Alaska: Glamping in Denali National Park
Camp Denali, at the end of the road in Denali National Park, offers unique access and warm hospitality,
If you’ve seen photos of Alaska’s Denali National Park, you know how beautiful it is. What isn’t obvious from those pictures, is the fact that access to that gorgeous scenery is very limited.
Private vehicles are only allowed to travel the first 15 miles of the paved road inside the park. After that, visitors have the choice of sightseeing on Park Board buses or taking the bus to one of several drop-off points and then hiking or mountain biking from there.
To complicate matters, Denali National Park does not offer trails or permanent campgrounds. All camping is “wild” – and don’t forget that bears are a huge issue in this area.
Loo with a view at Denali National Park.
After ten minutes of trying to look through the dirty windows of the park’s antiquated “tour” bus, I knew I had to find an authentic way to experience Denali National Park in comfort – and I did.
Alaska: Glamping in Denali National Park
Camp Denali is sited on a private in-holding of land 90 miles from the park entrance. Here, 17 cabins and the 15 rooms at adjacent North Face Lodge provide comfortable lodging, great meals, and top-notch naturalists who lead learning adventures into the wilderness.
A picture window in our cabin framed Mt. McKinley so perfectly that it looked like a postcard. During the course of our three-day stay, we saw “The Great One” surrounded by blue sky, clothed in mist, and bathed in alpenglow.
At Camp Denali, each of the immaculate knotty pine cabins comes with a wood-burning stove, propane lights, at least one comfortable bed covered with a handmade quilt, running water, a kettle for heating water, and an outhouse. Cabins and loos are serviced daily. Hot showers and flush toilets are located in a centrally-located modern bathhouse near the dining room – a three- to seven-minute walk away. To me, this was “glamping” (glamorous camping) a its best.
Denali, “the Great One,” was known as Mt. McKinley until 2015, when it was renamed by President Obama.
North Face Lodge
By comparison, North Face Lodge feels like a motel (“30 seconds from your pillow to your placemat”), but it’s a good alternative for those who are less able-bodied or cannot do without an en suite bathroom. Normally, I’d be in that “must have en suite” category – but in this case I much preferred the rustic charm and authenticity of our Camp Denali cabin.
Our cabin at Camp Denali in Denali National Park was warm, cozy, and clean. I loved it!
Top notch naturalists / exclusive access
Camp Denali is a family-owned and -operated business and great care and attention is expended on guests’ behalf. In addition to hiking, daytime activities include fishing, biking, photography, canoeing, and flightseeing with Kantishna Air Taxi. Staff naturalists and visiting specialists present evening programs focused on Alaska’s natural and cultural heritage.
It was a privilege to stay at Camp Denali in Denali National Park and have exclusive access to very special natural wonders. Sometimes “luxury” isn’t about glamorous bathrooms and 24-hour room service – and this was definitely one of those times.
If you like glamping, check out Sequoia High Sierra Camp. If you’re still holding out for more creature comforts, here’s good info on hotels near US national parks.
Enjoy!
Category: Alaska, National Parks, USA Western States
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
Looking for travel writing markets–I just completed an Arizona travel guide–I stumbled upon your name and publication. Then found your blog. My BF went to Denali last summer with his son–to do the wilderness hiking tour. I am surprised–and kinda glad–to learn there are actually cabins out there…as I’d like to go some day but would not be okay around the grizzlies. I wasn’t thrilled when we ran into them in Montana. And he said he did see them in Denali. So#44; thanks to your post, Alaska looks like it could be a trip in my future, after all. Whew!
All my best#44;
Jackie