The Denali Highway was constructed in the wake of World War II to provide a link between the Richardson Highway and the highly remote Denali National Park (then referred to as McKinley National Park). For the first fourteen years of its existence, it was the only roadway into the park. Since 1971 though, most visitors to the park take the paved Park’s Highway, which stretches from Anchorage to Fairbanks. For this reason you won’t find a whole lot of traffic, just wide open stretches of road to enjoy this last piece of America’s frontier.
Planning Your Ride on the Denali Highway The Denali Highway is almost entirely gravel and doesn’t see much in the way of maintenance. While it isn’t particularly challenging, you should still exercise a moderate amount of caution when planning your trip, especially when it comes to knowing your limits. The 135 mile ride can be done in a day, but most riders choose to break it up into two or three sections, taking a few breaks and observing the stunning beauty of their surroundings mountain peaks.
The road is only open from mid-May to October of each year, when the route is cleared of snow.
Fuel The Denali Highway, from Paxson to Cantwell, is 135 miles long; you may need to fill up in between. While both the Tangle Lakes Inn (mile 20) and the Clearwater Mountain Lodge (mile 82) sell fuel, it will likely be quite expensive give the remote location.
Should you get into trouble, there’s not a whole lot of traffic to flag down. However, both of the above fuel stops can do basic repairs as can the Maclaren River Lodge (mile 42) and Alpine Creek Lodge (mile 68).
Accommodations and Food The only accommodations at the beginning of the route are the Denali Highway Cabins in Paxson. Amenities range from electricity-free tents to spacious cabins with stocked kitchens. Along the highway, soft beds can be found at the Tangle Lakes Inn , Maclaren River Lodge , Alpine Creek Lodge , and Clearwater Mountain Lodge . If the prices at these lodges is a bit much for your budget, tent camping is possible at BLM campgrounds near Tangle Lake and Brushkana Creek (mile 105), in addition to various pullouts along the route.
Each of the lodges have restaurants and simple provisions are available for purchase. Given the high cost of transporting food in Alaska, you should expect much higher prices than would be found in the Lower 48.
Sights The biggest attraction on this route is the chance for solitude in the wide open spaces of Alaska. At this latitude there are very few trees to block your views of the surrounding landscapes and there are countless hiking opportunities even before you enter the park.
Most of the lodges also offer tours: ATV, kayak, and even air boat. Each of them provides an excellent opportunity to break up what can be a fairly exhausting ride.
At the conclusion of your ride, you can head north for another 30 miles from Cantrell to reach the entrance of Denali National Park. The price to enter the park is only $10, though the experience is like no other national park, with few defined trails or amenities.
Tangle Lakes – Photo Credit: Beeblebrox / CC BY Mount Hayes – Photo Credit: Dan Battle Brook / CC BY MacLaren Summit – Photo Credit: Beeblebrox / CC BY
