Denali vs. Talkeetna

My husband an I will be crusing to Seward early June. We will have four days on land and renting a car. We were wondering if Talkeetna is just as nice a Denali. We here good things about it, with less crowds, nice excursions and there is a better chance of seeing Mt. McKinley from there. We are thinking of foregoing Deanli and booking a room in Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge for a few days. Would love your input on Talkeetna and Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge vs going to Denali. Kind Regards.

Denali vs. Talkeetna

It really depends - if you just want to view/look at Mt. McKinley, then yes, just stay in Talkeetna. However, if you want an incredible opportunity to view wildlife - I would not miss Denali Park. It%26#39;s so much more than than seeing the mountain. I am sure others will give you info as well. Best of luck! :)

Denali vs. Talkeetna

I guess it depends on what your priorities are. I have just returned from Denali, and, while wildlife is our main interest, if we hadn%26#39;t seen any wildlife, I would not have been unhappy taking the shuttle bus through the park. The scenery is incredible. I would post pictures, but haven%26#39;t figured out how, and I was also so busy looking at everything, I didn%26#39;t take pictures! (My husband had the good camera, anyway!),

Talkeetna is a great little town, but very rustic. I don%26#39;t know what you would do there for more than a day or two max. It is essentially a one one road SMALL town, straight out of the past. I would stop in Talkeetna on the way to and from Denali, and you can still have two days at Denali. My wife and I just got back from an Alaskan trip (8/25-9/4), and that is what we did.

Let me know if you have any questions.

To clarify - Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge isn%26#39;t in Talkeetna, it%26#39;s in the middle of nowhere an hour north of Talkeetna. When you realize that The Mountain is seldom visible, staying near the Denali entrance offers more opportunities for a quality experience (wildlife in particular).

Murray

Don%26#39;t miss staying in or near Denali National Park. Talkeetna is about 150 miles from the entrance to Denali NP. Denali NP is amazing. This was our second visit to Denali NP this August and I cannot explain to myself why we waited 12 years before our second visit but we are already planning to return there next summer. Shortly, Denali NP is an unique place and is such a natural gem that it shouldn%26#39;t be missed.

If you need to stay in one of the Princess Lodges then at the entrance to Denali NP there is Denali Princess Lodge. I agree that McKinley Princess Lodge is not near Talkeetna or Denali NP. If the weather is clear and you are on the way to the park you may consider flightseeing tour from Talkeetna. Also if the weather is nice you may see Mount McKinley from many spots along the road to Denali NP.

Having lived in AK for 6 years and had many friends and families come visit, the ones that skipped Denali in favor of a view from the Talkeetna area all regretted not venturing into the park. Unless you will be going back on a regular basis hit the park. The park runs shuttle buses that go various distances into the park, look at the NPS website as they book up quick. I recommend going at least half to 2/3 of the way into the park, just be aware that it takes anywhere from 4 to 8 hours round trip. So be prepared to sit and view a lot of scenery and wildlife.

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