Denali Wonder Lake--Reflection Pond and the Y?

[mtnhappy]

Frugaltravel had posted that you only have to walk 1/4 mile to see a Wonder Lake reflection pond? The Denali Park Rangers told me you have to walk like 2 miles each way to see that if you don't take the Kantishna bus?

What is the Y?

[Birder6]

We just took the bus to Wonder Lake a week ago. We were taken to the South end of Wonder Lake, and were told that the reflecting portion of the Lake was the North end, which seemed quite a hike away.

[PennyAgain]

I camped in that area. The rangers are correct.

[frugaltravel]

Frugaltravel had posted that you only have to walk 1/4 mile to see a Wonder Lake reflection pond? The Denali Park Rangers told me you have to walk like 2 miles each way to see that if you don't take the Kantishna bus?

What is the Y?

 

Sorry, at the expense of sounding rude or obnoxious, I am correct. Been there twice this year. Reflection Pond hasn't moved :)

 

The Wonder Lake bus stops about 1-1/2 miles from the Reflection Pond. But the "Y" is where the road splits - to the right goes toward Kantishna, to the left goes toward the Wonder Lake bus turnaround and campground. It is about 1-1/2 miles from this turnaround back to the "Y". But if you get off at the "Y", then it is only about a 1/4 mile walk from there to Reflection Pond.

 

I think the rangers must have assumed you were referring to walking from where the bus turns around, not from the "Y."

 

Reflection Pond is not as far as the Wonder Lake ranger station on this map:

 

http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/upload/DENA%20park%20brochure%20reprint%202009%20(side%202%20only).pdf

 

And the ranger station is only about 1/2-3/4 of a mile from the Y (it looks further than that on the map)

 

We just took the bus to Wonder Lake a week ago. We were taken to the South end of Wonder Lake, and were told that the reflecting portion of the Lake was the North end, which seemed quite a hike away.

 

True - the reflecting portion of the LAKE is at the north end of the lake. But Reflection Pond is not even that close to the lake itself.

 

Here is a link to someone's photos (not mine):

 

http://photohiker.net/alaska/album/day05.html

 

Most reflection photos were from Reflection Pond, but 9b was from the north side of Wonder Lake.

[mtnhappy]

Thanks for the info and clarification!

[cbowler]

I just have to chime in here, having gotten screwed over this past summer on this very point. Yes, the bus stops at the "Y". Go left down to Wonder Lake or right up to Relection Pond. People on this board mentioned that it was only a 1/4 mile walk from the Y up to Reflection Pond. Absolutely no way!!! It is much further. We expected to walk the 1/4 mile, view the pond, walk the 1/4 mile back and catch the bus. It took us 25 minutes to walk to Reflection Pond FROM the "Y". And, we were walking at a normal-to-quick pace. It's not like we were lolly gagging or anything. It also took 25 minutes to get back. There's just no way it's only 1/4 mile. I can walk much farther than 1/4 mile in 25 minutes, as I walk/run on a regular basis. So we ended up missing the next bus and had to wait 2 hours for the next camper bus to come by. Be prepared for longer walk and hustle if you need to catch a certain bus.

[frugaltravel]

Not to discount your experience, but I have bicycled from the campground to Reflection Pond in less than 25 minutes and that is a modest uphill ride most of the way. Returning from Reflection Pond to the campground is much quicker of course since it is pretty much all downhill.

[mtnhappy]

I just have to chime in here, having gotten screwed over this past summer on this very point. Yes, the bus stops at the "Y". Go left down to Wonder Lake or right up to Relection Pond. People on this board mentioned that it was only a 1/4 mile walk from the Y up to Reflection Pond. Absolutely no way!!! It is much further. We expected to walk the 1/4 mile, view the pond, walk the 1/4 mile back and catch the bus. It took us 25 minutes to walk to Reflection Pond FROM the "Y". And, we were walking at a normal-to-quick pace. It's not like we were lolly gagging or anything. It also took 25 minutes to get back. There's just no way it's only 1/4 mile. I can walk much farther than 1/4 mile in 25 minutes, as I walk/run on a regular basis. So we ended up missing the next bus and had to wait 2 hours for the next camper bus to come by. Be prepared for longer walk and hustle if you need to catch a certain bus.

 

Thank you for the additional tip.