{"id":10940,"date":"2023-09-09T06:00:04","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cowlesmountain.com\/Travels\/?p=10940"},"modified":"2023-09-08T11:04:49","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T18:04:49","slug":"denali-national-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cowlesmountain.com\/Travels\/2023\/09\/09\/denali-national-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Denali National Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We arrived at Denali’s Riley Creek Campground around 11 am as that was check-in\/ check-out time there.\u00a0\u00a0 Your reservation does not secure a particular campsite, just that there will be a campsite that can fit our 40′ coach; so getting there as early as possible makes it more likely to get a nicer site.\u00a0\u00a0 The site we wanted was taken, but the one across the street from it was available.\u00a0 We set up some of our things, but not everything as we saw on the campsite post they were leaving the next morning.\u00a0 When they did, we immediately moved over there and enjoyed the next 6 nights in what we think is the best site in Riley Creek for a large rig.<\/p>\n

That afternoon we walked over to the mercantile store as we heard there was huckleberry ice cream to be had.\u00a0 It didn’t disappoint.<\/p>\n

When we arrived, we had been dry-camping for the prior 4 nights, so we wanted to use the dump station before starting another 7 nights of dry-camping in Riley Creek Campground Denali National Park.\u00a0 Their dump station was set up so it would take a very long time to dump and fill with water.\u00a0 When you are dumping, the potable water is probably 40′ or more away; so the average RV had to move up about 25 feet or so for their fresh water line to reach, but that wasn’t far enough forward for the next vehicle to start dumping, so it took most folks twice the time to get out of the way for the next vehicle.\u00a0\u00a0 Lucky for us we found a line with only one rig in front of us, and we have a long fresh water hose so we could fill the tank and dump at the same time.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Our traveling companions had been to Riley Creek a couple other times, so they knew which were the best sites to try to get.\u00a0\u00a0 The best spot was taken so they took their #2 choice and set up.\u00a0 We picked a site across from their first choice and noticed that the person in there was leaving the next day, so we deployed the bus just enough to live overnight as the site we were in was long enough but very narrow.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Next morning those folks left and we were ready to move.\u00a0 That site was a much better setup for us, way more level and much wider too.\u00a0 We stayed there for the next 6 nights.\u00a0\u00a0 It was also much better for deploying our solar suitcase to keep the generator running time to the very minimum.\u00a0 A few of the days we didn’t need to run it at all.<\/p>\n

Kathy and Sue wanted to go shopping in town, so one of the first days when it was cloudy and misting rain, that was what we did. \u00a0 There are only a few things in the town of Denali:\u00a0 restaurants, a few hotels, trinket shops and gas stations, also a few tour guide storefronts. \u00a0 Not much else.\u00a0 It’s all about the National Park across the river from the town.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>We went for lunch at the place voted best pizza place in town.\u00a0 We got a table outside so Dusty could come with us.\u00a0 The pizza was as good, if not better than the last time\"\"<\/a> we were here for dinner.\u00a0\u00a0 Dusty was very popular there.\u00a0 It seemed like everyone had to come over and see him.\u00a0 He mostly ignored them, except the kids who still had some food on their hands.\u00a0 He wanted to lick those hands!\u00a0 In the picture to the right you can see the Alaska Railroad Train across the river heading south toward the Denali Station.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>Kathy, Sue and Larry went over to watch the Sled Dog Kennel demonstration.\u00a0 The dogs are used all winter in the park, it’s quite amazing.\u00a0 Then they walked back on a\u00a0 3-mile forest trail that had quite a bit of elevation change.\u00a0 Many sore knees after that!<\/p>\n

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We drove out the park road every day trying to see the Denali Mountain, and each time we were disappointed, as it was shrouded by clouds.\u00a0\u00a0 One of the days we decided to go for a hike on Savage Creek Canyon Trail.\u00a0 We visited the Savage Creek Cabin on the way to the end of the road where the trail begins and heard a little talk about the history of the area from one of the tour guides.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It was a bit windy and mostly cloudy when we parked at the trailhead.\u00a0 There was a large sign saying a grizzly bear \"\"<\/a> had been seen in the area.\u00a0 Not what you want to see when starting your hike!!!\u00a0 (but\u00a0 thankfully we never saw him)\u00a0 We decided to walk up and around the river, over the road bridge so we would end up at our parking lot when we finished. (there was a small foot bridge at the other end of the trail that made it a loop.)\u00a0 It was a short 2-mile hike thru some very pretty country.\u00a0\u00a0 Not far along the trail we came upon a ptarmigan (the chicken of Chicken, Alaska, fame)\u00a0 I had only seen pictures, and this one was right on our trail and didn’t seem to care about us.\u00a0 It just walks right up to us then darted into the underbrush.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>Some of the areas were slippery and you could see the park service had tried to make them a bit less of an issue \"\"<\/a>by strategically placing rocks to try to divert the water into small channels that emptied into the creek next to the trail.\u00a0 When we got back we saw a caribou\u00a0 crossing the creek and then eating in the bushes near the parking lot!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The next day Kathy and I drove over to Healy for lunch at 49th State Brewing.\u00a0 They had a nice patio now out front that wasn’t there the last time we went there, so the Dust could also come with us and not have to stay in the car.\u00a0 It was one of the scarce\u00a0 almost warm day, so we wouldn’t have wanted to leave him in there.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>On the last full day there we got to see Denali in all its glory!\u00a0 We had an app that showed a real time view of Denali and we could see the cloud cover looked gone.\u00a0 We took our last drive out the Park road and could see it clearly.\u00a0 We could now leave feeling like camping there was a success!<\/p>\n

The next morning we headed for the couple-hour drive to Fairbanks.<\/p>\n

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We arrived at Denali’s Riley Creek Campground around 11 am as that was check-in\/ check-out time there.\u00a0\u00a0 Your reservation does not secure a particular campsite, just that there will be a campsite that can fit our 40′ coach; so getting there as early as possible makes it more likely to get a nicer site.\u00a0\u00a0 The … <\/p>\n

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