The green lush forests and the wide rivers of Talkeetna are replaced by serrated sawtooth ridges of ice and snow. This intimate view of Denali’s upper elevations seems to belong in another world, like a scene from the Himalayas or the Alps.

June 1–5, 2021

On our pre-dawn drive upstate from Kenai Fjords National Park, we drop the rental car off in Anchorage and grab a taxi to the Alaska Railroad Depot. At 8 a.m., the depot takes our luggage and we board the Denali Star line up to Denali National park, a six hour ride through the interior of Alaska. The route runs from Anchorage to Fairbanks with stops at Wasilla, Talkeetna, and Denali Park along the way. Though trains are not the most efficient mode of transportation, they add a sense of romance to the trip. What could take us four hours in a car easily stretches to six hours on the rails. Intermittent pauses and slower speeds allow a leisurely trip to stop and smell the roses.

Arriving in the park’s gateway town of Denali Park, Alaska, at 3:30 p.m. we shuttle to our lodging at Crow’s Nest Resort to check in and drop off our luggage. Everything in Denali Park is within walking distance so we scope out a few nearby restaurants and shops, grab a bite to eat and turn in for the day, ready to explore the park tomorrow.

The next morning, we wake up slowly. The park entrance is a decent three mile walk away, but we save some time and take the resort shuttle to the visitor center. Due to covid regulations, the visitor center was closed but rangers still made the most of the good weather by setting up sidewalk exhibits and information tables. Gathering our surroundings we head off on Mount Healy Overlook Trail, a 5.5 mile roundtrip hike gaining 1,700 feet in elevation, notable for its view of Denali on a clear day. Thankfully, the sun was shining on this clear day and we caught our first glimpse of the 20,310 foot peak. With everything relative in scale it’s hard to grasp just how massive the peak is from this distance, but nevertheless, her snow-capped dome still impresses us.

Heading back down hill, we turn left on Taiga Trail and make our way to Horseshoe Lake Trail. We’ve heard this is a common gathering place for moose. So far we have yet to spot a single moose so we are eager for the chance. Little did we know our chance was coming. Rounding a corner in the trees, two hikers return down path towards us claiming a moose is on the trail. We barely take a step more and sure enough, a cow rounds the path heading straight towards us, slowly thank goodness, but steadily. Moose can be quite deadly when defensive, so we immediately move off trail to let it pass, not knowing the direction we choose is towards her calf hiding in the underbrush. Our lateral movement towards her baby spooks the mother and she quickens her pace. Thankfully, we recognize our error and scatter in the opposite direction. The cow rushes past us, greets her calf, and disappears into the forest. A close encounter for sure.

Adrenaline-buzzed, we continue down the trail on high alert for any other unexpected wildlife interactions. Horseshoe Lake is no more than a quarter mile away and descending down a slope, we catch our first glimpse of an idyllic pond landscape, verdant with spring foliage. The water still and clear as glass reflects an emerald green adding to the lush scene. A beaver casually crosses our path and dips into the lake. The trail loops around the water and returns back to the visitor center. It is at the far end of this trail that we spot another cow moose, alone this time. She calmly drinks from the Nenana River as we approach as close as we dare, in awe of her size and potential power. Wrapping up our time in Horseshoe Lake, we hike back to the visitor center and call for the shuttle to pick us up. Along the drive back, we cross three more moose—a mother and two calves.

The next day, we wake early to arrive at the Denali Bus Depot to board our 7 a.m. bus transit to Eielson Visitor Center, 66 miles in the park. Denali only has one road into the park; and though it is 92 miles long, it is closed to private vehicles after mile 15, so any further exploration requires a bus transit. In the summer these seats book up fast as they are the only way to get close to the feet of Denali. Along our ride, the driver is quick to point out wildlife as we meander through the open tundra. We spot a bull moose, many ptarmigans, caribou and dall sheep. At one point, we encounter two grizzlies walking along the road. One bear lumbers into the tundra, digs up a ground squirrel, and devours it in a swift bite. Safe in the bus, the driver slows to a halt, giving us front row seats to the action.

After a couple hours of riding, we get off the bus at Eielson Visitor Center. Again, due to covid the building is closed, but the grounds and surrounding trails are open. We explore the Eielson Alpine Trail and overlook the Muldrow Glacier at the feet of Denali. Unfortunately, because Denali is so tall it makes its own weather, often shrouding it in cloud. Today is no exception. Though sunny at the visitor center, the peak is obscured by high altitude clouds. A tad disappointed, we return to the bus and ride back to the park entrance. The bus driver sympathizes with us but explains though cloudy days obstruct the view they often bring out the wildlife, and we certainly saw our fair share of wildlife on this ride. Back at the lodge we grab dinner and head to our cabin. It’s midnight and the sun has barely set, but the day’s adventures quickly put us to sleep.

Nearing the end of our journey we ride the train back south the next day, making an overnight pitstop in Talkeetna for the most exciting part of our journey yet, a flightseeing tour around Denali. Talkeetna is a quirky little town on the outskirts of the park, some 60 miles south of Denali, but offers us the best views of the mountain yet. Arriving in Talkeetna mid-afternoon, we walk from the depot a short ways to our lodging, a small rental duplex. The owner is a kind personable man eager to help us enjoy our stay.

Time seems to run differently in Alaska. Even though we sit down for dinner at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge at 9 p.m., the sun is still shining bright in the sky. It might as well be 3 p.m. by any lower-48 standard. Enjoying the curiosity of it all, we dine on the patio overlooking a gorgeous panorama of the Alaskan Range with Denali centered above it all in the summer sun. Planes from the day’s flight tours land on the airstrip below us. We can hardly believe we are experiencing this. Nothing seems capable of topping this moment . . . that is until tomorrow.

The next day we check in at Talkeetna Air Taxi for our one-hour flight around Denali and subsequent glacier landing. The excitement is palpable. We board the small aircraft and lift off towards the mountains, 60 miles of Alaskan wilderness below us. As we near the mountain, the pilot circles around Mount Foraker, Denali itself, and the many canyons and valleys carved by glacial weight. The green lush forests and the wide rivers of Talkeetna are replaced by serrated sawtooth ridges of ice and snow. This intimate view of Denali’s upper elevations seems to belong in another world, like a scene from the Himalayas or the Alps.

Descending in a circular fashion, our pilot lands the plane for a short 15 minute recess on the Ruth Glacier. This summertime winter seems so surreal. There’s not much to do except soak in the snowy scene before we are whisked away back to reality. The flight back to Talkeetna is short, but gives us time to reflect and solidify in our minds the wild experience we just encountered. We may not have seen Denali from Eielson Visitor Center, but this flight alone made up for all the disappointment we once felt.

Our final day in Talkeetna consists of catching the train back down to Anchorage and transitioning to the Hotel Captain Cook for our last hurrah before flying out the following day. The hotel carries with it a sense of charm, adventure, and class with historical exhibits, art galleries, and fine dining. Tuckered out by our full trip, we sleep soundly and catch a taxi to the airport the next day. Waiting in the terminal for our flight, it’s hard to believe all we’ve experienced on our debut trip to Alaska. It only leaves us longing for more. It’s a good thing Alaska has six other parks to enjoy.