Alaska National Parks
Denali National Park: The size of the state of Massachusetts, Denali National Park is so different from our other road accessible National Parks in that access into the park is strictly controlled. You can't just go there and drive in. There is only one road into the park and a permit, issued by the National Park Service is required.
What that means to you is that you get a chance to see Mother Nature at her best and worst unsullied by human "management". Denali is different because from day one they have managed the visitors to the park, not the wildlife in the park.
On our last visit to Denali, on the Tundra Wilderness Tour we counted 13 Grizzly Bears, 4 of which were up close and personal. We stopped and watched them eat blueberries for 20 minutes to a half hour each time from a distance as close as about 40 feet. We had a wolf walk right down the road at us and right by us as we stopped and watched in awe! You see, because the wildlife has the right of way and we do our best to let them go about their business completely unhindered they don't think of the road as some place they should avoid, rather that it's the "nicest" trail in the park, so they use it a lot!
Around Denali National Park has sprung up a host of visitor related businesses that can and will fill your days with Alaskan adventures. Flightseeing over the mountain itself, river rafting (either whitewater or just a plain old float trip), fishing and hiking and even a golf course give you plenty of options to get out and enjoy this marvelous country. The Husky Homestead tour is one of our favorites and we highly recommend it!
If you don't want to spend a dime, the Park rangers are constantly giving talks on one aspect of the park or another. We have found most of them to be interesting and informative.
Other Parks Not Listed Here:
Glacier Bay National Park
Misty Fjords National Monument
Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park
Alagnak Wild River, King Salmon, AK
Aleutian World War II National Historic Area Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, AK
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Nome, AK
Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Kotzebue, AK
Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve, Bettles, AK
Inupiat Heritage Center, Barrow , AK
Katmai National Park & Preserve, King Salmon, AK
Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, AK
Kobuk Valley National Park, Kotzebue, AK
Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Port Alsworth, AK
Noatak National Preserve, Kotzebue, AK
Sitka National Historical Park, Sitka, AK
Western Arctic National Parklands, Kotzebue, AK
Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve, Copper Center, AK
Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve, Eagle, AK
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