earlier than 9am (because that is when the downtown Avis opens). We are planning to take the drive to Independence Mine (probably not taking the time to tour the mine), stop in Wasilla for groceries, drive into Talkeetna just to see it and have lunch if it isn't too late, and them continue to Denali. Our estimate for the drive itself, with no stopping and no traffic issues is 7 1/2 hours, so we figure we will get to the Denali area on the late side, certainly after the Visitor Center has closed (at 6pm).

 

We then will have 2 full days at Denali. One of those will be the shuttle bus to Wonder Lake, probably the 5:30am. We're planning that for the second day, so we have a day to recover from our long drive and get a full night's sleep.

 

The first day at Denali, we would go to the Visitor Center, drive the 15 miles into the park that are possible, do day hikes in the Visitor Center area... It would be great if we could do a Discovery Hike with a ranger that day, BUT how can we do that??

 

Is it necessary to sign up for the ranger hikes in person? Or can we accomplish that on the phone? Is it possible to show up early for the 8am hikes and go if they aren't already full? (The Visitor Center doesn't open until 9.)

 

If we switch to the shuttle bus on the first day, we'd have to be back at the Visitor Center before 6pm closing (that doesn't seem reasonable, given that we're going to Wonder Lake) to sign up for a hike the next day, and it's possible they'd be full by then.

 

Any thoughts? Should we pass on the Independence Mine drive and/or the Talkeetna stop and shoot for getting to the Visitor Center before closing instead? Will the next days ranger hikes likely still be open?

 

So much to do! So little time! :)

[wolfie11]

I don't think you can take the Discovery hike at 8am unless you have signed up in advance and bought the bus ticket. The only option would be if you are staying at a B&B or other small lodging, they will sometimes buy tickets for you. The frontcountry hikes are different and I think you can just show up for those. Most of them are pretty easy hikes. If you want to go on your own the trail up Mt. Healy is spectacular on a nice day.

[bbjaspan]

I don't think you can take the Discovery hike at 8am unless you have signed up in advance and bought the bus ticket. The only option would be if you are staying at a B&B or other small lodging, they will sometimes buy tickets for you. The frontcountry hikes are different and I think you can just show up for those. Most of them are pretty easy hikes. If you want to go on your own the trail up Mt. Healy is spectacular on a nice day.

 

We're staying in Healy at Denali Lakeside Inn -- will have to ask if they can do that for us. But we would first have to find out what the ranger hike(s) are for that day, and decide if it is right for us. Are there more than one each day?

 

We're okay hiking on our own, EXCEPT that I am afraid of confronting a bear on our own. Are you aware of any unfortunate incidents that have occurred with wildlife in Denali?

 

Thanks for the tip on the Mt. Healy trail. I found descriptions of the entrance area hiking trails and that one looks good. Most of the other trails described are rated "Easy" and short, 1 mile or so or less. Mt. Healy is rated "Strenuous," 3-4 hours roundtrip. It is quite steep -- hope we will be up to that. But we can start and see how it goes.

[Budget Queen]

You do have to reserve Discovery Hikes in advance, you also will have to be fit and well prepared, and PASS inspection by the ranger. These are not just open for everyone. You must have the ability to complete that day's hike. They do reject people for not having proper hiking boots etc. or in the ranger's opinion, not up to the group's abilities.

 

I would drive the Park Road the night you get there. It can be very active in the evening, last trip I spent about an hour watching 3 bears on the Savage River wash. Moose are common in the evening.

 

There are short ranger programs most evenings. Posted on the board outside of Riley Creek Campgrounds. The visitor and Access centers have also been open past 6pm in the past.

[bbjaspan]

You do have to reserve Discovery Hikes in advance, you also will have to be fit and well prepared, and PASS inspection by the ranger. These are not just open for everyone. You must have the ability to complete that day's hike. They do reject people for not having proper hiking boots etc. or in the ranger's opinion, not up to the group's abilities.

 

Actually, I'm glad to hear about the requirements for the Discovery Hikes. It makes me want to do one even more. Although we are not "young," we are hikers, fully equipped and in good shape, unless they are going to jog up the trail. We just returned last week from 2 weeks hiking in Israel with a group of "senior hikers," on an itinerary designed for youth groups.

 

I'm thinking we will have to aim to get to Denali by 5pm that first night. I guess Talkeetna will be the first to go (we are not considering flightseeing).

 

I would drive the Park Road the night you get there. It can be very active in the evening, last trip I spent about an hour watching 3 bears on the Savage River wash. Moose are common in the evening.

 

There are short ranger programs most evenings. Posted on the board outside of Riley Creek Campgrounds. The visitor and Access centers have also been open past 6pm in the past.

 

This info is so valuable! How late is the park open? I would have thought we could not drive in after the Visitor Center closed. Depending on the hour, we will definitely drive in that first evening, and will check out ranger evening programs each evening.

 

The more I get into planning this trip, the more enthusiastic I become! And the more I'm thinking that this will not be my one and only trip to Alaska!

 

Thank you again!

[Budget Queen]

Actually, I'm glad to hear about the requirements for the Discovery Hikes. It makes me want to do one even more. Although we are not "young," we are hikers, fully equipped and in good shape, unless they are going to jog up the trail. We just returned last week from 2 weeks hiking in Israel with a group of "senior hikers," on an itinerary designed for youth groups.

 

I'm thinking we will have to aim to get to Denali by 5pm that first night. I guess Talkeetna will be the first to go (we are not considering flightseeing).

 

 

 

This info is so valuable! How late is the park open? I would have thought we could not drive in after the Visitor Center closed. Depending on the hour, we will definitely drive in that first evening, and will check out ranger evening programs each evening.

 

The more I get into planning this trip, the more enthusiastic I become! And the more I'm thinking that this will not be my one and only trip to Alaska!

 

Thank you again!

 

 

 

The road does not close to Savage River, so you can drive anytime. There are campers at Savage River who can come and go.

 

You do have to reserve Discovery Hikes, way in advance of the night before, not sure if this is what you are planning to do?? They most always sell out way ahead since the participant numbers are very limited.

[bbjaspan]

The road does not close to Savage River, so you can drive anytime. There are campers at Savage River who can come and go.

 

You do have to reserve Discovery Hikes, way in advance of the night before, not sure if this is what you are planning to do?? They most always sell out way ahead since the participant numbers are very limited.

 

Define "way in advance." I saw online that these hikes change each day, schedules are posted weekly, and that you can only sign up 1-2 days in advance. True? If so, that's our problem. The day or 2 before we will either not be at Denali, or we will be on a long shuttle bus ride.

[fti]

Define "way in advance." I saw online that these hikes change each day, schedules are posted weekly, and that you can only sign up 1-2 days in advance. True? If so, that's our problem. The day or 2 before we will either not be at Denali, or we will be on a long shuttle bus ride.

 

When I went to the park by myself two years ago I first learned about the Discovery Hikes. It would have been ideal for me since I was alone, but I didn't ask about it soon enough. Last year I went with others so we decided to hike on our own.

 

Based on the info in the following link:

 

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/walks-and-hikes.htm

 

you only need to sign up 1-2 days in advance. That sounds right to me since I know they were taking reservations for a hike the next day when I was at the Visitor Center last June.

 

You might want to try to sign up the day you arrive at Denali if you can get to the Visitor Center before it closes (from the info on their website, it closes at 6pm in the summer). That way, if you take the shuttle bus the next day you could sign up for the Discovery Hike the following day. Or if you take a shuttle bus at 8.30am or later, you could sign up for the Discovery Hike the day you take the shuttle bus, then take the Discovery Hike the next day.

 

If you click on the above link, then there is also another place to click for 'description and gear information.' That will give you an idea of what to expect. I think it is an excellent way to hike, especially if you are a bit hesitant hiking on your own.

 

You only pay for the bus ride ($25). They use similar busses as the shuttle busses to get you to where your hike would start. My guess is that they spend little if any time stopping for wildlife.

 

Within 10 minutes of starting our hike last summer (4 of us) we saw a huge grizzly not even 100 yards away from us. Fortunately he didn't see us and we moved away quickly, but it made us much more aware the rest of our hike of the possibility of such encounters. The larger the group, the more noise you will make, the less chances you have of unexpectedly coming upon a bear. He will probably have already heard you. Thus the advantage of the Discovery Hike - there are more of you.

[bbjaspan]

When I went to the park by myself two years ago I first learned about the Discovery Hikes. It would have been ideal for me since I was alone, but I didn't ask about it soon enough. Last year I went with others so we decided to hike on our own.

 

Based on the info in the following link:

 

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/walks-and-hikes.htm

 

you only need to sign up 1-2 days in advance. That sounds right to me since I know they were taking reservations for a hike the next day when I was at the Visitor Center last June.

 

You might want to try to sign up the day you arrive at Denali if you can get to the Visitor Center before it closes (from the info on their website, it closes at 6pm in the summer). That way, if you take the shuttle bus the next day you could sign up for the Discovery Hike the following day. Or if you take a shuttle bus at 8.30am or later, you could sign up for the Discovery Hike the day you take the shuttle bus, then take the Discovery Hike the next day..

 

Looks like we will have to hurry ourselves to arrive in the Denali area before the Visitor Center closes. Then there is the question if, right before closing, there will still be room in the Discovery Hikes for the very next day. If that's too risky, we'll have to reverse our plan and do the 5:30am shuttle the next day (not our preference) and try for the Discovery Hike the following day.

 

If you click on the above link, then there is also another place to click for 'description and gear information.' That will give you an idea of what to expect. I think it is an excellent way to hike, especially if you are a bit hesitant hiking on your own.

 

This link also mentions guided hikes at Horseshoe Lake, Spruce Loop and Meadow View. Are you familiar with these? If we can't connect with a Discovery Hike, perhaps we can do one of these on our non-shuttle day if they are in the entrance area, or on our shuttle day if we can coordinate that. But I wonder if these will be too slow, too short, too easy, too many young children.

 

You only pay for the bus ride ($25). They use similar busses as the shuttle busses to get you to where your hike would start. My guess is that they spend little if any time stopping for wildlife.

 

Within 10 minutes of starting our hike last summer (4 of us) we saw a huge grizzly not even 100 yards away from us. Fortunately he didn't see us and we moved away quickly, but it made us much more aware the rest of our hike of the possibility of such encounters. The larger the group, the more noise you will make, the less chances you have of unexpectedly coming upon a bear. He will probably have already heard you. Thus the advantage of the Discovery Hike - there are more of you.

 

This is exactly what I'm afraid of if the two of us hike on our own! If my DH sees this I'm not sure he will even want to do the Discovery Hike.

[fti]

Looks like we will have to hurry ourselves to arrive in the Denali area before the Visitor Center closes. Then there is the question if, right before closing, there will still be room in the Discovery Hikes for the very next day. If that's too risky, we'll have to reverse our plan and do the 5:30am shuttle the next day (not our preference) and try for the Discovery Hike the following day.

 

Honestly I don't think the Discovery Hikes sell out that far in advance. They only ask you to book it 1-2 days in advance. Maybe you can call them in February when they start taking phone reservations for the shuttle busses and ask?

 

This link also mentions guided hikes at Horseshoe Lake, Spruce Loop and Meadow View. Are you familiar with these? If we can't connect with a Discovery Hike, perhaps we can do one of these on our non-shuttle day if they are in the entrance area, or on our shuttle day if we can coordinate that. But I wonder if these will be too slow, too short, too easy, too many young children.

 

I am not familiar with Spruce Loop or Meadow View but I did the Horseshoe Lake one. This is a very easy hike down to a lake with some beaver activity. You can do it yourself or with a ranger. The nice thing about doing it with a ranger is that you get some nice information about the park that you would not get on your own. But this also means you stop along the way. Just for hiking sake, do it without the ranger. If you want some more info about the park as well, the ranger-led Horseshoe Lake hike is good. Definitely "too easy" though.

 

There is also a hike near the park entrance called the Mount Healy Trail. I hiked about half way up this trail several years ago but time didn't allow me to walk to the top. This is more of a "hike" than a "stroll" that I think you would like. Here is a good link to various hikes:

 

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/day-hiking.htm

 

This (bear encounters) is exactly what I'm afraid of if the two of us hike on our own! If my DH sees this I'm not sure he will even want to do the Discovery Hike.

 

I will NOT tell your DH what I just wrote in a previous post! Actually, pretty much anywhere in the park at any time you could encounter wildlife. On the plane returning 2 years ago from Fairbanks I sat next to a guy on the plane who camped at the Savage River Campground, only at mile 13 on the park road (accessible by car). He arrived about midnight, set up his tent and went to bed. About 2am everyone in the campground heard a bear. He finally went his merry way, but not before scaring everyone in the campground!

 

Having said that, there is a greater chance of being injured by a toilet bowl than being injured by a bear (I read that recently). So your chances are slim to none that you will have a dangerous encounter. I think the Discovery Hike would be ideal for you based on what you have posted already. And if you arrive by 6pm one day and try to sign up for the hike the next day and they are full, you can probably switch the shuttle bus reservation for $4 each and do the shuttle bus the first day. Why is that not your preference?

 

Most people on this board spend only one full day in Denali then leave. In my opinion it is kind of a shame. Every trip on the park road is different. I try to spend at least 3 nights there and I try to camp inside the park (better chance of seeing Mt. McKinley, already inside the park so it cuts down on the travel times to the wildlife, less expensive, super experience). But I know camping is not for many people. I think it is great that you are planning two full days in the park. You won't regret it.

 

Talkeetna is a fun, quaint town, but if hiking is more of a priority, either skip Talkeetna or visit it on your way back from Denali to Anchorage. It is a 20 minute drive each way off the main road and if you spent 2-3 hours there including a meal you will have seen all of it.

 

John

[fti]

bbjaspan, well I just typed this and it got zapped before it posted! So here goes again.

 

When are you going to Denali, i.e. which month? I assume on/after June 8 since the road is not open all the way to Wonder Lake until about then.

 

In any case, on your shuttle bus day, I would strongly suggest that you take the earliest bus possible, and buy a ticket to Wonder Lake. That way you have the option of doing some hiking on your shuttle bus day as well. For example, you could ask the shuttle bus driver to drop you off at the trailhead to the McKinley Bar Trail (the only formal trail inside the park). This is about 1/2 mile from the Wonder Lake bus turnaround point so it saves maybe 1/2 mile of walking compared to getting off at the turnaround and hiking back. This hike is easy but very pretty. Figure 2-3 hours to hike round trip. Partly on open tundra, partly through the woods. There are a couple of small wooden plank bridges that you cross over streams. We had lunch at the river bar just watching the water flow and thinking of hikers who cross the river, something we had no desire to do.

 

Another nice hike, especially if Mt. McKinley is visible, would be to have the shuttle bus driver drop you off at the "Y" where the road splits near Wonder Lake - the bus goes toward Wonder Lake campground and the other half of the Y goes toward Kantishna, a former mining town. You can hike the 5 miles (or part of it) toward Kantishna. This goes around the north side of Wonder Lake, passing the "reflection pond" made famous by Ansel Adams if you are into photography. It is an easy hike mostly downhill but very scenic. Just hike on the road. Then you can catch a "camper bus" for the trip back to the park entrance. There are not as many busses that go to Kantishna, so be sure when you are at the visitor center or wilderness access center to pick up a bus schedule. The busses run pretty much according to the schedule, but be prepared 10-15 minutes early just in case.

 

You can return on the "camper busses" even though you have a ticket for the "shuttle bus." The only difference is that the camper busses have the last few rows removed for passengers to put their gear. Plus, the camper busses tend to be slightly less crowded than the shuttle busses.

 

Note that the round trip bus ride from the park entrance to Wonder Lake is about 11 hours. So you are talking a very full day if you add 2-4 hours of hiking to that. But you will not regret it.

[fti]

funny - this one posted twice!

[Budget Queen]

It is rare that there is space for Discovery Hikes the day before, if there is, it's about a given that it will be gone by the end of the day. These discovery hikes have only been going on a couple years and I had the chance to go to a program in the pm offered by on. I am given this information based on him directly.

 

As for the general hikes, they are easy and for a wide range of abilitites. That's why they started the Discovery Hikes- for the demand for challenge. :)

 

With your priority, I think you need another day in Denali Park, I agree with fti, most people spend very little time. If possible adjust your routing schedule, or cut back perhaps. Very tough decisions and I am always a big advocate of time in Alaska- get blasted too. :) But if you are going all that way, make it work for your touring priorities.

[Budget Queen]

dupl

[bbjaspan]

I read all the excellent tips you have provided and then I called the NPS just now, and here is our plan:

 

1) Reserve a spot on the 5:30am shuttle bus for Mon 6/18

 

2) Plan to arrive at the Denali Visitor Center on Sun 6/17 before it closes. According to the NPS that may be later than the 6pm closing they had this past summer and may be as late as 9pm. They won't know that until spring.

 

3) When we arrive, we will review the Discovery Hikes scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. They alternate between moderate (< 1000') and strenuous (> 1000') hikes. If we strongly prefer Monday's hike, and there is still space (unlikely, but more likely in mid-June than it would be in late June or July), we will sign up for it and change our shuttle bus ticket for Tuesday (at the Wilderness Access Center), but we will be taking a chance that we will not get the 5:30am. Otherwise, we will sign up for Tuesday's hike, which very likely will be available. NPS said that these hikes usually fill up the morning before.

 

4) If we don't do a Discovery Hike, we will either do one of the short guided hikes with a ranger (no sign up, just show up), or hike on our own. Sounds like the Mt. Healy Trail will be the top candidate and if it is too steep we will do as much of it as we can.

 

Thank you fti and Budget Queen! Once again you have been so helpful to me as I get this trip organized!

[fti]

I definitely think the Mt. Healy hike will not be too strenuous for you, from what you said in earlier posts. If the Discovery Hike is sold out, I would strongly suggest you try to take a shuttle bus that day and hike inside the park. That way you get (1) more chance to see wildlife on the bus, (2) more chance to see Mt. McKinley, and (3) a nicer hike than at the park entrance. I understand your hesitation with bear encounters though, but with two of you I don't think it will be a problem.

 

I am not sure if the WAC will sell you tickets for the camper bus if you are not camping. If a camper bus is not full, you could try to buy one of these. The 6.30am camper bus we were on last year was almost empty, which was surprising to me. I am pretty sure you could reserve a camper bus since if you were a day tripper with a bicycle, you would HAVE to reserve a camper bus. The earliest camper bus on 6/19 departs at 7am. The camper busses cost $25.

 

I just went through the Denali NP reservation website and would have been able to buy a camper bus ticket by itself, so I am sure it is possible.

[bbjaspan]

I definitely think the Mt. Healy hike will not be too strenuous for you, from what you said in earlier posts. If the Discovery Hike is sold out, I would strongly suggest you try to take a shuttle bus that day and hike inside the park. That way you get (1) more chance to see wildlife on the bus, (2) more chance to see Mt. McKinley, and (3) a nicer hike than at the park entrance. I understand your hesitation with bear encounters though, but with two of you I don't think it will be a problem.

 

I am not sure if the WAC will sell you tickets for the camper bus if you are not camping. If a camper bus is not full, you could try to buy one of these. The 6.30am camper bus we were on last year was almost empty, which was surprising to me. I am pretty sure you could reserve a camper bus since if you were a day tripper with a bicycle, you would HAVE to reserve a camper bus. The earliest camper bus on 6/19 departs at 7am. The camper busses cost $25.

 

I just went through the Denali NP reservation website and would have been able to buy a camper bus ticket by itself, so I am sure it is possible.

 

If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting that if we do the shuttle on Monday, but cannot do a Discovery Hike on Tuesday, that we do another shuttle on Tuesday, instead of just doing the Mt. Healy hike. Is that correct? And you are suggesting that we maybe do a camper bus, instead of the regular shuttle bus? Is that because it is more likely to be available?

 

(We are having DSL connection problems, so if I do not respond to a message for a day or so, that would be the reason.)

[fti]

If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting that if we do the shuttle on Monday, but cannot do a Discovery Hike on Tuesday, that we do another shuttle on Tuesday, instead of just doing the Mt. Healy hike. Is that correct?

 

Yes. I think doing a shuttle on Tuesday and getting off the bus somewhere just to do your own hike inside the park is what I would do if it were a choice between that and the Mt. Healy hike - coming from someone who also enjoys hiking.

 

Actually, if you are up for it, you could take a bus into the park that Tuesday morning and still have time to hike part or all of Mt. Healy later in the day. It will be light almost all night when you are there. I think the sun sets about midnight and rises about 3am at that time, with it never getting "dark."

 

And you are suggesting that we maybe do a camper bus, instead of the regular shuttle bus? Is that because it is more likely to be available?

 

Certainly try for the shuttle bus first but in case that is sold out, that is why I suggested the camper bus. They are the same type of bus, same park road, just that you are with people who are either going to be camping inside the park or camping in the backcountry. Camper bus drivers tend to have more experience than shuttle bus drivers. The ones I have had have been driving the park road for 10-20 years and are a storehouse of information.

[bbjaspan]

Yes. I think doing a shuttle on Tuesday and getting off the bus somewhere just to do your own hike inside the park is what I would do if it were a choice between that and the Mt. Healy hike - coming from someone who also enjoys hiking.

 

Actually, if you are up for it, you could take a bus into the park that Tuesday morning and still have time to hike part or all of Mt. Healy later in the day. It will be light almost all night when you are there. I think the sun sets about midnight and rises about 3am at that time, with it never getting "dark."

 

Certainly try for the shuttle bus first but in case that is sold out, that is why I suggested the camper bus. They are the same type of bus, same park road, just that you are with people who are either going to be camping inside the park or camping in the backcountry. Camper bus drivers tend to have more experience than shuttle bus drivers. The ones I have had have been driving the park road for 10-20 years and are a storehouse of information.

 

Good suggestions, which I appreciate. Of course, our energy may run out before daylight does. I assume the visitor center will have bus schedule info so we can make sure not to end up stranded in the park, with our hike ending after the last bus. Does that ever happen?

[fti]

Good suggestions, which I appreciate. Of course, our energy may run out before daylight does. I assume the visitor center will have bus schedule info so we can make sure not to end up stranded in the park, with our hike ending after the last bus. Does that ever happen?

 

I picked up a bus schedule at the Wilderness Access Center last year. They might have them at the Visitor Center too. It was SO helpful to have that with me while in the park - to know when the bus would be coming after a hike, or to "bus surf" - if going one way there is a bear you want to see but the bus only stops for a shorter time than you want, you ask the driver to let you off 1/2 or 1 mile down the road and take the next bus back toward the bear. I did that a couple of years ago and it worked well.

 

The park service promotes that no one will ever be left in the park overnight unless they want to be. So they make sure there is room on the later busses to pick up hikers. I know the camper busses are usually empty coming back, since the campers get dropped off and stay at Wonder Lake (though the last two camper busses into the park overnight at Wonder Lake). I am sure if the "last" bus was chock full and there were more hikers, the bus driver would radio to the dispatch and they would send out another bus. I just know they say repeatedly that no one would be left in the park unless they wanted to be.