Skyline Lodge

We (2adults/1child, 7years) are planning to visit Denali NP next August and would like to take the shuttle bus to Kantishna. As this is a long trip (I read about 10-11 hours) we thought maybe its better to spend 1 night there. We pretend to stay at Skyline Lodge because it%26#39;s the only affordable place. Has anyone been there already?

Skyline Lodge

I have not been there, but the owner is a great guy and it%26#39;s one of the few new places out in the area - I wouldn%26#39;t hesitate to stay there. It is a great area to explore and few tourists get out there to enjoy. Best of luck! :)

Skyline Lodge

The only reservation I have about your plan is running two long bus days one after the other.

Consider the time you will arrive at Kantishna the first night, and

consider the time you will have to leave Kantishna to get back to the entrance to the park the following day.

Go for it if it fits your family%26#39;s interests and abilities. If not, then perhaps consider going only to Eielson Visitor Center / Fish Creek (only 8 hours round trip one day) or allowing time to get off the bus, hike, picnic and burn off energy and catch another bus going in your direction.

You will need to carry food and drink for both directions unless you catch a special bus to the lodge, which is something else you can consider.

This is not to say do not do it, just consider all factors! Enjoy your vacation.

Man kann auch au Deutsch fragen stellen hier.

71

71 - SO glad you are on the forum . . . I hadn%26#39;t even considered the time factor when replying - excellent point! Hope you are well - has been about -20 most of this week, occasional fine snow. Thanks for posting! :)

Hi Coalminer -

That is the great thing about this forum, many eyes and ears to catch the details and offer alternatives. I enjoy picking up new ideas as well... here it is hovering from -5 nights to +18 F during the days, with jsut enough snow to cover the ground. One or two good snow storms and the season should start!

71

PS My inspiration for my commentary was thinking of sitting for two days, 11 hours each day. I would rather try a different combination ...

Thanks for answering Coalminer and 71.

Yes, you are right. Might be too exhausting to spend 11hours in a shuttle bus on two successive days. A Shuttle Bus ride to Fish Creek should be enough for us. It%26#39;s anyhow 8 hours round trip.

Thank you for this advice.

71 - Ich dachte, auf Deutsch wuerde ich wahrscheinlich weniger Antworten bekommen. Aber danke fuer den Hinweis !

71 am I missing something ? I thought that 11 hours is to Wonder Lake and back, RT, and about 12 hours RT to Kantishna where Skyline Lodge is located. If PerfectlyHappy book his/her shuttle let say for 7 am, then arrival in Kantishna is around 1PM. She/he still has most of the day to spend in the area, go gold panning or hiking, even flight seeing. If this is how it works then I think it is a great idea to spend one night in the end of the road. Then next day her/his family can stay there until noon and then take a shuttle bus back. This would mean around 6 hours each day on the shuttle bus. We took the early morning shuttle this August and arrived in Wonder Lake around lunch time. We got back around 9 pm since we hiked in the park for a few hours.

I talked last night with someone who stayed there last summer and this is how it worked. She got on the shuttle bus in the morning and got to Kantishna before 2 pm. Skyline Lodge is right there. Check in is between 1 pm and 9 pm so there is no pressure of getting the shuttle very early in the morning. She hiked that afternoon. Then next morning she took a flight seeing tour. The same people who owns the lodge also run flight seeing tours. She stayed for two nights but said the other people stayed only one night and left after lunch on the shuttle bus. She liked this small basic lodge, her simple room and people were great. As you see, PerfectlyHappy, you wouldn%26#39;t have to be on the bus 11 hours each day, only about 6 hours each day. I have to admit that last year I did not research this option but it sounds very appealing even if the lodge has only simple rooms. Keep in mind there is no view of Mount McKinley from the Kantishna area. Only Camp Denali and North Face Lodge have views. We are staying there next summer. If you still consider going to Skyline Lodge I would book it very soon as this is a small lodge.

Hi Places! Thank you so much for your advice, it was really, really helpful!

If it takes 6 hours to Kantishna I think we%26#39;ll do that and stay 1 night at Skyline Lodge. We have still the whole afternoon to go gold panning or hiking. Next day we%26#39;ll take the afternoon bus. That%26#39;s perfect! Skyline Lodge is also perfect for us. We just need a simple room. It%26#39;s just for 1 night anyway...

Good thing you caught that error Places! That does make all the difference in the world. It also allows time to step off and hike about on the way back in case they see some really appealing area on the way in. Again, this is the advantage of many eyes and minds participating.

71

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