Denali, worth it or not?

[Orsino]

If I understand things correctly, it takes 8 hours to travel from Denali to Anchorage by train. Is Denali worth this investment in time? If we did Denali, we would fly into Fairbanks, train to Denali (4 hours), overnight 2 nights in Denali, then train to Anchorage. Is Denali worth 12 hours on a Train?

[mytime53]

Not knowing what you would do if you don't go to Denali, it's difficult to answer for you. Keep in mind, though, that although Denali may be the ultimate destination, you could view the entire trip as your destination. Unless you keep your nose in a book or you sleep, you're seeing nearly 400 miles of Alaska (3 or 4 ecosystems worth) as you travel from Fairbanks to Anchorage. Some will tell you it's "nothing but trees". It's in the eyes of the beholder, though. We had relatives up last summer who couldn't get enough of seeing the birch trees. From the train we've seen grizzly and black bear, wolves, moose, caribou, fox, coyote, and wolf. The problem, from my perspective, is that on the train if you see those things, you don't get to stop and look like you would from a car.

[spirit rev]

We did a cruisetour starting in Fairbanks. For us, it was absolutely worth the time on the train to spend 2 days in and around Denali. The day we spent in the park on tour was one of the best with a knowledgable driver/guide and lots of good eyes looking for the numerous wildlife in the park. Being with an established group, we had commentary about what we were seeing as we passed by the various places.

 

Alaska is very diverse and you get to see a lot of it from the window of the train. If this might be the only time you visit Alaska, I would think it would be well worth doing some way.

[Budget Queen]

You question is so basic that I suggest you determine what Denali Park is all about. It isn't just a matter of taking the "train" to Denali. You then, need to get INTO it, another investment of time. Why are you going to Alaska and what do you wish to get out of it?? Denali is your most easily accessable area for varied wildlife of bears, moose, caribou, dall sheep. Are you interested in seeing this?? Binoculars ARE necessary, and don't expect it to be a zoo. Shuttle buses are my only way in, for the distance, not the TWT. As you can tell, this requires extra days. What is it that you are doing in Fairbanks, as well????

 

I would think, backing up and doing more research on these particular areas would be of more benefit? They aren't much dos for everyone. An alternative is spending the time on the Kenai Peninsula, which is also a "must do", for some. All these areas are two night stops, at least for me. Time, is what is important.

 

http://www.nps.gov/dena http://www.explorefairbanks.com http://www.kenaipeninsula.com

[zamgwar]

Is it worth it? I would have to say..yes-

 

I flew across the country, then flew north to Alaska, then drove six hours in a car and then rode another six hours (or was it 8?) in an old school bus to see Denali. The next day we drove 8 hours (stopping quite a bit) to see the surrounding areas.

 

Breathtaking, Mind boggling, vast, moving, tears in your eyes beautiful (if you like that sort of thing of course) wilderness and its accompanying wildlife.

 

For me, The cruise almost paled in comparison to the splendor of the land...and the cruise was wonderful.

 

Keep in mind, that's just me..your milage may vary

 

John

Office of Purple Mountains Majesty

The Zamgwar Institute

[oldengine]

There are lots of research materials on the web...

 

You can zoom in for closeups on this map:

http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=dena&parkname=Denali%20National%20Park%20and%20Preserve

[bqkali]

Everyone has different interests, so it's hard to say if Denali is a "Must-See". It was for me (and many others) but not necessarily for everyone, especially in a world where most people only have limited vacation time and/or money so you can't do everything and have to prioritize. I wanted to see Denali the first time I went to Alaska (2009) but it wasn't in the cards for me then, so I went back when I had the chance :) (2010)...so I understand completely that even if it is a "must-see" that it is not always feasible at the time and only YOU can decide if it is a must-see for you on this trip. You can also tell that it was definitely worth all the time it took to get there for my personal interests - and in my separate trip, this worked out to WAY more than 12 hours when you factor in all my travel from the east coast ;)

 

Go to your library/bookstore and read an Alaskan guidebook (I was happy with my Frommer's 2010, but there are a dozen to choose from). Two or three hours of reading will give you an idea of what interests you. If you're like me, there will be far more for you to do than what you'll have time to see on this vacation, and you'll have to prioritize. Perhaps only one or two things will appeal to you, and it will be easy to design a trip based on those locations. Or maybe you'll decide that you only want to cruise to Alaska and use your time off for a different trip.

 

As a side note, the way you mentioned you would get to Denali (flying to Fairbanks, train to Denali, train to Anchorage) is not necessarily the quickest way, especially since you didn't mention any sightseeing/overnights in Fairbanks while you are there. Simply renting a car in Anchorage to drive to Denali and back also works out to 12 hours of transit time, but in this case, you save time by avoiding the flight altogether (no security, no delays, no claiming your baggage, and you'll save the actual time in flight as well). Plus you will have the flexibility to travel on your own schedule - no train/plane schedules to be tied down with - and you'll be able to stop on the way to/from Denali if something looks interesting. Another benefit to this is that you'll save money...perhaps freeing up some funds for flightseeing, rafting, or other activities on your trip that interest you. That does not mean there aren't good reasons to do it the way you mention (especially if you are interested in seeing Fairbanks or would rather leave the driving to someone else), but I wanted to give you another option.

 

Alaska is a big state, and yes it takes time, but there is so much to see and do that your time would be well-spent anywhere in the state. It is just a matter of your personal interests and preferences as to how/where you spend your time.

[Orsino]

Thanks for the replies.

In retrospect I was way too stingy with what we want from our trip.

 

We aren't interested in Fairbanks per se, I just figured that traveling one way would be nicer than going up and back. Plus it looks like Fairbanks is closer to Denali than Anchorage. If we went to Fairbanks by plane, we would only be in Fairbanks to sleep before the Train the next day.

 

We want to see Nature. So the trip to Denali would be to see the National Park. If we can find other diversions, that's okay, but the primary goal is to see the Park.

 

I hadn't considered driving as an option. It seems to me that Holland America Literature really emphasizes the McKinley Explorer and the panoramic views from the train ride between Fairbanks and Anchorage. I'm all for nice views, but I'm not sure if I can take 12 hours of it. Driving is an interesting option. Driving from Anchorage seems like a possibility too.

 

I've boiled my choice down to 2 basic camps. Go North to Denali, or go South to the Kenai Peninsula. I feel that if we go North we should invest more nights before our cruise. 4 or 5 doesn't seem like enough. If we go south 4 or 5 seems more doable.

 

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the input.

[vbmom87]

Since you say your interest is scenery, you should enjoy the wilderness of Denali. Go as far into the park as you can. Shuttles are cheaper than the tours.

 

Unless it was a lot cheaper to fly into Fairbanks, I would fly into Anchorage especially since you do not plan on doing any sightseeing in Fairbanks. I presume you are on a cruise, so make sure you are pricing your flights using the multi-city option. Also if you are cruising on a southbound itinerary, if you flew into Anchorage and rented a car, it would be a round trip rental, which would be cheaper than renting a car in Fairbanks and dropping it off in Anchorage.

 

Since you mentioned HAL, I assume you are on a HAL cruise which leaves Seward. Again if that is the case and you are looking for a very scenic train ride, take the train to Seward. This stretch of the Alaska Railroad is the most scenic stretch of railroad in the interior of Alaska. You won't be disappointed.

 

I strongly recommend you rent a car. You will be able to make many stops along the way to view scenic vistas and see things that the trains and tours will miss.

 

Here is a good guide to get you starting with what you will see if you are driving:

 

http://alaska.org/driving/drive-nearby-destinations.htm

 

Click on many of the links on this sight and you will get a good grasp on things to see and do.

[mskaufman]

We just went through the same decision making process. The real question is whether it is worth it to you? Figure out what you would do and see on the excursion and then ask yourself whether it is worth your time and $$ to do it. In the end we decided not to do Denali but to spend some more time in Vancouver, but that is us and our interests.

 

Good luck

[trooper 1]

(Edited.) "...An alternative is spending the time on the Kenai Peninsula, which is also a "must do", for some. All these areas are two night stops, at least for me. Time, is what is important.

..../QUOTE]

 

Agree with BQ. For a two night quick "drive-thru" I would suggest the Kenai Peninsula. Mt McKinley is a major attraction. But it is a toss-up if you will even see the mountain on a short trip because of the weather. The wildlife is similar at both places.

[Orsino]

We've decided on Kenai Penninsula.

 

Thanks

[vbmom87]

We've decided on Kenai Penninsula.

 

Thanks

 

Have a great time. Check out Whittier for its Prince William Sound glacier tours since scenery is your priority.

 

The Kenai Fjords tours out of Seward offer both scenery and wildlife with a stop at a glacier.

 

You will love Alaska!!

[agabbymama]

Just a little side note, as the OP has already decided to do the Kenai peninsula.

 

Everybody mentioned the scenery and the wildlife and the National Park,

but nobody mentioned that Mt. McKinley is the PRIZE of the area. "The High One" is the highest peak in the United States and North America. My God you want to talk scenery. It was visible for at least an hour maybe two when we went from Fairbanks to Denali on the domed train. For our TWT tour, it was a little rainy and overcast, but just before sunset, the clouds parted and we saw the mountain top from about 60 miles away. It was totally awesome.

 

We missed Denali our first trip to Alaska as the Park opened the day we sailed. So for our second trip I was bound and determined to see that MOUNTAIN. And we did, three times. Actually saw it again from Anchorage. Didn't realize how really lucky we were!

[vbmom87]

We missed Denali our first trip to Alaska as the Park opened the day we sailed. So for our second trip I was bound and determined to see that MOUNTAIN. And we did, three times. Actually saw it again from Anchorage. Didn't realize how really lucky we were!

 

From all I have read, only about 25% of travellers to the Denali area see Mt. McKinley. We saw it in her glory the two days before we travelled into the park. We felt lucky and blessed. As we ate breakfast in the dining room of our B&B we were looking out at Mt. McKinley. However, the day we were in the park, taking our shuttle, we had rain the entire time.