The wildlife experience...
The mountain experience...

Most visitors to Denali National Park and Preserve limit their visit to the developed and congested Park entrance. The more adventurous travel to Kantishna at the end of one of the grandest drives on earth, the Denali Park Road. Winding through the Alaska Range, deep into the center of the Park, this exciting route offers you best chance to see the wildlife which makes the Denali area so unforgettable. Grizzlies, moose, caribou, sheep, wolves, fox, golden eagles, and a vast array of other bird life all may be sighted on the way to Denali Backcountry Lodge. And, should the weather smile on you, above it all towers "The High One," Denali itself, the tallest mountain in North America.

While traveling the restricted Park Road on the private lodge bus, it is not uncommon to witness astounding natural displays. During your journey, experienced guide/drivers share their knowledge of the Park and offer wildlife searching tips to help you locate the Park's animals and birds. Whether through binoculars or with the naked eye you may be fortunate enough to see: a grizzly sow nursing her first-year cubs; a band of bull caribou with huge antlers browsing along the tundra; or Dall sheep on the high mountain ridges, playing and frolicking as if they knew they were being observed.

Each trip to the lodge is a spirited and suspenseful event, loaded with anticipation. Although Denali National Park is a wilderness - and wildlife events don't occur on a schedule - the scenery is always superlative, and it's rare that a trip doesn't produce numerous wildlife sightings.

"It works out nicely because they do the 95-mile trip to Kantishna instead of the Tundra Wilderness tour at only 53 miles," says Pat Richardson, manager, Alaska Ferry Adventures and Tours, a Homer, Alaska tour operator who uses Denali Lodges and Tours' products and customizes them for her own clients. "And instead of a box lunch, the guests have lunch at the lodge. They also see a lot more animals," added Richardson.

It's a leisurely journey of about six hours to reach the backcountry lodge from the park entrance. Richardson says most of her clients who head for the lodge on an overnight stay are traveling on a high-end package: "These people are looking for something different, something other than the run-of-the-mill tour."

Beyond this six-hour journey of natural discovery - even past aptly named Wonder Lake - lies Kantishna, a unique enclave deep in the Park. Kantishna had its beginnings as a turn-of-the-century mining district. Now, with mining limited by its inclusion in the Park system, the area is home to Denali Backcountry Lodge. Nestled in the snug valley carved by Moose Creek as it winds to the Yukon, the lodge lies at the very end of the restricted 95 mile Park Road. Beyond it is just a small bush airstrip and the vast untracked interior of Alaska.

Denali Backcountry Lodge offers more than a beautiful location. They encourage guests to explore the natural communities central to Denali - to understand how this unique and fragile environment flourishes in spite of the harsh sub-arctic climate. During lodge activities, the staff will introduce guests to the subtly spectacular natural and cultural histories of the adjacent boreal forest and tundra.

The facility offers thirty-eight comfortable cabins. Each cabin is heated and enjoys its own private bath - an unexpected comfort for such a remote location! Dining and lounge areas are found in the spacious two-story lodge. When Denali itself is "out," guests can hike or shuttle to spectacular viewing areas, where even the novice can capture stunning photos.

"At the exclusive Denali Backcountry Lodge, you'll be situated 95 scenic miles inside Denali National Park. The trip to the lodge is so spectacular that we offer a day trip to the lodge for lunch," says Sham Idnani, President, Denali Lodges & Alaska Denali Tours.

Visit www.DenaliLodges.com