June 2007 trip

Hi - I%26#39;m hoping to get some helpful advise regarding my plans for a Denali camping trip in mid June. My brother and I will be flying into Fairbanks at 3:30pm on a Wednesday and plan to head directly to the park. Is it possible to make it to the park and set-up that late? Also, how should we travel to the park? I planned on renting a vehicle and driving in, but I%26#39;m not sure that%26#39;s allowed or there is some restriction on how far in we can go. What is the best option for getting into the park for camping if we can%26#39;t drive? Also - Where should we camp? We will be flying out of Fairbanks on Sunday morning so my hope is to camp Wednesday night to Saturday afternoon, head back to Fairbanks and stay in a nice hotel and head to the airport the next morning. Given the short amount of time, I%26#39;m looking to find a good camping ground where we can hike and relax.

Any help would be appreciated. I haven%26#39;t camped since I was little so this is a big trip and I want to make sure we are prepared.

Thanks

June 2007 trip

Welcome to the forum! First of all, for the best information, please check out the park%26#39;s website, as it%26#39;ll be a great source of information for you: www.nps.gov/dena. There are several campgrounds in the Park, but some have specifics. For example, Teklanika only allows hardsided campers - no tents, but there are other tent sites. You can camp at Wonder Lake (road ends just a bit further in Kantishna area) however, mosquitos are at a maximum then, but it%26#39;s an incredible area. You can also camp in the entrance area. You will need a shuttle bus pass to get into the Park, but you can drive the first 15 miles to Savage river. If you camp further into the park, you get to take the camper bus. :)

Yes, you have plenty of time to get to the Park - Fairbanks is approximately a 2 hour drive from Denali Park, but you will also need to get some basic food supplies before you leave Fairbanks - Fred Meyers is a short drive from the airport - there is one right on Airport way as you come from the airport in fact.

You will be coming during maximum daylight hours, so don%26#39;t hurry, as it won%26#39;t be getting dark at all. I would try to get your reservations prior to coming, for both the campground and your shuttle tickets, but I don%26#39;t think the Park begins those until late Jan/early Feb. They will have that info on their website.

As far as hotels go, I would check out some basic website for hotel, and see what best suits you. If you want to be near the airport, I would recommend Princess or Pike%26#39;s. For the downtown area, I would recommend Springhill Suites (Marriot) or Westmark -all nice hotels - just try to get the best deal that you can. Good luck! :)

June 2007 trip

Wonder lake is an absolutely fabulous area, with beautiful views and great hiking options...in my opinion the mosquito war would be worth camping there. and the bus system is very very well worked out so it%26#39;s easy to get to and than from the lake, with schedules and knowledgeable bus drivers.

I appeciate the responses. The two sites I am looking at are Toklat and Polychrome Pass. Do you have any information or opinions about either site? Based on your reccomendations, I think we will rent an SUV and drive to the park and then take the shuttle to the campground. I am curious, is there safe parking where we can just leave the car for three or four days? Or is it better or even possible to take a shuttle/bus from Fairbanks during the early evening on Wednesday?

Wonder Lake: Are mosquitos an issue in mid June?

Hello again! The two places you mentioned are stops on the bus route, but they are not campgrounds. If I were tent camping, I would choose either Wonder Lake or Sanctuary. Here is the link to the campgrounds in Denali. nps.gov/archive/…index.html

You can also camp almost anywhere in the park, though you need a back country permit to do that. Some areas are closed due to critical wildlife habitat.

Yes, it would be safe to leave your car parked in the entrance area. I would still rent a car - it would be best for any exploring you want to do.

Yes, mosquitos are generally always thick at Wonder Lake, unless it%26#39;s a very dry year . . . some years are worse than others. Hope this helps some. :)

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