Denali Questions: Shuttle Bus & Train From Anchorage

[tapia]

Anchorage -> Denali Train / Bus

Is there a lot to see on this ride? What do you see? Is there a big difference between the Gold Dome trains and the standard trains?

 

Shuttle

I've gone through a lot of threads and decided to take a shuttle bus into Denali in the early AM. I'm planning on going in late June. Would Fish Creek still be the recommended distance? How long is that trip about from start to finish (not getting out and hiking)? Do you see a lot more wildlife going to Fish Creek than one of the earlier stops? What wildlife do you see?

Thank you!

[AAL]

According to the park service, the shuttle to Fish Creek is 8 hours round trip. It can be longer if there are long stops for wildlife viewing, or if the road is muddy, etc. The trip to Fish Creek is 63 miles; it's 53 miles to Toklat and 33 miles to Polychrome. The best bear viewing is usually after Polychrome, so worth the time to go to Fish Creek.

 

You might also see moose, caribou, wolves and fox.

 

Be sure to take good binoculars and lots of snacks.

 

The train trip is through different terrain than Denali, since you'll start at sea level. It's quite scenic and you may see wildlife (but your chances in Denali are much higher). The viewing area on the dome cars is raised, so it's higher than the standard cars, but it's all the same train.

 

Have fun!

[tapia]

So, basically nothing exciting on the train trip over? (Denali is much better....)

 

What are your experiences in taking the bus into Denali? What did you see?

[Joy2Day]

Last June, we took a 3 pm shuttle to Toklat River. Close-up sightings: 2 moose, a wolf, a fleeting glimpse of a red fox, a lone bear with a caribou carcass, a female bear with her cub (right in the road), and another very large lone male -- and capped off by a caribou in a stream as we returned around 9:30 pm. Distant sightings of caribou, bears, and Dall sheep.

[tapia]

Last June, we took a 3 pm shuttle to Toklat River. Close-up sightings: 2 moose, a wolf, a fleeting glimpse of a red fox, a lone bear with a caribou carcass, a female bear with her cub (right in the road), and another very large lone male -- and capped off by a caribou in a stream as we returned around 9:30 pm. Distant sightings of caribou, bears, and Dall sheep.

 

Wow, that sounds great!!!!!

 

 

I guess I think there's no way I could beat anything like that on the train.

[AAL]

The train and the Denali shuttle are very different experiences. The Denali buses drive fairly slowly and stop for wildlife viewings (which the train does not). The bus drivers communicate with each other by radio, so they often know exactly where to look for something.

 

The shuttle is a different experience every time. We have almost always seen bears, sometimes very close. Last fall a grizzly was grazing on the Toklat River bed, not very far from where we were standing on the bridge (actually a little too close for my comfort). We also got a fleeting glimpse of wolves and saw some sheep. Another time we saw a pack of wolves chase a bear up a cliff -- those bears can really move. We've also seen the great-grandpa of dall sheep right next to the road; usually sheep are visible in the Igloo creek area. Many people hope to get a good view of Mt. McKinley and are disappointed when they don't. I hope to get good views of animals and if the mountain is visible, that's a bonus.

[tapia]

I hope to get good views of animals and if the mountain is visible, that's a bonus.

 

Same for me!